Hello from PA

[ccwitmer]

I just registered and hope to find answers to a few questions I have about chickens. My wife and I are renting a big farmhouse that we hope to buy one day and our landlords said we could get some chickens, so we want to give it a try.

 

[hen-thusiast]

and

from UT! Careful - chickens are extremely addictive!

 

[b.hromada]

and

from S. Florida. Its great to have you here!

 

[popcornpuppy]

Wow, best of luck with the farmhouse! You can find any info you need on this site! And if you don't see the answers you're looking for, just ask and there is always someone who can help you.

 

[smile10]

hello.. i too am a newby. i have 11 arces in ky and 2 rooster 7 hens and 9 pullets and a broody hen yesterday.

 

[paxicotrader]

Hi there, I'm fairly new myself and have found the forums to be very helpful, and the folks to be so friendly. Sure you will, too.

Do you know yet what types or breeds of chickens you might get?

 

[shelleyb1969]

...glad to have you here!

As someone else said....chickens are SUPER addictive, so you may want to go ahead and sign up for a 12 step program

.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Glad to have you here!

 

[ccwitmer]

I joined here because I don't know the first place to start and I want to have plenty of knowledge before I even get chickens so that it's enjoyable for my wife and I, and of course the chickens! The first questions that come to mind are below:

1. Do I need electricity in my coop?
2. How big of a fenced in area do I need?
3. Do I need a cover for the top of the run so they don't fly out?
4. What kind should I get and how many?
5. What kind of bedding do I need?
6. How soon should I expect eggs?
7. Do they need daily attention? I can do it, I'm just curious.

I would just like to have a few around for eggs, fertilizer, extra meat and entertainment. I don't think I want to start them from peeps as I don't want to invest a lot of money in equipment until I see if we enjoy this. I grew up around farms and farming all my life and I even remember loving to go out and gather eggs at my grandfather's farm. I'm now 27 and I'd love to have some chickens around. Any help is greatly appreciated. I do know there is a search function, but I couldn't really find anything about just starting out and the basics. Maybe I could start one once I got the info.

 

[hinkjc]

from another PAer.

1. Do I need electricity in my coop? - many don't have elec, but I do for winter to use heated waterers. Saves us a lot of time changing out frozen water dishes.

2. How big of a fenced in area do I need? - 10 sq feet per bird minimum - depending on breed, you may want more

3. Do I need a cover for the top of the run so they don't fly out? - depends on breed, but I would suggest a cover for their safety more than anything. We have a lot of red tail hawks and they'll fly right in if you don't have it covered.

4. What kind should I get and how many? That's up to you, but remember to always build bigger than the number of chickens you think you are getting. They are quite addictive and you'll likely get more later.

5. What kind of bedding do I need? We use pine shavings

6. How soon should I expect eggs? Hens take about 5 months until they start laying eggs if you start with chicks. Some take longer and based on the time of year, you may not get eggs until spring, so patience is important.

7. Do they need daily attention? I can do it, I'm just curious. Yes, fresh water daily. Full feeder troughs and overal health inspection to make sure all are doing well. Also, proper coop ventilation is important, especially on hot days.