I'm new! Have a few question

[bamachicken8386]

We are starting our coop build this weekend and should have it done shortly. I'm in lower Alabama and it's still 90+. I have a few questions...

Is it too late in the season to raise chickens? When my coop is built can I get baby chickens and raise them or do I have to get full growns. (No eggs with babies) can I get a few chicks and a few full grown?
If we get into meat birds. Are those raised from chicks or raised differently than egg layers?

Will my chickens allow me to let them out and will they come back on their own? We have a lot of free range area...

Lastly. Is there a end all be all book I can buy so I don't have to come to the forum all the time? Thank you!!

 

[GNRMorgans]

Greetings! And Welcome!

In your area, I would think that raising fall chicks is totally possible. Check for sales in your area. Meat birds and layers have very significant differences in how they are raised - mainly dealing with the rapid growth of the meat birds and their subsequent protein requirements. Layers would be on a different regime. Because of these differences, I have never heard of people housing meat birds and layers together, but I don't do meat birds, so someone else might have a better feel there.

So if you go for layers - depending on the size of your coop, you can raise your baby chicks through the fall and winter and they will start laying in the spring. The size of your build will let you know how many you can keep in your coop. The standard for large fowl hens is 2 square feet per bird. Smaller for bantams.

I have found that once the hens are attached to their coop - they've lived there a while and lay in the boxes...then they will come home to roost in the evenings when they free range for the day. I let mine out in the morning, and they tuck themselves in nicely once the sun goes down. All I have to do is roll call and close the gates. The only issue with free range is the open possibility to predation, so that will have to be a decision you need to make.

Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens http://www.amazon.ca/Storeys-Guide-Raising-Chickens-Edition/dp/1603424695 seems to be a popular resource.

Best of luck to you!

 

[smcdermott]

We are in Central FL and have only had Chickens since December 2014. We have moved them twice in building their big coop and both times, we left them shut in 24/7 for about a week then started free ranging again and had no problems with them returning to where there home "roost" are at night to be shut in. (Knock on wood) Also, they have just started laying and we have also had no problems with them laying anywhere other than the nesting boxes in the coop. Hearing that many people would find "nests" all over the yard, which will waist your eggs AND draw predators, I started leaving them in the run/coop until late afternoon when all eggs were laid for the first 2 weeks. Only giving them evening free range time. After 2 weeks I went back to letting them back out at 7a.m. when I get up and haven't had any problems. Hope this helps some.

 

[sophiaw00]

I'm in Northern Illinois and got my chickens in the Spring. I wish I had waited until fall. Yes, they would have spent more time in the brooder but I would've had more production time before they quit laying in the winter.

I kept my girls in the coop & run until I saw my first egg at 25 weeks, then I let them free range the yard. That gave them a good 20 weeks in the coop & run so they know where home is at. I also have a rooster that is really protective and good at keeping them together, safe, and away from predators. If you can have roosters where you live, I strongly reccomend one if you decided to free range.