Hi, we have no chickens or coop yet

[Nomadicus]

Absolutely not post hole digging 3’-maybe auger lol
Y’all this land is full of huge quartz rocks, and we’re seniors. There’s going to be motors involved.
But, yes, great idea, better than fire in a hardwood forest.

Thanks!

With rocks it is a no go with out a backhoe. That's why I left TN for Southern AL. No rocks. Clay but no rocks. I can now drive steel posts again and set large wooden corner and end posts in cement. No problem when you have strongmen family connections. I guess you could use those rocks to build a small outdoor cremation furnace... Nah. Maybe a sizeable compost pile wrapped in welded wire to keep predators out. Still coat in lime. I have sent a few early to the landfill in empty feed sacks.... I rarely have one now. Today was the day I lost my one and only Saipan rooster. Pretty sure it was from worms. Going to look inside to see tomorrow.

 

[Lexie27]

That sounds like fun

Dude, I loved it so much lol, especially when we rented a huge backhoe and I learned how to use the stabilizer and claw to trundle these huge rootballs and stumps wherever they needed to go.
My 40 years in heavy equipment and construction hubs was so proud of me.
And I can tell you it was the most fun I’ve had as an adult lol

 

[Squawkers]

Dude, I loved it so much lol, especially when we rented a huge backhoe and I learned how to use the stabilizer and claw to trundle these huge rootballs and stumps wherever they needed to go.
My 40 years in heavy equipment and construction hubs was so proud of me.
And I can tell you it was the most fun I’ve had as an adult lol

That’s funny! And great too! It is always nice to find something you enjoy

 

[Lexie27]

With rocks it is a no go with out a backhoe. That's why I left TN for Southern AL. No rocks. Clay but no rocks. I can now drive steel posts again and set large wooden corner and end posts in cement. No problem when you have strongmen family connections. I guess you could use those rocks to build a small outdoor cremation furnace... Nah. Maybe a sizeable compost pile wrapped in welded wire to keep predators out. Still coat in lime. I have sent a few early to the landfill in empty feed sacks.... I rarely have one now. Today was the day I lost my one and only Saipan rooster. Pretty sure it was from worms. Going to look inside to see tomorrow.

I was born and raised in Florida, we’ve been in NC for 3 years. Y’all this soil is a mystery, lol
Huge learning curve but I absolutely love it here, the land, the people and the culture. So blessed.

 

[Nomadicus]

I was born and raised in Florida, we’ve been in NC for 3 years. Y’all this soil is a mystery, lol
Huge learning curve but I absolutely love it here, the land, the people and the culture. So blessed.

I was born and raised in Polk, County, FL. The land of Publix. So was my wife.

 

[MapleLaurelFarms]

After reading and watching everything about chicken keeping I have learned that everyone has differing opinions about what is the best of anything:feed, vaccinations, medications, litter material, coop substrate.
But everyone’s experience and opinions are so helpful.

Appreciate yall so much.

True! Most of the differences have to do with location, seasonal weather patterns, breeds, coop style along with labor & care preferences. I think there's more similarities among us than differences. No matter how you choose to do it, if it's working and makes you happy, it's the right way.

 

[MapleLaurelFarms]

I’ll have to check out the fencing, but we regularly have birds of prey fly through in our yard, we have hawks, osprey and eagles. At night they’d be in the coop. I love the idea of letting them forage, but it wouldn’t be safe. I’m planning on having kind of above ground gardens with a screen with chicken healthy plants that grow through so they can sort of forage?
Our property is a hardwood forest, so in less we cleared more land and planted there wouldn’t be much to forage anyway.

Gotcha, but we have all those birds also. I'm not that far from you, just up in the NC mountains. Busted a red-shouldered hawk sitting on a branch over the coop last week. We've always provided a bit of cover in the free range area so the hens can have a spot to quickly duck into. Usually by the time I hear a hawk calling and rush to check in them, they're already back in the coop or under cover.

However, if free-ranging birds makes you overly nervous, don't do it. Peace of mind is extremely important also! Best wishes with everything regardless of what you decide.

 

[Lexie27]

Gotcha, but we have all those birds also. I'm not that far from you, just up in the NC mountains. Busted a red-shouldered hawk sitting on a branch over the coop last week. We've always provided a bit of cover in the free range area so the hens can have a spot to quickly duck into. Usually by the time I hear a hawk calling and rush to check in them, they're already back in the coop or under cover.

However, if free-ranging birds makes you overly nervous, don't do it. Peace of mind is extremely important also! Best wishes with everything regardless of what you decide.

I think to start we’ll keep them in a covered run. We’re starting with an adopted cockerel and want 4 hens for him.
Something I’ve learned from our family having parakeets and small parrots is that birds can never have too much room.
Which is why, although I have always loved birds, I’ve never had any.
We’re in a position now that we can give them at least a tolerable amount of room since we’re under time constraints, and expand after we get the cockerel settled.

I’ll do more reading on free ranging, too.

Appreciate you!

 

[Lexie27]

With rocks it is a no go with out a backhoe. That's why I left TN for Southern AL. No rocks. Clay but no rocks. I can now drive steel posts again and set large wooden corner and end posts in cement. No problem when you have strongmen family connections. I guess you could use those rocks to build a small outdoor cremation furnace... Nah. Maybe a sizeable compost pile wrapped in welded wire to keep predators out. Still coat in lime. I have sent a few early to the landfill in empty feed sacks.... I rarely have one now. Today was the day I lost my one and only Saipan rooster. Pretty sure it was from worms. Going to look inside to see tomorrow.

I’m sorry for your loss. :-(

 

[Lexie27]

Post a picture of you Roo so that we can be able to help you see what breed it is!

He’s an “Americana” aka Easter Egger from Tractor Supply. Neighbor brought him down on his golf cart while we were making the pad for the coop and run.
He struggled a couple of times being held whilst we chatted, but listened intently and looked at me while I baby talked him. Then he took a nap lol
I love him already. (Edit) Do you believe when I sent my daughter a picture of him, she said he was ugly! How dare she talk about my child that way, lol
I have questions on how to divide/acclimate coop and run for a cockerel and pullets, but that’s for another thread I reckon.
When we bought this property I called it the hundred acre woods, not that we have 100 acres (I wish) but most people have 25 or more. So his name is Scratchy right now, but Imma call him Roo, and the rest will have Winnie the Pooh names. My husband wants to call him Plumb Bob, and he can, but that won’t be his name, lol

Right now my brain is in overdrive trying to design a divisible coop and run lol