Hi Everyone,
Although I have lurked all over these boards for months and months to learn all that I can, I am new here.
We have three human babies (6, 4 and 10m), so I am a busy mommy!!
We are FINALLY moving to a neighborhood in another town where the ordinance allows for 4 hens (no more than 4 and no Roos). The house we are buying has a great coop with 6 nest boxes (wish I had taken a picture) and a small attached run. I will fix the issues with the coop and want to hire someone to build a larger, taller, sturdier, roofed run. They will be in there unless I can be in the backyard with them while they free range.
In a perfect world I would have one Buff Orpington, one Lavender Orpington, one Speckled Sussex and one Welsummer (pardon me if those were spelled incorrectly). However, I will just have to get whatever my local hatchery has of the above breeds when the chicks hatch at the time that works for me (after Sept 12). I can't do straight run, so I am getting the "sexed females" (as much as you can sex the non sex link breeds) and they have rooster return. I know there are better layers and I would yield more eggs from my small flock of 4 with better layers, but they will equally be loved pets and I want super friendly girls with my children running around.
I'm planning to put rocks/gravel and then top it with sand in the run. Not sure yet what to do in the coop.
For feeder I love the 5 gal bucket with street elbow idea (but I don't have the tools. No point in getting them bc hubby isn't handy and I just don't have time). Also looking at the rodent proof feeder on etsy by the carpenter person (found a link on here a while ago).
Still torn between the adore1 and pullet safe doors...
Want to fashion a self waterer and have ordered both vertical (for single bottle waterer in brooder) and horizontal for the waterer in the coop. Again, the no time and no tools is an issue! Ha. Hope to find a local diy-er to help me.
Anyway, thank you all for the wonderful knowledge that you have shared on here! Happy to finally be able to put it to use. The chickens will be my "me time" hobby. My husband will only help by eating the eggs. Haha!
Although I have lurked all over these boards for months and months to learn all that I can, I am new here.
We have three human babies (6, 4 and 10m), so I am a busy mommy!!
We are FINALLY moving to a neighborhood in another town where the ordinance allows for 4 hens (no more than 4 and no Roos). The house we are buying has a great coop with 6 nest boxes (wish I had taken a picture) and a small attached run. I will fix the issues with the coop and want to hire someone to build a larger, taller, sturdier, roofed run. They will be in there unless I can be in the backyard with them while they free range.
In a perfect world I would have one Buff Orpington, one Lavender Orpington, one Speckled Sussex and one Welsummer (pardon me if those were spelled incorrectly). However, I will just have to get whatever my local hatchery has of the above breeds when the chicks hatch at the time that works for me (after Sept 12). I can't do straight run, so I am getting the "sexed females" (as much as you can sex the non sex link breeds) and they have rooster return. I know there are better layers and I would yield more eggs from my small flock of 4 with better layers, but they will equally be loved pets and I want super friendly girls with my children running around.
I'm planning to put rocks/gravel and then top it with sand in the run. Not sure yet what to do in the coop.
For feeder I love the 5 gal bucket with street elbow idea (but I don't have the tools. No point in getting them bc hubby isn't handy and I just don't have time). Also looking at the rodent proof feeder on etsy by the carpenter person (found a link on here a while ago).
Still torn between the adore1 and pullet safe doors...
Want to fashion a self waterer and have ordered both vertical (for single bottle waterer in brooder) and horizontal for the waterer in the coop. Again, the no time and no tools is an issue! Ha. Hope to find a local diy-er to help me.
Anyway, thank you all for the wonderful knowledge that you have shared on here! Happy to finally be able to put it to use. The chickens will be my "me time" hobby. My husband will only help by eating the eggs. Haha!
