Help!

[YarnAndPearls]

I have NEVER had chickens and am currently sitting in my dining room with my hub's, 2 kids, and 6 chicks!!! They are currently sitting in a rabbit hutch with a heating lamp (that is on at night off during the day)! They are board but not big enough to go into the coop (which we have yet to build

!)!
I have a lot of lumber, chicken wire, a screen door, just sitting here! My Dad has been driving up (an hour eachway!!!) at least 3 times a week to build the coop! So far we have managed to take down a old wire fence, plant a HUGE garden, transplant plants that would have been in the "coop site", build a cool chicken deck, generally stand around and stare at the coop site, in other words do everything BUT build the coop! We don't know what we are doing!
We are building the coop on a slight sloop (hence the "chicken deck") and have almost every critter you can imagine. How much room in the actual henhouse do we need for 6 chickens (2 silkies, one B. rock, one Americana, two polish)?
Here are a few things I NEVER thought of before actually bringing the girls (we hope they are girls : )) home...

When can they really go into the coop?
Do I have to go out and physically put them into their house at night? and then let them out in the morning?
When can they start eatting scraps and when do I start giving them grit?

I have read book after book, but they all seem to say different things : )


Any advise would be soooooooooo helpful!

Thanks in advance : )

 

[Auntbeast]

Whatever size you think you need, build the biggest one you can. The urge for more is a common malady. To give you an idea, my plan was to have 5 chickens. I have 17 and one turkey. My coop was completed yesterday.

I'd also build with an idea for expansion. Have you looked at the coop design section? There are a ton of great ideas to be found there as well as in the threads here. Most folks list what birds they have along with the coop info.

Good luck, and stop being chicken!

 

[#1California Chick]

Welcome to BYC!!!

Where do you live?? Some recommendations will be region specific.

The "general" rule is 4 sq ft per chicken in the coop and 10 sq ft per chicken in the run.

Keep reading all the posts and the Information Center for things that you need to know!!

Good Luck!!

 

[NashChic]

Build BIG! I thought I would have 5 or 6. I have 11 and I'm planning which ones i want next! I agree that the coop pages on this site are very helpful. But build it bigger than you think you need!!!

 

[YarnAndPearls]

Thanks for all the ideas! We actually have walls and a roof! We are working on the run!
The "girls" (we hope) have been out on the lawn in a temp set up during the day and back in the dining room at night : ) I finally took the heat lamp away last night! They did fine.