Help me plan my breed choice, coops, & run. (Pics)

[WitksChicks]

 

[that_crazy_lady]

Hello and Welcome

I would go with tractor as others have said, or if you want free range all the time T post holes would be easy to fill in.
Keeping Chickens in and the dogs out would be the saftist way to go.
Old English Game are little bannys, and could not fight of a cat if the cat really wanted them.

We had Barred Plymouth Rocks and Australorps they layed well all year really. The lorps are real sweet hearts. I have herd a lot of good things about Rhode Islands and you would do well with any of the Plymouth Rocks. All three can hatch their chicks, so if you do want some for meat {I think it would be worth it} you could let them raise up a clutch or two each year. A lot of people like those breeds and are easy to sell young/laying hens

you said something about dairy goats, I have found Lamanchas {earless} to be the sweethearts of the bunch. all the Nubians I have been around are really hard headed. But I'v always liked Alpines the best. cross breds are good too. just thought I'd toss that in there

 

[cybercat]

Quote:
This is your big problem. It will cost you money you can not afford to spend on anything but bills. You will have to get the supplies to build the tractor for the amount of chickens you want. Now you might be able to get them given to you IF someone has it. Around here no one has extras as it gets used on the small hobby farms. You will have to buy feed for the first 5 months advarge price $12 a bag figure 6 bags till 5 months. Then you will be buying a bag every two weeks or once a month depending.

If they can not fully free range you will have to buy them food. There is no way to get around that one. Buying eggs and meat is cheaper than raising your own. Oh with rabbits you will be buying all there food too. Yes, raising your own is much better for you BUT it is more expensive and time consuming. Heck around here eggs are a $1.25 a dozen I can not even buy a chick for that around here most go for $4.00.

 

[deborahi]

Welcome, I just joined as well. We just retired and moved to the country and started our first flock. since we are brand new to chickens and had a 9 y.o. g-son with us for individual attention we have a *very* expensive hen house but one that a pastor-parish commitee shoud have no problems with. Rubbermaid. We bought a 8x7 building that the g-son could help us put up in the few days he was here and cut a 1x1 hole in the side for the hens. T posts and chicken wire for the run. No snakes or other predators can get to the girls at night and if we decided this isn't for us we can hose it out and duct tape the cut ot piece back and we have storage.

Be carful of dogs. I have one that likes to catch them. No damage yet other than stress caused loss of laying but she is now in a heavy traing program that will get her to ignore them (we hope). The birds may also become too frightend or confused to return to the coop before bed and they are then somethings meal. I've lost several chickens this way so a word to the wise.

 

[faykokoWV]

For 10 you'd need a really big tractor. What about building two tractors with attached runs and put four birds in each, three hens and a roo,or just 4 hens. You could just move the tractors daily and not have to free range at all unless you are home.

 

[mvktr2]

Thanks I appreciate the input thus far... but I'm like a Missouri mule... you got to "show" me!

Thus I have more questions and need more answers!

It seems one person responded that they've got chickens which routinely go outside of their fence to forage, but return when danger approaches. This is the type of situation I'm hoping for with an electric fence.

Is it possible to create a predator free zone by doing this and affording my flock a safe locale for grazing. I realize an electric fence, especially @ 3-3.5' high would do little good at keeping chickens in, but if it were a barrier keeping predators out, would it be an effective means of managing my flock. Supposing that I purchase 'flighty' birds. I'm favoring Minorcas, White Leghorn, Welsumers, and/or New Hampshire Red. However if we come to the conclusion that we aren't getting goats or the idea of a "predator" free zone isn't plausible with an electric fence then I'm favoring chicken tractors.

On the breed/chicken tractor/free range front I've got a question. If I get chicks and hand feed, spend a little time conditioning to come for treats every evening will it be a problem to get them back in coop/chicken tractor? I grew up with RIRs, a variety of fancy breeds, and what we called Dominekers (Dominiques). These were all fairly heavy bodied birds, gentle, non-flyers. So the type of birds I'm thinking of getting are more flighty, thus I've got less experience with them. But WOW did we have some bantams that just loved to get out & never get back in!

Someone said they thought you'd see about 30% reduction cost in feed cost with free grazing, I consider that significant, basically 1/3rd cost reduction! I really want a free range option for cost and quality reasons! FYI I've got some building materials on hand (some wood treated even), can get more from father and church folks wanting to help me out. I've even got an electric fence already. So T-post and fencing/wire are going to be my biggest expenses no matter which way I go.

I've taken the time to create a layout of the property for you to view. I've drawn 3 different variations. They are about 90% accurate for scale.

Version 1

This version shows about 1/2-2/3 an acre fenced off with an electric fence. The coop would be placed inside the fence and the birds allowed out to free range.

Version 2

This version shows no electric fence, and the more traditional means of having a chicken coop with run. This is the least attractive option to me as it will leave a definite marked area on the land and not allow for free range gleaning. Also the same would be true for my potential goats.

Version 3

This version shows a setup using chicken tractors. One concern I have with a chicken tractor is safety due to ability for predators to easily get under unless it were extremely heavy... and who wants to lug around a 250 lb chicken tractor... or 2 or 3!?

Thanks,
Phillip

 

[Laney]

There were some good issues brought up about my Silver Phoenix bantams.

I do live on 17acres. You can't see my nearest neighbor. So you have to be sure that your neighbors are OK with your chickens occasionally being on their property before you get these birds. Chickens can wander up to 5 acres from "home base" which will be the coop that you train them to.

My pasture that the coop is in is a 4 acre pasture with the goats. That said the Silver Phoenix prefer the top of the pasture toward the house and do come outside the pasture to graze. This is because it is closer to the feed that they get in the AM. They were hand raised and are sweet as can be. They will even follow us in a line to the house if we are going to fetch their feed. Just keep in mind they are not "super layers" they lay pee wee to small sized eggs so you will need more of them to compensate.

They do fly very well and are smart enough to fly in the direction of safety. So they do work well with the dogs for me.

Laney

 

[wildorchid053]

i would put your hens under the trees .. your summers are hot and they need the shade.. i don't know if you can tractor 12 chickens. that is alot and you only need one roo per 10 hens. if your going to tractor i would go up in the air that way they are safe from the dogs and can use the underside for part of the run. the dogs if they are in your yard will dig under the fencing around your coop so maybe you can use concrete blocks to stop them otherwise you need to bury fencing to stop diggers.. raccoons. dogs, possums. if you use chicken wire animals can rip it apart so at ground level use hardware cloth for protection.. no use in spending money for feed if you are going to lose them to predators. there are alot of homemade feeders and waterers to check out on here. perhaps you can make one pen and divide it up into stalls? one roof like a lean-to? gl with your project let us know how it turns out. i have 4 redsex link hens and get 4 eggs everyday without fail..

 

[Happy Chooks]

I agree that keeping chickens isn't less expensive than buying store eggs. They are lots better in taste though.

Just a thought, but what about building a coop with 2 or more large runs attached? This would allow you to rotate them from run to run, thus minimizing the impact on the property. Chickens can reduce a grassy area to dirt in no time.

They do also need shade in the summer time. They don't do well with prolonged heat. (so many feathers they can't cool down as easily)

Good luck!

 

[wombat]

If you use tractors, that pasture doesn't have to go unused. The point of the tractor is that you can move it about the area. If you are home by day, you can even move it several times a day.

You can build a tractor that is reasonably heavy and won't be easily overturned, but can still be moved by one person.

Alternatively, you can get anchors that can be screwed into the ground with a cordless drill.

You could start with the tractors, and then as funds permit, add some portable plastic electric fencing to expand the foraging area by day. This has the advantages of being easily moved around the open area you have. You wouldn't have overhead cover from hawks, but if you have a plastic fance off the door of the tractor, the hens can retreat to the coop for protection.

Expanding the forage area that way would be a reason to add a roo; they're generally better about watching for hawks and warning. An alternative would be some Guinea hens, they're quite watchful but are also rather noisy.

The fenced pasture idea looks good, if you can get that past your committee. The tractors might be a less-intrusive solution, though.

Good luck with your new venture!