Hello from Georgia

[M&LO]

Hello everyone,
My wife and I live in Social Circle, Ga and are thinking of getting a few chickens just for eggs for ourselves and immediate family.
I've already checked the codes here and there's nothing specific except they can't run free. We have a little over 3 acres and from
what I've read so far, they'll need about 4 square feet each? We live in a pretty rural setting so there are predators to be
concerned with. There are dogs that roam free around here and plenty of coyotes and foxes. We know nothing about
chickens or raising them but are retired now and have time. My only previous experience with chickens has been in the
poultry aisle of the local Piggly-Wiggly grocery store. Any help getting started would be much appreciated.

 

[annie3001]

from connecticut!!!! browse the forum for information!! theres alot out there!! How many chickens do you want? The first step i think is picking a plan or buying a coop. (thats my opionion) second, do you want your chicks from a breeder in your area? Or from a hatchery? There are alot of answers that you can get help on byc website! If you have a specific question post in the correct catergory!! good luck!!!!

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC.

 

[crtrlovr]

Welcome from western Kentucky! Do yourself a favor, and save yourself lots of time, anguish, and $$$ -- read the Chickens 101 page, the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page, and the Coop and Run designs pages!! There is a veritable wealth of information there that has been garnered from people who have "been there, done that" and have been kind enough to share the knowledge they gleaned from their successes AND their failures. Research the "breeds" sections, and decide why you want chickens -- Egg layers? Show Chickens? Eye Candy? (my personal favorite!!

) etc. and go from there. Hot weather a factor? plan your run/coop with access to shade. One mistake most new chicken owners (self included here!) make is not having enough ventilation in the coop. When you've chosen your desired breed(S) (notice the BIG s? It would be SO difficult to choose just one breed...!! LOL!) and determined how big you want your coop to be, DOUBLE THE SIZE!! Trust me on this one... really!

Chickens are addictive! Pick a coop/run design that you can afford and works for you, and keep in mind the distinct possibility that you may want to expand someday! Have fun! Keep us posted on your progress, of course!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

&

 

[ghillie]

 

[Wheels]

Welcome!!!!!

 

[Judy]

Very good advice from crtrlovr. Also, believe me, you will want a coop that has LOTS of air flow. To a chicken, Georgia's climate is tropical. Winter won't faze them but they will pant and spread wings and drink extra water and such in the summer. We average about 10 degrees warmer than the Atlanta area. Most of one wall of my coop is hardware cloth, on the south, plus a large area on the north side. The roof slants from one side to the other, all the walls are also open air at the top. I do have plastic over the north hardware cloth right now, because winds here come from the north and they do need to be out of the wind to sleep, but the south wall stays open all winter. (Don't even think about chicken wire, it is solely to keep chickens in or out. It will keep them out of your garden, but it won't stop a predator.) If at all possible, put it in the shade. A search for "hot weather coops" in the coop section will bring up lots of interesting designs. You might even decide on a three sided coop then putting strong fencing extending out from the fourth side for their run. You will need a strong structure to hold dogs at bay. Many, many dogs can be trained not to bother the chickens, but unless they are trained, they will "play" with them, shaking and killing them, and leaving the bodies for you to find. When you build, lay the hardware cloth about 2' out from your coop on the ground, and secure, or dogs will dig in. When grass grows through it, it will hold it down and you can mow over it.

One more thing. Best to have the coop before you have the chickens! You can raise them from babies outdoors with a little planning. You will find discussions of raising the babies ("brooding") indoors on here, but I will never do this again. Not so much because of the odor, but they have a tremendous amount of dander, as they shed round after round of baby fuzz, and the dust is awful.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

and

from Ohio.