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traci2525

traci2525

In the Brooder
6 Years
Joined
Mar 11, 2013
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Location
Western Washington
Our little farm is growing, one animal at a time!

Some people may think it odd, but my husband and I celebrated our anniversary by buying 10 chicks! No chocolate, wine and roses for this girl... at least at this time.
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We have been researching (and researching, and researching) to see what will be the best coop, run, etc... for us. Our main worry is the predators in the area. We have coyotes, skunks, hawks, eagles... pretty much a National Geographic magazine in our back yard. We want to make sure the chickens are protected and safe but still allowed to be out and happy.

Since we have 10, (Buff Orpington's, Rhode Island Reds, Welsummers, California Greys and 1 Leghorn - {the husband just HAD to}) :) we are wondering:
  • How big the coop should be.
  • How much run should they have as they will be allowed to free-range when they are big enough.
  • What is the best floor to have in the coop? Dirt? Cement? Linoleum? We were also thinking of rotating our garden with them on one half one year and the other half the other year. Thoughts on this?

We are gathering as much information as possible so we can make an educated assessment of what is needed.

We are really looking forward to being a part of this community.
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Greetings from Kansas, traci2525, and
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! Great to have you in our flock! Glad you have entered the chicken universe. I'll take a shot at a couple of your questions:

Since we have 10, (Buff Orpington's, Rhode Island Reds, Welsummers, California Greys and 1 Leghorn - {the husband just HAD to}) :) we are wondering:
  • How big the coop should be. 4 sq. ft per bird is recommended (but make it bigger in case you add birds).
  • How much run should they have as they will be allowed to free-range when they are big enough. 10 sq.ft per bird - even if they free range - there will be times when you want to keep them in the run. Again - bigger is better.
  • What is the best floor to have in the coop? Dirt? Cement? Linoleum? We were also thinking of rotating our garden with them on one half one year and the other half the other year. Thoughts on this? This one has lot of answers - cement or linoleum is the easiest to clean. I wouldn't suggest plain dirt - very dusty in the coop - possible respiratory problems plus cleaning and sanitation is a hassle with dirt. I have painted wood for a floor with hay or straw.

Best of luck to you and your flock!!!!
 

redsoxs has given you some good answers. Make sure you use hardware cloth which is a type of wire that is way stronger than traditional chicken wire. Double and triple check your coop for any openings predators can get thru, and cover your run! That's all I can think of right now.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC
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Glad you joined us!
 
Congratulations on celebrating your anniversary the way the two of you desired. Welcome to BYC.
 
Thank you so much! There is a lot to learn and we keep finding interesting information on the net and of course from friends.
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Sometimes it is tough to sift through all the information!
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