I want chickens

Angela Burcham

In the Brooder
Jul 6, 2017
21
7
21
Hi grew up in the country and have recently moved back to a rural area in NC. I would really like to have some chickens, more for pets than for any other reason. I find myself reading post here over and over as I seek information. I think I know enough now to be dangerous lol.

I want to ask to ask specific questions and do right by my future chicks.

I have 2 large dogs and one cat. I am thinking of a coop and run since there are predators that would be a danger to free ranging chicks.

I look forward to learning form everyone here
 
hi Angela! New here as well. Live in rural MT, got chicks in April (they are happy and healthy). We have 2 large dogs and a cat, lots of aerial predators pus coyotes. We taught the dogs that the chicks (inside in a brooder in the dining room for over a month, what a home entertainment center!) were a "leave it", praised the dogs for respecting that and herding the cat away, built a mobile run (aka, "chicken tractor", that doubled their coop/roost size. We can move the run around the property as desired. The coop and run can be docked together, this provides a lot of space.
Now the girls are close to full grown. The dogs are reliable, the cat can be closed in the house. (she will leave the Buffs and Arcaunas alone but the Banty is tempting)
Today I closed the cat in and let the chickens out. They flew about, chased grasshoppers, went back to the roost, back to the run.... they know what home looks like. Fun stuff. Good luck. BYC is a great resource, folks will share, the articles and forums are infintely helpful.
 
:welcome I have 28 birds in one coop 1 cockerel in his coop and 10 6 week old peeps growing up in another coop 5 dogs 8 cats 3 outside the rest inside my outside cats have killed a total of 7 peeps less than 6 months old it can happen no matter how hard we try..
I am still here plugging away ask away please we all here would love to say high
 
I just got my chickens about a month ago. I have already changed their living spaces a few times. My husband says our eggs will be $300/egg, lol. Mostly it was because I wanted them to have a big and high enough run to make it easy for them and me to get around and to protect them when I wasn't around to monitor if any predators were around. You will sleep better with a good coop and a run with enough space that the chickens can stay out of each others way.
 
Always have to watch the dogs & cats, despite how well behaved them seem when someone is watching them. When they find an opportunity, they will go after the chickens unless you have Shamo's as guard birds.
 
Thanks for all the warm replies. I am happy that so many of you are willing to welcome a newbie. I'm sure I will be blowing up the forums with questions.
 
me again. Yesterday one of our outdoor thermometers reports 105F. Above zero. In Montana that's an important distinction. <G>
My chicks (12 weeks old, selected for cold tolerance, because, Montana) seem to be doing well. I wonder what more I can do to help.
Here's what they get today: more shade cloth on their mobile run, and on parts of their coop. I move them about, right now they are in tall grass with some short grass. I put ice cubes in their water tube and in a dish in the run. Every day or so, they get an ice block with grapes, or a frozen ear of corn - and in the heat of the afternoon, either the mister or a sprinkler on grass near the run to provide evaporative cooling.
What else can I do for them? They pant but are not holding their wings out... when they get the chance to be out of the run, they are energetic and enthusiastic.
Is there any thing I am missing ? Thanks for any advice!!!
 

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