Hello, I've just aquired 6 new pullets, estimated two weeks old. 4 red sex-links & 2 Buff Brahmas. We got them for laying purposes, and enjoyment of watching them as well. I found BYC as a result of looking for good coop plans and like the information I have found here while browsing. This will be the third time I've had chickens in my life, once was as a kid. Now it is my kids turns. This time I am planning it as an ongoing adventure, getting new hens as necessary to continue production. Our family consists of my husband, myself, a daughter (15), son (8), and our pets. 2 horses, 1 dog, 3 cats, 6 chickens (now), a bunch of poison dart frogs, and a red eft newt. We live on 28 (mostly wooded) rural, acres. Predator concerns include tiny, yet blood thirsty, weasels, and their family (minks, fishers, martins), raccoons, skunks, possums, foxes, coyotes, and cougar (yes, I know three knowledgeable people who have seen cougar on two occasions very nearby, even though they "don't occur in NY" lol) also one fairly trustworthy report of a wolf. Then we have the predators of the arial persuasion - eagles, hawks of all types & I read even ravens. Despite this, I had good luck in the past with letting them truly free range; my only losses were to a neighbors dog, who is long gone now. So I plan to do this again this time around with a much better coop. I want the coop to have well over the "standard" 4 sq. ft. per hen, especially if I may be adding young every few years to continue having eggs, and may have more than 6 hens at a time during the overlap. The reason being that we live off the south east shore of Lake Ontario and our winters often make news here, with single snowfall events of lake effect bringing numbers that we measure in feet deep, being common. The wind is seemingly constant, cold & blustery. (sometimes gusts 50-60 mph, normal winds being in the 10-30 mph range, so I AM concerned with having enough draft free ventilation!! Any links to pertinent threads highly appreciated on this! Well, now I've written a book! Sorry... Lisa
I would search this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you for your state, and see if anyone has any pointers for you. My only suggestions are to use hardware cloth (heavy gauge wire) instead of chicken wire, and to make sure your run is covered. For the coop make sure you can lock the chickens in there at night and that it is secured with no openings all those predators could squeeze thru. Good luck!
Greetings from Kansas, Lisa, and ! Great to have you here! Sounds like you are good to go! If you haven't already make sure you visit the Predator section below. Good luck and have fun!! https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/13/predators-and-pests
