Getting Started

[jkruer01]

Hey Everyone,

I live on a five acre mini farm with 2 horses. I have a 4 stall horse barn but two of the stalls are open and empty. We always leave the barn doors open so the horses can come in and out as they please. If I added some 2x2's for perching, could I just leave the chickens in the barn and let them come and go as they please? Since they would have free range day and night, would they make much of a mess in the barn itself? Besides food, water, nest boxes, and perching what else would they need? How many could I house in a 10x10 stall without it becoming smelly and messy? My wife isn't too keen on the idea so I want to ease into it and not give her any reason to dislike them. Plus I really want to cut down on the number of flies we have.

Thanks!
Jeremy

 

[gryeyes]

No. They really need protection from predators. Once you have chickens, there WILL be predators.

Chickens need secure lodging at night. They don't wander at night at all; they roost and sleep until dawn. Their sleep is very deep, and they do not see well in the dark. They can be picked right off roosts - by people or by predators.

You could probably make a pretty secure coop in those two stalls.... And you could let them out during the day (although there will be daytime, aerial predators to pick them off, then.... perhaps).