Hello from Arkansas

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Welcome to the coop! I use the Forums and Articles tabs at the top of the page to do research. You can get lost for hours. It's nice to know you are minutes away from getting help with questions and emergencies! I always check in the "What's New" section as well at the top of this page. This way I can read how I may have a similar question or help give some advice.

 

[CharH]

Great looking coop Char. Good job hubby, looks sturdy I agree with all go bigger. You will have some roos in that straight run prolly too many for small flock. I covered my run with barn metal to protect from feral cats and avian flu . You guys will do great with chickens keep us updated as chicks grow

We have since expanded and added another coop and run, they're now attached via a door between the pens so we can separate if needed. Addition was a 6x6 coop with a 10x6 run. Turns out 5 of our 7 straight run were roosters, so 4 will be getting a new home.
In the meantime we got some more pullets. 8 Isa Browns. I will be sad, as all our roosters were hand raised, but one never knows what will happen once those hormones start flowing. This is Co-Co in the picture below. Could be a rooster bachelor pad in the future too? Don't know yet.

 

[TwoCrows]

We have since expanded and added another coop and run, they're now attached via a door between the pens so we can separate if needed. Addition was a 6x6 coop with a 10x6 run. Turns out 5 of our 7 straight run were roosters, so 4 will be getting a new home.
In the meantime we got some more pullets. 8 Isa Browns. I will be sad, as all our roosters were hand raised, but one never knows what will happen once those hormones start flowing. This is Co-Co in the picture below. Could be a rooster bachelor pad in the future too? Don't know yet.

Beautiful photos!

 

[CharH]

My 9-hens (3 of the 9 are silkies), have a 40x50 foot covered run and a 100-foot chunnel.

Not doable here. We live on the lake, narrow sloped yard down to the lake. House is in roughly positioned in the middle, we have a large shop at the top of the hill, along with a pad for our RV and a the coop. Beyond that we have a gnome and bush garden at the entrance to our lot. We are planning to add on to this, with a little chicken village (A frame coops along each side going down the drive, and because of the lustrous canopy, most likely a electrified poultry fence. Still up in the air if we are going to have to put poultry netting across it. The area should end up being around 30x30, or 40x40.

 

[CharH]

Beautiful photos!

Thank you, we are learning and trying hard to make sure we have healthy and happy cluckers!

 

[triciayoung]

Not doable here. We live on the lake, narrow sloped yard down to the lake. House is in roughly positioned in the middle, we have a large shop at the top of the hill, along with a pad for our RV and a the coop. Beyond that we have a gnome and bush garden at the entrance to our lot. We are planning to add on to this, with a little chicken village (A frame coops along each side going down the drive, and because of the lustrous canopy, most likely a electrified poultry fence. Still up in the air if we are going to have to put poultry netting across it. The area should end up being around 30x30, or 40x40.

I totally understand. I used to live on a lake and the sloping is really difficult to deal with...We used to get a lot of eagles at our lake. They like to eat chickens. I would net the top of the run.

 

[triciayoung]

Thank you, we are learning and trying hard to make sure we have healthy and happy cluckers!

And you are doing a good job doing it. I mean it.

 

[CharH]

I totally understand. I used to live on a lake and the sloping is really difficult to deal with...We used to get a lot of eagles at our lake. They like to eat chickens. I would net the top of the run.

Being from a large lake community in Canada and residing by nesting American eagles. I understand their prey habits well. One almost got my dog, a yorkie, we were out in an open area and it was flying overhead with the head cocked right at us. When it did the third circle around, I scooped her up.
Right now, we are present with the chickens when they free range, we are their protectors. We do have hawks and vultures, so we are very cautious. We've sat off to the edge and watched, so far the canopy is a deterrent, but not sure if it will remain that way, come fall when all the leaves are gone.
Taking this one step at a time, if we stop guarding them, most likely poultry netting will happen. So far it's easy to manage but as we grow things could change.

 

[triciayoung]

Being from a large lake community in Canada and residing by nesting American eagles. I understand their prey habits well. One almost got my dog, a yorkie, we were out in an open area and it was flying overhead with the head cocked right at us. When it did the third circle around, I scooped her up.
Right now, we are present with the chickens when they free range, we are their protectors. We do have hawks and vultures, so we are very cautious. We've sat off to the edge and watched, so far the canopy is a deterrent, but not sure if it will remain that way, come fall when all the leaves are gone.
Taking this one step at a time, if we stop guarding them, most likely poultry netting will happen. So far it's easy to manage but as we grow things could change.

Obviously you have this handled well. Let us know if you need anything. Thank you for being so chicken responsible.

 

[Mr Spot]

We are new to chickens. We just set up a small coup, 4-6 chickens. Purchased some straight run Easter Egger chicks, we got 7 incase of any failure to thrive incidents. They are now 5-6 days old, thriving so far. Fingers crossed.

We are here to learn, and find answers to some of our questions we may have.
The Hubby and I both work from home, he is a computer tech and works with major hospitals and various other large corps throughout the USA. He likes to build things. His Step Dad is a contractor and he worked with him in his younger years. My business I own is actually in Canada and we have a great manager that keeps everything going and afloat. We are in a good position to have chickens. I enjoy doing graphics, love the outdoors, and our family with 9 grandchildren.

It took as a while to figure out some of the basics and built a coop already and yes we have a hardwire cloth lid already for when they decide they need to try to escape for any adventures. Figuring out the last few things on it, to include what to put down atop this sb2 gravel, many have suggested sand. Our small 1.3 acre lot is bunch of rock (you can't dig without hitting tons of baseball to basketball size rock) and a whole bunch of clay so we knew we needed drainage or we would have a mucky mess after leveling the ground. We live in a small rural area, and have many master chicken folks in the neighborhood.
Throwing up a picture of the progress we have made on our small coop and the brooder box we have right at the moment. The hubs is already talking about an addition.
We'd like to free range but we have way too many dogs on the loose, racoons which he has trapped prior and taken for LONG boat rides down the lake to drop off on an island and... lots of hawks. He's talking now about doing a large hardwire cloth pen area? Our concern there is hawks. We don't have any solid plans as of yet. I guess those plans will come to fruition as we learn more.

I'll be on the lookout for more Arkansans.

Thanks for having me..
Char

Good looking coop : )