Here chick chick chick...

[Dumb Kluck]

Here is hoping the Eat at Joes signage humors my neighbors view of the flashing lights

 

[Dumb Kluck]

I hope you find everything that you need to know. Good luck with your chicken raising adventure!

I have BYC to thank for inspiring us to even try chickens! First we drooled over coop & run plans, then we started scoping locations on the property and collecting materials. I studied chicken poop pics online to familiarize myself with the wide variety of "normal" stooIs so I could identify any digestive issues, and plan to transition to sprouted grain feed in the very near future. I already want to double my flock LOL too bad we only built for 5... I am currently planning a second (bigger) coop/run closer to the garden (where I've been free ranging my girls almost daily since they first arrived). Thinking we can use the original coop/run as a brooder pen. They aren't nearly a messy or smelly as I'd anticipated! I am convinced we would keep them close to the house without any odor issues... maybe I'm just delusional in love?

 

[Dumb Kluck]

I've had 5 hens for just under two weeks and we just added a roo.... chicken math

 

[Dumb Kluck]

He was named Sunshine, but they just call him "The Rooster" now... perhaps a persistent vocalist?
He was too hard on 4 girls so I doubt 5 will quell his vigor. I may have to round up a couple more girls

He is reportedly 1 or 2 years old, not sure if they picked him up spring of last year or the year before.

I spent about an hour in the run with everyone while working on a jungle gym of perches for him out of the leftover kennel poles. He was not aggressive at all and didn't even flinch at the dog or cats. He's missing one spur (long healed).
I created an elevated roost/box in the run for him, nestled up against the outside of the hen house in case he proves to be domineering inside at sunrise. He was very curious, and got in my way to investigate each phase of the project LOL.
Then he went straight in the coop and showed my girls how to roost properly. Previously my girls all ignored the perches and would just pile 2 or 3 deep in a nest box for the night. Tonight an Ameracauna hen is sided up to her new roo on his high post LOL.

I'll have to get a little side fill feeder for the coop and water nipples on 2 liter bottles so every inch of floor space is available, and to keep poops out of everything since the perches are now in use.

 

[sourland]

If the wear and tear on your hens is too much, separate the rooster and allow conjugal visits to provide fertile eggs.