Future Midwestern Chicken Mom

[NoodlesMama]

Welcome to BYC! I hope the time flys for you until you can get your chickens. Beware the chicken math though, I started with 6 and am up to 17 now. Chicken math is real best to plan for it when you set up your coop.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have a spitzenhauben chicken, they are supposed to be flighty and shy, mine always come up to me and pecks my leg, she wants me to pay attention, if I turn around, she squats down and wants me to ruffle her feathers.

 

[ValerieJ]

Hi! Welcome to BYC! If you are already interested in 7 different breeds, I think you'll find you will not only have 3-4 chickens. The Lavender Orpingtons are indeed beautiful. I have 3 of them now that are just 4 months old. My absolute favorites are the Buff Orpingtons and Black Australorps. They are very sweet chickens, and they are just big fluffy balls of personality. Whatever breeds you get, you will fall in love with them. Be sure to build your coop and run big enough to accommodate about 12 chickens!

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Hello! Welcome to BYC!! I love my marans and brahmas for their friendliness and curiosity! My lavender orpringtons are very pretty colored, but all seem to have a ragged feather gene. Don't care for that. Good on ya for doing your research first!

 

[Grey Gables]

Hello! Welcome to BYC!! I love my marans and brahmas for their friendliness and curiosity! My lavender orpringtons are very pretty colored, but all seem to have a ragged feather gene. Don't care for that. Good on ya for doing your research first!

Oh! I've never heard of this ragged feather gene. I need to read up on this!

 

[Grey Gables]

Eek. I'm definitely afraid of chicken math, haha. The coop is going to be 4x6 with an attached covered run. The run is about 4x9, or 4x15 if you include the coop -- the run extends under the raised coop. My theory is that if I start with only a few and chicken math kicks in, I won't end up with 15? Maybe? Hopefully?

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Oh! I've never heard of this ragged feather gene. I need to read up on this!

Yeah, it ain't perty They're still lovely birds though. I'm not sure if the terminology is right, but that's exactly how they look...ragged.

Great that you're covering the run from the beginning! That will make your life much easier. We just tore down and built a new covered run this fall and I'm loving it! Though, we haven't had that much snow yet. My last one wasn't covered and winter was a real bummer.

 

[Grey Gables]

Yeah, it ain't perty They're still lovely birds though. I'm not sure if the terminology is right, but that's exactly how they look...ragged.

Great that you're covering the run from the beginning! That will make your life much easier. We just tore down and built a new covered run this fall and I'm loving it! Though, we haven't had that much snow yet. My last one wasn't covered and winter was a real bummer.

So good to hear we're taking the right steps with our coop! I'm ALLLL about making things easier and a covered run sounded like the best option for upkeep AND safety. I researched the heck out of coops/runs and must've drawn at least 30 different ideas! Planning on using sand in the run. Not sure about the coop yet.

 

[ValerieJ]

Eek. I'm definitely afraid of chicken math, haha. The coop is going to be 4x6 with an attached covered run. The run is about 4x9, or 4x15 if you include the coop -- the run extends under the raised coop. My theory is that if I start with only a few and chicken math kicks in, I won't end up with 15? Maybe? Hopefully?

Or you will build additional coops and runs. I now have 3 runs and 4 coops, and in March will be building the big coop. We have a chicken community here.

 

[Grey Gables]

Or you will build additional coops and runs. I now have 3 runs and 4 coops, and in March will be building the big coop. We have a chicken community here.

Haha oh boy, this very well could happen to me.