Hey, y'all! finally joining from AL

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Appalachick

Appalachick

In the Brooder
Mar 15, 2023
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Hey!
My husband and I are in the N. Alabama area. I grew up with commercial poultry houses so I've been around chickens my whole life. We got our first got chickens about 10 years ago, moved them to the country with us, immediately lost all of them to predators and dogs (heartbroken) and didn't have any for a long time. The in-laws, with our permission, gave the kids 4 leghorn chicks 2 years ago that have been in a chicken tractor since and I hate it. I finally talked my other half into a bigger coop and a run so I can love on some chickens again. We have a couple each of some Marans and Bielefelder, one blue/lavender orpington baby, and some EE barnyard mixes on the way! Our kids are 3 & 6, so they are very excited to have chickens they can pet.
Sharing a photo of one of our past chickens :)
 

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Glad to meet you, and welcome to BYC. So sorry about your past losses. You need to not only build a good coop, but install some better predator protections! Below is an article about that. I love that you are doing this as a project with your kids! Best wishes!

Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. All articles are short, and have illustrations, and reviews, which are often worth looking at for the comments.

1. Intro to chicken keeping

2. Common mistakes & how to fix them

3. Ventilation (important to chicken health), with helpful links to coop designs organized by climate (because what is just right for my New England hens won't work for my brother's Arizona chickens)

3(a). Farmers Almanac on Building Coops (Includes size requirements!) Allowing plenty of space for chickens is really important because, even as chicks, they will start pecking each other or plucking their own feathers, or become unhealthy if they are overcrowded. Here is a link to Colorado State Extension's publication on space and temperature requirements for chicks as they age.

4. Predator protection for new & existing coops

5. Dealing with a muddy coop and run

6. Introducing dogs to chickens

To look for articles on your own:

A. Use the SEARCH button, but use the Advanced Search choice, and select ARTICLES at the top of the box. Just enter your keyword(s) and scroll through your results!

B. I find it helpful to notice the rating and reviews. All articles are by BYC members, and all the reviews/ratings are as well. The ratings help a newbie like me sort the most useful and reliable articles.

C. You can bookmark the articles or posts you think you want to refer to again using that bookmark icon at the top of articles or posts. You can find them again by clicking on your own avatar and looking at the list of bookmarks you have built up!

Notes about where to put a coop:

1. As far as you can, put a coop and run on high ground, that drains well, so you won't have so much muddy coop problems. Chickens need to be dry, dry, dry.

2. As far as you can, put a coop with the ventilation lined up with your prevailing breezes, and away from the direction of your storms. If you are not sure of these (who is these days?), check with your local National Weather Service website.

3. As far as you can, arrange for some sort of shade over your coop and run. Preferably deciduous so the girls will enjoy winter sun, but summer shade.
 
Appalachick said:
Hey!
My husband and I are in the N. Alabama area. I grew up with commercial poultry houses so I've been around chickens my whole life. We got our first got chickens about 10 years ago, moved them to the country with us, immediately lost all of them to predators and dogs (heartbroken) and didn't have any for a long time. The in-laws, with our permission, gave the kids 4 leghorn chicks 2 years ago that have been in a chicken tractor since and I hate it. I finally talked my other half into a bigger coop and a run so I can love on some chickens again. We have a couple each of some Marans and Bielefelder, one blue/lavender orpington baby, and some EE barnyard mixes on the way! Our kids are 3 & 6, so they are very excited to have chickens they can pet.
Sharing a photo of one of our past chickens :)
Click to expand...
I really want to free range my chickens because I see they are the happiest when they are able to forage freely. However, I am not willing to have losses...so for me it is a balance. Currently, I let my two roosters free range in the back yard, but the hens have a chunnel. I have three silkies and a smaller speckled sussex (easy hawk targets). My chunnel is 100 feet and I keep moving it. I think I am going to make the next move so that they can have more room - even though they have a three foot wide 100 foot chunnel and a 40x50 foot run area...I think I am going to hawk net my backyard, and cover fencing with some extra protection because of the size of the silkies and then just let them roam. I am so tired of worrying about them that I am going to just bite the bullet and do it all. My only ground predator thus far are stray dogs - which cannot get in the fence. It will look ridiculous, but, hey, us folks out in the middle of nowhere don't have any rules.
 

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