Hello! New to the community. Wife, 2 kids and I are considering starting a coop of maybe 10 chickens

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Welcome to Backyard Chickens! We are glad you joined the flock! :welcomeBYC is a helpful site providing all of the information you need to know about poultry. There is always space for members on the BYC roost! :highfive: If you are searching for meat chickens aside from egg layers, I would go with broilers. They are not the optimum choice for an egg production breed since they tend to be rather poor. The best egg layers are Red Sex Links, Rhode Island Reds, White Leghorns etc..

Hope you enjoy it here as much as we all do!
 
Mikefoldsben said:
What are some good things to know to start off? Also I’m thinking of getting a few chickens to feed us aside from laying eggs. What are some great Recommendations? Just the thought of raising a chicken and then using it for food seems a little off to me so I could definitely use some insight.
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I think probably the best way to start is with dual-purpose breeds... there are so many to choose from and a mixed flock is so beautiful. I know what you mean about raising your own meat, I haven't quite got that far, even after 3 years! My girls are just for eggs so far, but my original intention was to rotate my flock and process the older birds before bringing in new chicks... to keep the flock productive. Their egg laying will eventually slow quite a bit or even stop after a few years.

Dual purpose are great layers, but not the best. They're also good for the dinner table, but not the meatiest. Buuuut getting the best of both worlds usually also requires you to have separate housing for both flocks since their needs are so different. That's why I say get your feet wet with dual purpose.

You have a lot of reading ahead of you... there's really quite a lot to know! I will send you to my favorite articles that helped (and are still helping) me the most.
Essential info for your coop:
How Much Room Do Chickens Need
Chicken Coop Ventilation - Go Out There And Cut More Holes In Your Coop!
Predator Proofing

An ice-breaker for getting familiar with processing meat:
Pets VS. Livestock & Respectful Chicken Harvest

A great plan if you can manage to stick to it:
A 3 Year Chicken Rotation to Optimize Year-Round Laying

Best wishes starting your new chicken adventure!

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Inside of the 8’x10’ coop with two levels of roosts

Inside of the 8’x10’ coop with two levels of roosts


Hi Michael and family! I agree with Flappy, start with the dual purpose birds. If you buy the chicks from your local feed store, you can get chicks that are a few days old or older and can always find a pretty good selection.

In terms of setup, I’d recommend building a bigger coop than you think is necessary as chicken math will get you every time! Our coop is eight by twelve and is perfect for fifteen birds (fourteen pullets and one cockerel). We used 2x4s for the roosts with plywood underneath to catch the poop. We repurposed a bunch of windows from an old house on the property and covered them on the outside with hardware cloth. Everything (coop floor, poop decks, and nest boxes) are covered with natural, washed river sand from our local quarry. The run is all sand too. The only things I would do differently, is to double the size of the covered run (it’s nine by about twenty now), and add a people-sized door from the coop into the run.

Exploring the new digs...

Exploring the new digs...


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If at all possible - depending on where you live and how quickly you can build the coop and run - I’d have everything ready to go before you get your first chicks so you can raise them in the coop. That way the house doesn’t smell like a barn! The only other suggestions would be to invest in a good brooder plate (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y1FBEKA/?tag=backy-20) like this one, buy all your chicks for the year at one time so they’re the same age, and have a well-stocked first aid kit on hand before you buy your chicks. I made the mistake of buying two groups of chicks that are three months apart in age my first year and it was just a little difficult to watch the pecking order establish itself. (What can I say, I’m a softy!). Otherwise, good luck, hang out here as there’s always someone who can answer your questions, and have fun! Welcome to the flock!
 
Welcome to BYC!

Where are you located? This helps to make recommendations based on climate.

Do you have a coop/run location picked out? How much space?

We started a year ago and it’s been fun and a learning experience. We processed 3 unwanted cockerels so far, and they were not very good eats (age 14-16 weeks old). We got 12 meat chickens in the fall and processed them 7.5 weeks later-now those were some good chickens and totally worth the effort.

We started our egg flock with 6 breeds, and found 1 breed we did not like at all and have since sold them at auction. Another breed we are not interested in getting again. The other 4 breeds we like for their quirky and friendly personalities.

We experienced a broody hen and caved and gave her some young chicks, which she mothered well...but then we had more chickens (chicken math)! We sold 5 of those at auction, since two were surprise cockerels and the other 3 didnt fit what we wanted.

All this to say that in one year from now, I wonder what chicken adventures you and your family will have experienced!
 

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