Smokerbill
Crossing the Road
Hi everyone, my name is Bill and I've been brooding the eight Barred Rock chicks I bought on March 24th. They are in a 2'x6' cardboard box in an unused bedroom, and now that they've discovered they can flap their wings I've learned that they can sure kick up a lot of dust!
I had 6 hens a little over 20 years ago and really enjoyed having them. But since then I haven't been in a situation where I could keep chickens until this last year, when I bought a house on a little over an acre. So it's time for chickens again. I had three of four BRs and a couple of Aracaunas in my original flock and appreciated the Barred Rock personality, so that's all I got this time around. I'm hoping that one of the chicks will be a rooster so there will be some chicks in the future. Since this is a dual purpose breed, my plan is to raise some to go into the freezer each year, but I'll see how that goes. Maybe keep the meat birds separate in a tractor out in the yard while they're putting on the pounds.
I'm in the process of building a 4'x8' chicken coop now, that abuts up to what will be a 10'x12' run, with the run and and the coop under a metal roof that hangs off the back end of my shop building. The coop and run will be totally protected from the rainy Washington weather. I plan to set up a chicken tunnel that will allow the birds to travel a few feet to an enclosure out in the open that will let them get direct sunshine and fresh greenery at times. I'll try to post a pic of my coop project here tomorrow. Tomorrow's project is to prime and paint the floor and interior walls of the coop.
Glad to be here!
Bill
I had 6 hens a little over 20 years ago and really enjoyed having them. But since then I haven't been in a situation where I could keep chickens until this last year, when I bought a house on a little over an acre. So it's time for chickens again. I had three of four BRs and a couple of Aracaunas in my original flock and appreciated the Barred Rock personality, so that's all I got this time around. I'm hoping that one of the chicks will be a rooster so there will be some chicks in the future. Since this is a dual purpose breed, my plan is to raise some to go into the freezer each year, but I'll see how that goes. Maybe keep the meat birds separate in a tractor out in the yard while they're putting on the pounds.
I'm in the process of building a 4'x8' chicken coop now, that abuts up to what will be a 10'x12' run, with the run and and the coop under a metal roof that hangs off the back end of my shop building. The coop and run will be totally protected from the rainy Washington weather. I plan to set up a chicken tunnel that will allow the birds to travel a few feet to an enclosure out in the open that will let them get direct sunshine and fresh greenery at times. I'll try to post a pic of my coop project here tomorrow. Tomorrow's project is to prime and paint the floor and interior walls of the coop.
Glad to be here!
Bill
and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.
to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
