Hi All,
My husband & I recently moved to Tooele, Utah, from Sandy, Utah. Even while living in Sandy I have been researching and studying up on ALL that is needed/required to starting, for the first time, a flock. It's been nearly a year, several books & periodicals, blueprints, researching hatcheries, etc. and now I'm ready to pull the trigger!
I am a newbie...never raised chickens before so I am a bit anxious! Since Tooele a little like the Wasatch Front (a little) I know I need cold-hardy breeds but I also know I need heat-hardy breeds as well. So they have to be both.
Also, I was hoping someone would know when the best time to have chicks delivered. We will be housing our brooder in our garage but I am concerned about the cold. I will be having a proper heat lamp and the section of the garage where the brooder will be, unfortunately, means, the door will have to be opened twice a day...I don't want the babies to get chilled. I will have cardboard around the perimeter of the brooder to keep drafts down but will the lamp be enough?
Also, I have read the time to take the pullets out is when the temperature is around 70 degrees but does not dip below 50 degrees at night. Is that a solid, etched in stone, advice? Tooele, just like in Sandy, there was always a cold-snap and I'm concerned about that.
Finally, my husband believes that digging hardwire down 12 inches and flanking the perimeter of the coop and run out another 2 feet is overkill. He said someone, somewhere, came up with that idea and everyone then fell in line with that advice. There are coyotes here among other predators but he doesn't want to trench up that much dirt around the coop and run because he feels that it is excessive. Any thoughts?
Thanks so much for your help!
My husband & I recently moved to Tooele, Utah, from Sandy, Utah. Even while living in Sandy I have been researching and studying up on ALL that is needed/required to starting, for the first time, a flock. It's been nearly a year, several books & periodicals, blueprints, researching hatcheries, etc. and now I'm ready to pull the trigger!
I am a newbie...never raised chickens before so I am a bit anxious! Since Tooele a little like the Wasatch Front (a little) I know I need cold-hardy breeds but I also know I need heat-hardy breeds as well. So they have to be both.
Also, I was hoping someone would know when the best time to have chicks delivered. We will be housing our brooder in our garage but I am concerned about the cold. I will be having a proper heat lamp and the section of the garage where the brooder will be, unfortunately, means, the door will have to be opened twice a day...I don't want the babies to get chilled. I will have cardboard around the perimeter of the brooder to keep drafts down but will the lamp be enough?
Also, I have read the time to take the pullets out is when the temperature is around 70 degrees but does not dip below 50 degrees at night. Is that a solid, etched in stone, advice? Tooele, just like in Sandy, there was always a cold-snap and I'm concerned about that.
Finally, my husband believes that digging hardwire down 12 inches and flanking the perimeter of the coop and run out another 2 feet is overkill. He said someone, somewhere, came up with that idea and everyone then fell in line with that advice. There are coyotes here among other predators but he doesn't want to trench up that much dirt around the coop and run because he feels that it is excessive. Any thoughts?
Thanks so much for your help!