Homing advice for my chicks

[BigBlueHen53]

Lol, random indeed!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So you are going to need a coop that has at least 12 square feet of floor space and is safe from predators and will keep your birds protected from weather, heat, cold, wet, snow, ice, whatever you have in your area. That should have roosts for them to sit on at night and nests for them to lay eggs in, lower than the roosts. You don't want them to sleep in the nests or you'll have nasty, poopy eggs, yuck! You will also need a predator-proof outdoor run for them to hang out in during the day, where they can scratch and exercise. For three birds, that should be at least 30 square feet of ground space, 10 square feet per bird. Part of it should be in the shade, and you should include a sand pit for dust baths. Of course they need grit, food and clean water, and when they start laying they will also need oyster shell in a separate dish. Hope this helps.

 

[NatJ]

I see BigBlueHen53 was typing something similar at the same time I was

What are chick coop ideas and homing ideas for when they’re older and growing ?

Housing for 3 grown-up chickens should have:
--a perch at least 3 feet long (= 1 foot per chicken)
--a roof to keep out rain and snow, and to provide shade from the sun
--at least 12 square feet of floor space (=4 square feet per chicken)
--water and chicken food available all the time they are awake
--protects from predators (so dogs, hawks, raccoons and other animals do not eat the chickens)

It is also good to have a larger space where they can spend time outside in the daytime: plan on at least 30 square feet of outside space.

If you live in a hot place, the chicken coop might have a solid roof and floor, but walls made of hardware cloth to let air through so they can stay cooler.

If you live in a cold place, the chicken coop might have solid walls with glass windows in them, and needs to be bigger because the chickens will have to spend all winter inside it. It will need some holes or windows that can open, so it does not get stinky inside. Those holes or windows should be covered with hardware cloth to keep out predators.

If you live in a place with hot summers and cold winters, you might build a solid coop that has great big screen doors for summer and solid doors for winter. Or you might build a coop suitable for a hot climate, then wrap a tarp around it to keep out the wind and snow in the winter.

After they have all their feathers, chickens do not really need to be kept warm, just dry and out of the wind. Feathers do a great job of keeping them warm (as long as the feathers are not wet, and the chicken is not standing in the wind.)

 

[Granny Hatchet]

I used the aquarium thermometer under my arm for a round about temp. I am sure you can use it in this situation but its not exact enough for incubators.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I see BigBlueHen53 was typing something similar at the same time I was



Housing for 3 grown-up chickens should have:
--a perch at least 3 feet long (= 1 foot per chicken)
--a roof to keep out rain and snow, and to provide shade from the sun
--at least 12 square feet of floor space (=4 square feet per chicken)
--water and chicken food available all the time they are awake
--protects from predators (so dogs, hawks, raccoons and other animals do not eat the chickens)

It is also good to have a larger space where they can spend time outside in the daytime: plan on at least 30 square feet of outside space.

If you live in a hot place, the chicken coop might have a solid roof and floor, but walls made of hardware cloth to let air through so they can stay cooler.

If you live in a cold place, the chicken coop might have solid walls with glass windows in them, and needs to be bigger because the chickens will have to spend all winter inside it. It will need some holes or windows that can open, so it does not get stinky inside. Those holes or windows should be covered with hardware cloth to keep out predators.

If you live in a place with hot summers and cold winters, you might build a solid coop that has great big screen doors for summer and solid doors for winter. Or you might build a coop suitable for a hot climate, then wrap a tarp around it to keep out the wind and snow in the winter.

After they have all their feathers, chickens do not really need to be kept warm, just dry and out of the wind. Feathers do a great job of keeping them warm (as long as the feathers are not wet, and the chicken is not standing in the wind.)

See, Great Minds think alike! A word to the wise: don't just use a metal roof with no wood under it, it will sweat and drip. You don't want that much humidity in your coop. There are lots and lots of articles on coops, you'll get some great ideas! Good luck to you.