Hi From NY

[MelissaNY]

Just wanted to take a moment and say Hello. I am Melissa from Upstate NY, and a newbie to chickens. Always wanted some, but Hubby was/is not a fan. Regardless, we are getting some hens in the spring! Yay me!! In the meantime, we are gathering up what we will need for supplies, ordered a coop to be delivered in April,(I have plenty of time to make changes to it, as it's being built for me) picking out winter hardy birds, and finding ideas on coop arrangement set up..especially for the harsh Upstate winters here.I am planning on egg producers/pets, approx 18 of them. Thanks for the "add" and I look forward to reading through tops/ideas/ suggestions!

 

[RodNTN]

Hi and

Glad you joined the flock! Yay! Chicken keeping!!!

Believe me, as soon as you get the chickens your husband will love them!! (Yes, chickens are addicting!) We are very glad you joined and hope you have a wonderful time on here! Be sure you read through the Learning center for more tips on raising chickens! Enjoy!

 

[henny1129]

It's great to have you here in this wonderful community! I hope you enjoy chicken keeping (it's very hard not to ) as much as everyone here does and I'm sure your husband will soon realize how amazing chickens are! Good luck and never be afraid to ask questions!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[QueenMisha]

Welcome to BYC! It's great to have you.

 

[MelissaNY]

Thanks guys..glad to be here!

 

[redsoxs]

Hi from Kansas, Melissa, and ! Great to have you aboard. Best of luck to you and your spring chickens! e

 

[drumstick diva]

Rule of thumb is to allow 4-5 sq. feet per bird inside the coop (excluding nest boxes and roosts) and 10 sq.feet per bird in the outside run. If birds will be staying in the coop during extended severe weather they could do with even more space. Crowded chickens act out by feather plucking, bullying(preventing others from drinking or eating) and at extremes even cannibalism.

Most breeds can tolerate cold MUCH better than heat. A solid cover over the run can offer some shelter from the elements - keep flyers inside, and climbing preds or dive bombing raptors OUT.

 

[MelissaNY]

Hi, and thank you! I think or coop will be plenty big. 12x22 for 18 hens, so just under 15sq feet indoors. Outside "confined" pen is planned at 20x20. All of it will sit inside of a 6ft stockade fenced yard, which is roughly 15, 300 plus Sq feet. The fenced yard is for additional semi protected area, and then they can free range on our additional 5-ish acres when we are home.

 

[CuzChickens]

Hello, and welcome to Backyard chickens! If you need any ideas or advice on building your coop, here is a great link, https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops, also, I have started a winter chicken keeping thread, so hop on over and check it out! https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ks-for-coping-the-elements-with-your-chickens, and last, but not least, you might like to chat with other New Yorkers in this thread, they have the same weather as you, so they can give good advice on what they have done in the cold, https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/231485/ny-chicken-lover. I hope you enjoy BYC as much as I have!