I live in the country. Yesterday my son drove up from the Nashville area and delivered my Christmas present. A 4x6 chicken coop!

[swampfox440]

Hi, welcome to BYC! that's a great gift, maybe you should study the breeds and decide what breed you want to fit your needs. Good luck!

 

[Percheron chick]

You start by raising a boy that gets you a coop for Christmas.
Spend the next month figuring out what your goals are. Eggs, meat, bug control, enhanced garden, entertainment. Select breeds that will fit those goals and do well in your climate (most all do well in TN). Limit your selection to 6 pullets. Skip the rooster for now.
Set a goal of having a secure 6' tall run built by May 1. Mother's day is right around the corner. You have a high indiscriminate predator load that can wipe out the flock in a night. If you start chicks March 1, you can have them out in the coop off heat early April and potentially in eggs by the 4th of July. Then put Guineas on next year's list to control the ticks.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Welcome to BYC! Good luck on your chicken journey! Please feel free to ask any questions everyone on the forum is more than happy to help! Also i wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!

 

[TXchickmum]

Glad you're here!

 

[triplb]

Our chicken coop is a 4x6 coop. You can see it at https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ruction-progress.1541236/page-4#post-26355611
We figured that 7 chickens was about right for that size. We live in N. Texas and have a couple Barred Rock chickens, a couple Buff Orpingtons, a couple Blue Australorps and an Easter Egger. These chicken types are all good layers, we purchased them in Jul-Aug this past summer and we have just started getting eggs from them a couple weeks ago this month. Do look into the breeds that are appropriate for your area of the country, there is helpful information in the articles and forums for figuring that out. Just be sure to read about taking care of new chicks, especially their requirements for warmth since we are now in the winter season. The learning center is a great place to learn about that and other questions you might have: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/learning-center.11/
My wife and I wish you well with this new venture, and a Merry Christmas to you also!

Very helpful info. Thank you. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
God bless

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Welcome to the coop! I use the Forums and Articles tabs at the top of the page to do research. You can get lost for hours. It's nice to know you are minutes away from getting help with questions and emergencies!
Just a small suggestion, make sure the wood chips are not cedar. pine or hemp is great.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

 

[Yard Farmer]

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That's a nice coop! Congrats!

Also, welcome to BYC!