Getting a new flock!

[jroyalimage]

Hi guys, so I'm new to the backyard chicken community! I haven't browsed around too much so if this is in. The wrong spot I can repost it somewhere else... But anyway

So I always thought chickens were really cool. I'm not a big chicken or egg eater but I do want to keep chickens. I live on a 50 or so acre farm. I have horses that take up most of that space with paddock and pastures. I want to add a chicken coop to my barn. I have an empty stall that I am not going to fill with another horse (God knows how expensive another horse would be!). It's a pretty big space. It's about 12x12 with an outdoor space as well. I am going to cover it with chicken wire or something just so they are not just running amuck in the barn. The door to the outside I can fence off so they can freely enter and exit but I will make it small enough so the predators can't get in when it's open. I have a couple questions.
1. How many chicken should I/can I put in this space?
2. The barn sits right in the middle of my property. How far will the chickens go? I'm ok with them roaming as far as they want but will they be fairly safe?
3. I will have no way of keeping them out of the paddocks while the horses are out. I have draft horses so they are huge but rarely spook and are extremely sure footed. So I'm not worried about anyone getting stepped on, but are chickens harmful in anyway to horses?

 

[Peeps61]

Hi and welcome to BYC! Chickens are great fun, and if you like to observe animal behavior, they are fun for that as well.

First of all, Your stall should be reinforced against predators fairly well. I certainly understand not wanting another horse as I they are very expensive to upkeep! I would start out with not more than 10 chickens, although I think you could probably get more in a space that size. You want to learn what they are all about and see if you want more before actually getting them. Believe me, it's easy to get more chicks pretty much any time of the year, especially if you order from the online hatcheries. I live on 10 acres in NW Florida and I 8 grown hens and 27 six week old chicks, currently.

If you free range your chickens, they typically will range 200 - 300 feet out from the "home base", but may range farther if tempted by food or treats elsewhere. Mine stay in our yard and around our barn where their coops are located. They go in and roost at night, so that's when I lock them in for their safety. Be aware that if you range your chickens, they will be subject to predation. Hawks, dogs, foxes - the list goes on. When these animals figure out where they can get a free meal, they come back, so you'll have to keep an eye out and if it does happen, either leave your girls locked up for a while, or kill the predator, or both.

Horses and chickens mix. Mine have had no ill effects from my chickens scratching around in their spilled feed and their manure or being around them at all. Nor do the horses care. The chickens are also fast enough to stay away from their feet as well.

Hope this helps! Have fun.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My chickens run with my donkeys, I used to have horses too,My chickens free range, and have the run of my shed, they go everywhere, my advice would be to keep a rooster to watch if you free range, if possible.

Chickens will only for range as far as they feel safe and there is cover, mine will travel far along a tree line, or under shrubs, but if it's open they won't go far from the shed, I have lots of area for them to get under.

Chickens will help keep your fly populations down too. I too would start with 10-15 birds and see how it goes, perhaps choosing heavier breeds that aren't so flighty, could spook your horses if crazy chickens are flying around at everything. I have one chicken that sits on my donkeys back a lot, poops on him too. I think you will like chickens.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think you will like them too. They do create a lot of dust, if you are keeping tack in the barn. They will not bother the horses.

It is good to free range, I do it most of the time, however, predators are a real problem in most areas, everything likes chicken. I think it is important to have a run that is big enough to lock the flock up. If I get hit by a predator, I lock them up for a couple of weeks so that the predator moves on. I don't free range on a set schedule, sometimes I let them out early, sometimes late, sometimes not at all. Not when it is overcast or windy, that gives an advantage to the predators.

Your outdoor run needs to be made of something stronger than chicken wire, chicken wire is for keeping chickens in, not predators out. I have a chain link fence, lined with chicken wire, then chicken wire over the top. Raccoons can go right up the side of a fence. Carefully inspect the gate area to the run, it is often a point of weakness. I have had good results with a board that the gate closes next to. And last, an apron of chicken wire, about 12 inches wide laid on top of the ground, next to the fence will keep digging predators out. Diggers like to dig in a tight U shape, by laying down the wire on top of the ground, it hurts their feet to dig next to the fence, and they won't dig farther out. Give about 10 sq feet per bird for the run.

I would recommend no roosters the first year, they take some experience, and have ruined the whole chicken hobby for a lot of people. You can always add one later. Also, start with less birds, that gives you room to add to the flock, most of us want to. There are so many different kinds of chickens. Generally a rule of thumb is 4 sq feet of coop space per large bird, give or take. 12 x 12 = 144/4 you could have more than 30 birds. However, the more birds, the more work. I would start with a dozen or less.

Good luck, it is a lot of fun,

Mrs K

 

[lazy gardener]

Do some careful research on available breeds. You'll want to choose breeds that will do well in your climate. Start with Henderson's chicken keeping guide. Many people are satisfied with getting some sex-links, or what ever the feed store is offering, while others carefully weigh the options, and choose their flock based on color preference, laying habits, behavior, size, and suitability for a particular climate. I recommend that you start with a small flock. (Maybe 6 - 8) You say you're not much of a meat eater, nor do you care for eggs. That may all change when you get your first egg from your first flock! My day is not complete without an egg for breakfast!