Hello! My name is Jake. My bride Ann and are proud chicken farmers. Well, does having 12 chickens make you a chicken farmer? Ann wanted chickens for the last couple of years, but I had every excuse possible to avoid it. Heck, I even played the “bird flu” card! This year, I had run out of excuses and agreed to getting “some” chickens. We were going to purchase them from a locally owned farm store, which is important to me to support the local economy. We picked up our chickens towards the end of April 2023.
Being a city kid, I “ain’t never had any chickens before”. But it was a logical choice on our homestead, which is 2.5 acres. The eggs are absolutely amazing too!
With the help of my father in law (who found the plans online) constructed the hen house and chicken run in my woodworking shop. The only problem is that it had to be disassembled in order to get it out of the shop. It was much easier building it there, versus where the coop was going to go. It is sized for 10-12 chickens and includes a large, covered run wrapped with hardware cloth. Of course we have the automatic solar powered door for the hen house. We had a concrete pad that a previous owner had a shed on. That helps protect the girls from any predators tunneling under the walls, but is problematic also. What do you put on top of the concrete? We are using hay currently, the people who run the farm supply recommend pea gravel.
Originally, we agreed upon 10 chickens. I got 8 the first day and when the farm store called to pick up the last two, we magically ended up with four. Well actually, I went in to get the last two and found this breed that looked like baby chipmunks, complete with the stripe down their back. They were adorable so I couldn’t pass them up.
After reading the catalog and reference guide, we ended up with the following hens.
2- Light Brahma
2- Dark Brahma
2- Buff Brahma
2- Sapphire Splash
2- “Assorted” Brahma
2- Bielefelder (my impulse buy)
I must admit, after being hesitant about getting chickens, I am really enjoying them. Each has her own personality. I try and spend time in my lawn chair inside their run a few times each week. The girls seem to enjoy the company. I never knew a chicken wood purr, but one of our dark Brahma’s snuggles in and makes a really cool sound when I scratch her head and neck
We do try and free range them every day. We never let them roam on their own though. I would hate to loose any. I am told that getting 12 chicks and now having 12 chickens means we must be doing something right.
I spent my adult life as a paramedic and retired after 30 years. My bride is a nurse. We rescue retired racing greyhounds and have had 5 females over the last 20+ years. I built a dedicated woodworking shop during Covid. Originally was planning on building cabinets like my dad and his dad. WIth the market saturated with cabinet makers, I left my comfort zone and expanded into CNC work. I pride myself in personalized custom decorations on hardwoods.
We relocated to my wife’s hometown after she chased me around the country for my work. We live in a rural farming community, surrounded by her family which is nice.
While searching for chicken run floor coverings, I ran across this website. Before I signed up, I looked at new people introductions and how people interacted with one another. I found a friendly and knowledgable group of people that we can learn from. I thought it would be best to provide introductions before we needed help with something. We look forward to being a productive member of this forum. Thank you for reading!
Being a city kid, I “ain’t never had any chickens before”. But it was a logical choice on our homestead, which is 2.5 acres. The eggs are absolutely amazing too!
With the help of my father in law (who found the plans online) constructed the hen house and chicken run in my woodworking shop. The only problem is that it had to be disassembled in order to get it out of the shop. It was much easier building it there, versus where the coop was going to go. It is sized for 10-12 chickens and includes a large, covered run wrapped with hardware cloth. Of course we have the automatic solar powered door for the hen house. We had a concrete pad that a previous owner had a shed on. That helps protect the girls from any predators tunneling under the walls, but is problematic also. What do you put on top of the concrete? We are using hay currently, the people who run the farm supply recommend pea gravel.
Originally, we agreed upon 10 chickens. I got 8 the first day and when the farm store called to pick up the last two, we magically ended up with four. Well actually, I went in to get the last two and found this breed that looked like baby chipmunks, complete with the stripe down their back. They were adorable so I couldn’t pass them up.
After reading the catalog and reference guide, we ended up with the following hens.
2- Light Brahma
2- Dark Brahma
2- Buff Brahma
2- Sapphire Splash
2- “Assorted” Brahma
2- Bielefelder (my impulse buy)
I must admit, after being hesitant about getting chickens, I am really enjoying them. Each has her own personality. I try and spend time in my lawn chair inside their run a few times each week. The girls seem to enjoy the company. I never knew a chicken wood purr, but one of our dark Brahma’s snuggles in and makes a really cool sound when I scratch her head and neck
We do try and free range them every day. We never let them roam on their own though. I would hate to loose any. I am told that getting 12 chicks and now having 12 chickens means we must be doing something right.
I spent my adult life as a paramedic and retired after 30 years. My bride is a nurse. We rescue retired racing greyhounds and have had 5 females over the last 20+ years. I built a dedicated woodworking shop during Covid. Originally was planning on building cabinets like my dad and his dad. WIth the market saturated with cabinet makers, I left my comfort zone and expanded into CNC work. I pride myself in personalized custom decorations on hardwoods.
We relocated to my wife’s hometown after she chased me around the country for my work. We live in a rural farming community, surrounded by her family which is nice.
While searching for chicken run floor coverings, I ran across this website. Before I signed up, I looked at new people introductions and how people interacted with one another. I found a friendly and knowledgable group of people that we can learn from. I thought it would be best to provide introductions before we needed help with something. We look forward to being a productive member of this forum. Thank you for reading!
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