I have no idea how or why I thought about raising chickens, but once I found this site now I know I will. I live in Monroe Washington and am planning on raising 4 chickens for eggs. I will be building a coop with a most likely 4x10 run, and then allowing them to free range a bit off and on in the back yard. I am getting the basic books for dummies before I start and will post my drawings for everyone to go over before I build anything. I did the same thing 2 years ago with Koi fish and now have a 6000gl pond built from DY so I am looking forward to chickens and all the great people on this forum.
Welcome. ONE of the true indications of a chicken addict is when you start doing "chicken math". Don't know what that is? Well do a search for chicken math on the BYC forum and you will see some definitions. But you will only truly understand it when your plan for "raising 4 chickens for eggs" turns into an order for 15 chicks (to save on shipping don't ya know) and your "coop with a most likely 4x10 run" turns into a much-larger-than-originally-planned coop with a 8x10 covered run and a second 12x18 sun run. (My husband stopped me before my 15 chick order with the wise advice of "let's ease the neighbors into this, okay?") I did order 9 chicks instead of the originally planned 4-6 (for eggs) lol. However he is building me a large coop with 2 runs that could potentially hold 30 - 40 birds and I am not sure he realizes it. Or, maybe, he's doing his own chicken math!
Bellz, you are sooo smart to get chickens. There is nothing like the eggs your backyard chickens will produce. They are just better...hands down. Welcome, and best of luck with the plans for the coop, chickens and all that goes along with it. (Koi won't give you breakfast, but chckens will!) :O)
