Hello from Western NC!

doberdawgs4me · Jan 10, 2013

I've always loved chickens, I think they are very interesting to watch and I love fresh eggs vs store bought eggs. Right now I do not have any chickens, but this spring I am hoping to get me a coop set up and get a few hens. My main problem is going to be keeping my dogs out of it. I want to put the coop in the backyard, which is fenced, so that will keep predators out. In this area I think that would be raccoons, opossums and predatory birds? Please someone correct me if I am wrong lol
I did have a few questions.
If I get like two or three hens, I'd like to get a rooster. But if I get a rooster will ALL the eggs be fertilized or could I still get eggs to eat? Sorry if that's a stupid question lol
Clipping wings? Yes or no? I am wanting to make my run essentially out of two dog kennels (so it will be 10'x20') but I don't want the bird flying out...so I thought maybe clip the wings?
A little about me: I am 33 years old, my name is Kia and I am a full time Advertising and Graphic Design student. I have three dogs; an American pit bull terrier named Samson, a miniature schnauzer named Daphne and a Doberman named Ebby.

willowbranchfarm · Jan 10, 2013

Welcome to BYC!!! Glad you joined.

sumi · Jan 10, 2013

Hello and welcome to BYC If you have 2 hens and 1 roo the eggs will be quite possibly all fertile LOL You can eat fertile eggs, there is no difference between them and non-fertile except a tiny little possibility of a chick that will be dormant until you keep it at the right temperature for long enough (hours and hours) to start developing.

I think your run is going to be a little on the small side for 3 chickens. Ideally you should aim for around 10sq feet per chicken, if possible. You can clip their wing feathers if you think they're going to fly out of the run. Some hens just won't stay in and others would, you won't know until they do! Here's an article on how to with an illustration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-clip-trim-the-wings-of-your-chicken-to-prevent-flight

Hayden chickens · Jan 10, 2013

Hello, in the spring 2012, I got 5 chicks. They were all hens. I have been learning as I go. When my hens were still pullets (in July) I stayed at a friends overnight only to come back to a massacre. Something had gotten into my coop and took out 3 of my chickens (only feathers and 1 leg left behind) and luckily 2 of my hens were spared with mild injuries. I was heartbroken. I live in a rural area, city all around me. My 1/2 acre yard is fenced, But raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and birds, all know how to get into areas where they know there are chickens, and I've learned that EVERYTHING likes chicken. So, first thing is to make sure your chickens are safe. If you are using a dog run, get one with a top. There are pretator birds too, and a bottom (or dig down and put chicken or hardware wire all around the coop so nothing can dig its way in - that's what happened to us) also make sure you close your chickens up at night or consider using a hardware wire fence instead, a racoon will stick its arms through chain link and grab your chickens. I have replaced the 3 that I lost, ended up with a total of 4 hens an one Roo. If you have neighbors, a rooster may not be a good idea. We have a resident mouse that wakes him up at 2:30 am at least once a week and throws him off. As for space, I let my chickens roam the yard during the day and believe it or not, they are trainable. They don't even jump up on the fence anymore after I swooshed them off a couple times. None of their feathers are clipped. The older they get, the more apt they are to stay low. Once you figure out the right set up , they are pretty easy. Our chickens are part of our family. Even "Bruce" our Rooster.

Mr MKK FARMS · Jan 10, 2013

Welcome to BYC!!

Glad you joined us!!!

redsoxs · Jan 10, 2013

Greetings from Kansas, doberdawgs, and ! Great to have you aboard. Sounds like sumi addressed you question so I'll just say best wishes and have fun on BYC!!

Kevin565 · Jan 10, 2013

sourland · Jan 10, 2013

sumi said: ↑

Hello and welcome to BYC If you have 2 hens and 1 roo the eggs will be quite possibly all fertile LOL You can eat fertile eggs, there is no difference between them and non-fertile except a tiny little possibility of a chick that will be dormant until you keep it at the right temperature for long enough (hours and hours) to start developing.

I think your run is going to be a little on the small side for 3 chickens. Ideally you should aim for around 10sq feet per chicken, if possible. You can clip their wing feathers if you think they're going to fly out of the run. Some hens just won't stay in and others would, you won't know until they do! Here's an article on how to with an illustration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-clip-trim-the-wings-of-your-chicken-to-prevent-flight
Click to expand...

X 2 on what Sumi said. Welcome to BYC.

1muttsfan · Jan 10, 2013

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

Most regular yard fencing will not exclude predators such as raccoons. Make sure your pen is predator-proofed as said above by Hayden.

nothingbutbirds · Jan 10, 2013

welcome. You can eat fertile eggs but most of the time if you have fertile eggs you will eventauly want to hatch then you may never eat eggs again. I have a hard time eating eggs

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