I have 600 questions...or so it seems :)

[SummerLynn]

Hey all. Still new, but getting comfortable with my chickens! I can see why you are all wild about them!! I'm prepping for them to go outside as soon as it decides to be spring here in Pennsylvania. And as I prepare their new homestead, I'm wondering about 600 things...maybe not quite, but close. I wasn't sure where to post and this seemed to be the most logical spot.

1. I saw pics of people using a trampoline frame to make a run (BRILLIANT BY THE WAY!) so I scrounged one up. Can I use the mat as a roof for it and just cover where the springs are so nothing can get in? Or should I still cover the whole shebang w/ wire?

2. The frame is 12x12, is that theoretically big enough for about 8-9 chickens? room for growth later or no? I started with 16 and it appears about half are roos lol I may want to use this chicken math nonsense eventually though haha

3. How big should the coop be for this many hens?

4. I don't want to use the run all the time i'd like to let them free range but I have concerns....do they REALLY always come back to the coop? How far will they wander when left loose? We do have a road nearby, not terribly busy but theres some traffic and I don't want chicken pancakes, and I also live across from a cemetary and idk how ppl would feel if the chickens went to visit the dead. My land is about 3 acres though.

5. How long do I feed them the chick starter stuff? When do they switch to other food? and when they make the switch what brand should I seek?

6. I have one hen with a broken leg (her 'knee' bends the wrong direction, and I tried splinting it...that was fun....she tore it off.) I had hoped it would heal on its own even if it was wonky, but its still bending out. Will she adapt eventually to her 'disability' lol I don't know that I have the heart to cull.

That's enough questions for the moment. I'm sure to have more.

 

[lazy gardener]

You need 4 s.f. of open space in the coop and 10 s.f. in the run per bird. Ventilation in the coop should be 1 s.f./bird. I recommend a walk in style coop. Build it bigger than you need to allow the option of integrating replacement birds into the flock in the future.

You can keep them on unmedicated starter until you are ready to switch them to layer feed around 16 weeks. Some folks choose not to use layer feed but use a multi flock feed for all their birds of all ages at all times instead. In that case, you would add oyster shell in a separate container. It's actually a good idea to offer oyster shell to your pullets, even if you are using layer feed.

Yes, your birds will return to the coop to roost if you let them out to free range... if they have been trained to the coop. New birds must spend a few days/nights in the coop so they learn that this is where their "safe home" is.

 

[aart]

1. I saw pics of people using a trampoline frame to make a run (BRILLIANT BY THE WAY!) so I scrounged one up. Can I use the mat as a roof for it and just cover where the springs are so nothing can get in? Or should I still cover the whole shebang w/ wire?

I'd rethink this...looks bril, but....a walk-in run(and coop)will be much more manageable, especially when the snow flies, then piles up.
Could use the tramp frame as hoops tho.
Here's some other trampoline threads:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/23265087/?q=trampoline&t=post&o=relevance&c[title_only]=1

All the questions you've asked here are really better separated out.
As we previously discussed:

its going to be one heck of a learning curve

It most certainly is...like getting a sip of water out of a fire hose..haha!

6. I have one hen with a broken leg (her 'knee' bends the wrong direction, and I tried splinting it...that was fun....she tore it off.) I had hoped it would heal on its own even if it was wonky, but its still bending out. Will she adapt eventually to her 'disability' lol I don't know that I have the heart to cull.

How old is this bird?
Some leg issues can be fixed...but euthanasia is sometimes part of raising chickens.
Might be good to start new thread here with pics to see if it might be fixed.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/create-thread

 

[Life is Good!]

1. I saw pics of people using a trampoline frame to make a run (BRILLIANT BY THE WAY!) so I scrounged one up. Can I use the mat as a roof for it and just cover where the springs are so nothing can get in? Or should I still cover the whole shebang w/ wire?

2. The frame is 12x12, is that theoretically big enough for about 8-9 chickens? room for growth later or no? I started with 16 and it appears about half are roos lol I may want to use this chicken math nonsense eventually though haha

Ok, this is what we built using a 15' trampoline frame. It's for bunnies, but could work, modified, for chickens. The 'hoop' (top ring frame of trampoline) is divided into two 1/2's...one 1/2 is the back wall, the other 1/2 is the front wall. Where the 'legs' would insert, we put in lengths of 1 1/2" electrical pipe (I think that was the size, check your leg openings) to the length we desired (10' pipe was most economical). We put 1/2" hardware cloth over the whole shebang (front, back, sides and bottom - remember, this is for bunnies who dig). The roofing/siding is plastic roofing similar for greenhouses. We simply drilled a pair of holes into the roofing, and zip-tied the roofing onto the pipes where the two met. The door framing is screwed to the metal frame as is support for the back wall. The wood framing allowed contact points to attach the hardware cloth to also. The hardware cloth is on the INSIDE of the wood framing. Which would allow you to attach clapboards or plywood siding to the OUTSIDE for it to be better for chickens.

As for using the trampoline mat as a 'roof' - no. First, it's not water resistant. Second, any critter can get through the springs. Third, if the grass beneath the tramp dies in the summertime, what is that heat going to do to your chickens?

I hope this helps! There's a whole section on the forums for 'Coops & Runs' with lots and lots of building ideas. And it's pretty photo heavy just to warn you! And lots of it makes me drool with inspiration. Husband says that's bad for our pocketbook! LOL!