hello to all.im new to raising chickens and could sure use some help and guidance.

[clucker49]

I live in Virginia.my wife had a major stroke 3 and half yrs ago and shes now able to hoveround to the backyard wher she said she wanted to put chickens.we built her a 8 by 16 lot with a 4 by 8 coop,and I kno 0 about chickens lol.ive bought 5 and according to pictures they look like light Sussex.white with little black around the neck.one of those 5 is a rooster,but the other 4 looks like they should be the age to be laying.im still waiting on them.its been about 8 days since I got them.ive also got 3 yellow buffs according to pics and 2 rhode island reds that's about the size of a good size grouse.is that lot big enough for 10 chickes?

 

[Percheron chick]

You're in good company. Probably 99% of the people on here started out with chickens knowing 0. Don't sweat it. No having a safe predator proof coop is where most people make their biggest mistake. After that, they are fairly simple to care for.

I hope your wife gets pleasure and therapy from her birds. Cheaper than PT. Pictures? We'll be happy to give you more info on your chickens.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Chickens need 8-12 square feet per bird in the run and 3-4 square feet per bird in the coop.

Sounds like you have a lovely flock! Good luck with them!

You may want to check out the learning center for more helpful info.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

 

[clucker49]

I will try to take pics and post tomorrow so you can coach me .yes it is great therapy for her.she will set for long time and watch them ,and she is wanting to get out of the house to go check on them regular.i know this is gonna sound pretty silly but I took an egg out of the frig and put in the laying nest to try get them to start laying.i wasn't sure how long it should take .ive got 4 laying nest and I did notice that one of the chickens had straighten the straw up and kinda rounded it off as if she was gonna lay,but no egg yet.

 

[LIChickens]

Welcome to BYC!

You will find a lot of good information here. Keep on asking questions and you will get many good answers.

You may also want to read the FAQ below.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! If you can post pictures of your birds, people might be able to give you an idea of how close they are to laying. When you move birds to a new home, they will often stop laying (if they were) for a few weeks or month or so as they get used to their new home. Fake eggs in the nest are a good idea, a lot of people also use golf balls, or pretty much anything that is egg shaped.
4x8 foot coop is probably a little tight for 10 chickens, especially if they will have to spend a lot of time there in the winter/ bad weather. There is a nice article in the Learning Center on figuring out how much room you need for your flock https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

 

[Michael OShay]

is that lot big enough for 10 chickes?

Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. Your space is a little on the tight side for 10 chickens. The minimum requirement for the coop is 4 sq. ft. of floor area per bird (more is better), which means that for 10 birds you need 40m sq. ft. of coop space and you only have 32 sq. ft. The minimum requirement for the run is 10 sq. ft. of ground area per bird (again more is better), which means that for 10 birds you need 100 sq. ft. of run space and subtracting the 32 sq. ft. coop area from your lot, you only have 96 sq. ft. of run space. Given the present size of your coop and lot, I would recommend limiting your flock to eight chickens as overcrowding can quickly lead to stress, reduced egg production, aggression, fights, feather plucking, and even cannibalism. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can.Good luck with your flock.

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to BYC, there is a very good thread for people with disabilities, wheel chairs etc, where responders offer suggestions and advice on how to make chicken keeping easier to manage.

 

[drumstick diva]

The name of the thread is "How about a new thread for those of us in wheelchairs." I think your wife would enjoy a "lap" chicken one of the breeds like (Silkie) that would love the attention and the activity of zooming around the yard with her. Chickens are great therapy animals .

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

You've been given some good advice already. Good luck with your flock!