- Nov 16, 2012
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There was a building on the property we recently bought, and I thought that I could get some chickens and keep them in the building...and that has been going great. I have 10 adult chickens, and now 17 laying breeds chicks, 9 meat birds chicks, 4 pekin ducklings, and 4 mallard ducklings. Everyone is doing great. We are getting ready to build 2 more smallish coops though, for the ducks and some turkeys we are going to get in May. It might take us a weekend to make a coop. It really isn't that hard or labor intensive as long as you can cut wood and drill in screws, and of course if you aren't making it very large. For 4 chickens you won't need a very large coop...I would maybe try to find a rabbit hutch for only 4. But you want to make it larger than you need it because what starts as 4 ends up being more than 4 in no time.
As long as you have enough money to buy the wood and tools to make the coop, and buy the food, then I say go ahead and get the chicks...now is the perfect time. In my area they are all half off because they are getting ready to stop selling them. You need to figure out how large a coop you have room for, and are able to build, and then make a plan and see how much lumber you need...You might be able to find scrap lumber pretty cheap or free depending on what is going on where you are at the time you are looking. Chickens aren't terribly hard as long as you have a little time on your hands, and can affix boards together. The chicks get a lot of care because they are chicks and they eat all their food and drink all their water in no time flat...Anyway, not too hard, and building a coop doesn't have to be a long hard drawn out process...it also doesn't have to be a rush job...
If I only planned on keeping a few chickens at a given time I would definitely use a rabbit hutch or something similar...Great brooder, great coop for just a few chickens.
As long as you have enough money to buy the wood and tools to make the coop, and buy the food, then I say go ahead and get the chicks...now is the perfect time. In my area they are all half off because they are getting ready to stop selling them. You need to figure out how large a coop you have room for, and are able to build, and then make a plan and see how much lumber you need...You might be able to find scrap lumber pretty cheap or free depending on what is going on where you are at the time you are looking. Chickens aren't terribly hard as long as you have a little time on your hands, and can affix boards together. The chicks get a lot of care because they are chicks and they eat all their food and drink all their water in no time flat...Anyway, not too hard, and building a coop doesn't have to be a long hard drawn out process...it also doesn't have to be a rush job...
If I only planned on keeping a few chickens at a given time I would definitely use a rabbit hutch or something similar...Great brooder, great coop for just a few chickens.