How bad will the addiction hit? (How big should I plan?)

[SC_Hugh]

With my carpentry skills, I am convinced that if I can convert another of my existing sheds by cutting out a few windows and some ventilation holes and add a pop door and attach a fenced-in run, then I am home free

I already did it to our little playhouse that the kids outgrew (sure glad that I didn't sell it a couple of years ago).

I currently have two remaining sheds, both much larger and nicer than the playhouse coop. If can find the time to get rid of some old stuff and reorganize the larger shed, so that the stuff in the both sheds will fit into one shed...THEN I can convert another shed! AND the #2 soon-to-be coop-shed is already in the same fenced-in area as the existing coop. This area that we always referred to as the dog yard, will be the chicken ranch

A project for next year,

Hugh

 

[JustDawn]

Build bigger than you think. Our hens came home in April of this year. We have 6 (3 barred rocks and 3 golden comets). I would like to add 4-6 more next spring (though my neighbors aren't happy... On one side they didn't want our yard to look like a tent city and on our other side, they were concerned with the noise and smell with more chickens. UGH). Even if you don't end up getting a bunch more, your babies will love having all that room so it will never hurt. But most likely, you will because they are a joy with the added bonus of sharing their eggs with you!

Anyways... A tent city? We have 6 kids (ages 5-18)... our backyard already looks like a party zone... lacrosse goals, swing set, monkey bars, trampolene, sand box, 2 fenced gardens... the chicken coop we built is the nicest thing back there! Noise... again... not any louder than my children and their friends.... we don't have roosters. Smell.... the coop is cleaner than my teenagers' rooms! I clean the coop.... I just close my kids' doors.

At this point, I would not get anymore than 10 girls until I could move to a farm. Then I could add my minature cows and goats too!

 

[Feathered Wings]

I started out with 2 cute little oegb bantam roosters 2 years later i had 200

Eventually decided on certain ones and now depends on the time of year i host from 50 to 200 a year or more

That doesn't include the 50 or so doves, 20 or so pigeons and my new obsession Call Ducks and have been known to have pheasants, peafowl and turkeys

So remember you may find some other feathered friends along the way

 

[dwegg]

We wanted chickens now for about a year and researched and planed, bought books on coop building and everything..then just did it on weekend. We wanted just 4 but ended up with 7 (coop and run is about 10x16)...I already want to expand our coop and we are starting to talk about moving to the country where we can have roosters, cows and everything!!!!

 

[woodenart]

Definately build bigger than first thoughts, especially the Run.

Mark.

 

[pixie74943]

Quote:
Second this comment. My current coop (at my parents house, so I couldnt go crazy with it) we have been extending the run CONSTANTLY since we built it... der... it started out with the birds having 10sq feet each. wasnt enough at all!

I technically have enough space for 4, but I would double space again before i got anymore birds (and probably next time I get more I'll get a pair and be happy (till I move out ))

 

[Megs]

i started out early this spring wanting some standard heritage breeds for eating eggs, and while i was waiting 3 months for those birds i picked up some sebright bantams for my 2nd coop, and it only got worse/better? from there, i now have 8 coop/runs and 7 breeds (multiple colors of some) for a total of 18 standard chickens, 51 bantams (9 of which are for sale, various pairs/roos, hopefully be re-homed in the spring then ill have 42 breeders).

worse part is i may add a breed of two in the spring, ive got my eye on a few, though i may just swap out some of the ones i have for others to.

 

[cluck-addict]

plan on using all the space your spouse will allow....

if you aren't in a relationship... Use all the space you can!!!!

 

[Fluffy-Butt-Farms]

ok, in august of this year, i started out with 6 chickens. figured a nice little coop would do fine. soooo wrong.

there are now 7 chickens in that coop (plus i sold a spare roo saturday) and 2 ducks....

hehehe

in the new igloo, are 3 jersey giants i just got on saturday, and 7 rocks (again, just sold a spare roo on saturday)

in order to make room for the giants, i had to sell 13 babies that were in the space they occupied......

inside...my house....in my what use to be walk in closet..... are

11 babies in 1 brooder (and just build another one to split them up)

5 older babies in my top brooder

and 5 young babies in my bottom brooder.....

and now i'm looking for eggs.....

so how much room do you need? how's 5 acres sound???

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Like they say when building a strong powerful engine"there is no substitute for cubic inches",,and in these addictions,,for raising chickens,,"god only made so much dirt" so buy plenty,and buy often,,