Hi.

[August83]

Hello. My name is August and I've had chickens for a few years now but, still consider myself a novice when it comes to chickens. My ownership of chickens was not intentional to start with. A few years ago, I brought my son to a birthday party and ended up coming home with a pair of young cockrells from their recently acquired flock. Long story short, they had more birds than the could manage and talked me into bringing some home with me. I knew nothing about chickens. Suffice to say, I've learned a few things since then. However, I'm still not that well versed. My flock has grown a little bit since then. I later brought home a little red hen from that same flock. And even later, I realized that I needed more hens to keep everyone happy. So, my flock is up to seven. I do intend to get more hens once I have a proper place to keep more well sheltered and safe from predators. I've been lurking and reading around this community for a while and finally decided to sign up. From what I can tell, my flock consists of a Bard Rock rooster (Herbert) , a Black and Copper Maran rooster (Henry), a Rhode Island red hen (Henny Penny), and 4 dark brahma hens (Harriet, Sprinkles, Vanessa and Nugget.) Note: The first three are only guesses on the breeds. Feel free to let me know if I'm wrong. I'd love to be certain. I specifically got the brahma gals after researching the breed and falling in love. Since getting the boys, I've grown to truly enjoy the birds and want to learn as much as I can about them in order to keep them happy and healthy. I've attached some photos of my chickens as well as the little coop I put together in a hurry when I got the boys and the store bought one I decided to get because I didn't feel I did well enough with the one I built. In the future, I plan to get a nice, big coop that they won't be so crowded in. One large enough to be able to expand the flock a little more. I feel like I need more hens.

 

[007Sean]

Howdy August and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Glad you stopped lurking and decided to join the community! Good luck with your flock.

Thanks for joining us!

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens August, it's very nice to meet you

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi August and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us. You can post pics of your birds here - What Breed Or Gender is This?

Before expanding your flock, this link is something worth reading -
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

This is a useful link of BYC guides to take a look at announcements-feedback-issues-guides.3 (there's a guide on how to include your location under your avatar - including your location is very helpful).

Best wishes
Pork Pie

 

[August83]

Thank you for the warm welcomes!

 

[DobieLover]

Hi August and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Have fun designing and building your new coop. There are lots of ideas on coops here.
I too will be making a new coop out of my existing shed so I can expand my flock. Chicken Math hard at work!

 

[feathermaid]

So glad you decided to join us!! Your chickens are beautiful!! And yes, if you plan to keep your boys, you'll definitely need more girls. That's how chicken math gets you! I've heard it's 8-10 hens per rooster, otherwise the ladies (especially the poor favorite) can get overbred, lose feathers and become afraid. Although it's possible you might find that only one of the boys makes a good flock protector and the other may need to go. (only a possibility)

Also be aware that a large flock will need lots of space. If your chickens are out free ranging all day, they'll pretty much only use the coop(s) for sleeping and laying eggs in the nest boxes. Bare minimum would be about 12" length of roost space per chicken and 1 nest box per 4 hens. If they're confined to a run enclosure, they need about 10-20 sq feet per chicken.

These articles explain in greater detail the importance of coop requirements:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-coop-ventilation-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop.47774/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/predator-proofing-for-new-and-existing-coops.72191/


It looks like your Brahmas are still pretty young, so it might be a good idea to start your integration now using the "See but don’t touch" method.

Wish you the best and good luck in your chicken adventure!!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi & August!

Glad you could join us all here! Enjoy your time being part of BYC & all the chicken chat

 

[August83]

Thank you, DobieLover! While I'd love to be able to build my own awesome coop, I lack the tools and know how to really feel confident building something as large and sturdy as I'd like for my chickens. I'm considering buying one. Right now, I have my eye on Carolina Coops. They seem well built, well ventilated, and large enough in their standard size for the size flock I'd like. Plus I like the idea of composting with the deep litter method. They are pretty pricey, though.

 

[August83]

Thank you, Yorkshire Coop! Thank you, Flappy Feathers! My brahma gals are about 6 months old now and have been intergrated into the main flock! Apologies for the older pictures. It's been a while since I've done a photo shoot! I do plan on getting more hens as soon as I get the new coop. They do need more space than their current coops provide. And for the moment, the roos are separated from one another. I have about 2 acres for them to free range on so, there's lots of space to expand! I'm hoping that I can keep both roos, even if I have to create two separate flocks to do it. I'm rather attached, as are my children. Rural life has turned us all into chicken nuts!