Is it really this complicated? Feeling a bit overwhelmed!

[IslandChiks]

Personally I think you are trying to make it way too complicated.
Maybe you see all these gorgeous coops here and think you need one, you don't. In fact I wouldn't build anything until you
keep chickens for a while and are sure you like them. I would invest the least amount of money possible until you learn more.
Grow with your chicks. All they need to start is a warm, dry space that they can't escape and no rats or cats can get into.

I have started chicks in all kinds of spaces; the shed, a corner of the garage, under the workbench and most recently 36 day-old
chicks in my laundry room ( don't tell the landlord) I knew I had to get them out of there fast, and being a single senior lady I
knew I wasn't going to build any fancy chicken coop. I found an old lawnmower trailer and dragged it home. It took a week to patch up the roof and dry it out, tack up some cheap wallboard to cover the insulation and WaLa
Check it out.


You don't need even this much to start if you are only going to have a few layers you could just fence off a corner of the storage shed or garage as the chickens will probably be outside most of the time anyway when they get older. This is where I kept chicks in my former place. Just a corner of the storage shed.

When they got older I took the door off the shed and enclosed in dog fencing. Just for at night. In the daytime they ran free. When they were older and flying over the six-foot fence I covered it with bird netting. So like I said, you grow with your chicks.

When I was in Hawaii the chicks never even had a coop. I started them in the shed and moved them to a covered cage until they were 8 weeks old. then they wouldn't go to the cage anymore and preferred to sleep under the house. Chickens aren't prissy.

I just made a circle of wire in the shed and closed the door at night.
Don't start them on newspaper, give them bedding.

Keep in mind this is Hawaii. This would not work in a cold climate.
The chicks were only in here for about three weeks

Even a dilapidated old dog house will work.
So I say, don't wait. Go get your chicks and have eggs this fall. Learn and grow with your chicks and if you ever get into a bind and can't keep them or if you have too many there are always people who will take them for you.

Don't even think about incubating eggs until your chickens are laying and then you can experiment with your own eggs.
With a hatchery or feed store at least you know you are getting live birds and that they will be female. (90%)
Good Luck

 

[rockiemtchix]

I'm totally new, too! But I've been thinking about doing for a few years and finally just jumped in.

I was fortunate to find a local who raised chickens in my area. Therefore, I know they're local birds who can survive in my unique environment ( 8500 ft in Colorado Rockies). Your local feed store is a great resource. I guess if you insist on fancy pure-bred chix, you may have to order online. But if you buy locally, I feel you'll be better off. I was also able to talk to this man and his wife about methodology, and success and failures unique to my region. After we talked, I really felt confident I could do it. It's NOT brain surgery, after all!

Chicks are darling, but I'm not equipped to begin hatching at this time- or giving the xtra special care a chick needs to survive. So although I'd love to have some chicks, I'll pass until I can handle them.

I bought a pre-fab coop for about $270.00 as my husband wasn't exactly supportive of this new 'endeavor' so I knew I'd be left to my own chicken-coop-building skills, which are basically non- existent. I read a LOT of books and am spending a lot of time on BYC, obviously.

This will be a new challenge for one, which I love! It's exciting to learn something new about the animal kingdom. I'm also siked to have fresh eggs and I'm absolutely thrilled to offer my children this important experience. The composting opportunity is exceptional, and I'm glad to be able to share eggs w my neighbors. It's just one benefit after another.

Jump right in! Head to library for books if u don't want to spend the $. Ask more questions on BYC, and realize its not brain surgery. Humans domesticated animals long ago, and you can, too! Good luck!

 

[Boonie Adjacent]

I agree: set up your coop first.

Some things to consider with whatever coop you get:

1. Ventilation: Fresh air is essential all year round. You can use just about anything for a coop, just make sure it has good air flow.
2. Winter Conditions: Plan your coop for the severity of the Winter to come, not just for the Spring when you get the birds. Draft and dampness are the killers.
3. Keep it simple: Start with a few chickens. Makes it a lot easier to get familiar with chickens generally and your birds specifically.

Chickens rock. Have fun.

 

[jdfbg]

I'm brand new to this also so I can only tell you what I did which was research and plan - i.e.determine what breeds and how many, what to do about the dog, what food source, what coup, where to build it etc. Then I built the coop and last Saturday we got our three birds. All has gone well, but I truly believe it's because we researched, planned and stuck to the plan.

 

[Spikes Chooks]

I was asking myself all these questions last year, it can feel overwhelming, but doesn't have to be!!! Divide the decisions up and tackle them one at a time to devise your plan.

I agree with those that say start with the coop and run. Yes, it can be cheap and simple. But in the long run you might prefer it a bit more complex in order to meet your needs, as well as the chickens. Also think about how important it is to you to clean (if you can walk in, this is easier) or get the eggs without going in the run (external nesting boxes). Decide on your ideal setup then make a start on building, or setting up the bought coop first, as it can take longer than you expect.

Whilst we started to build I researched breeds and came up with a shortlist of preferred breeds. (Hernderson's Chicken Chart was really helpful). I decided, as a complete newbie, to start with 8 week old pullets. They are feathered by then, yet still so young I found it easy to settle them and they became very friendly. To do this, you just need to spend time with them!

Then I used an online farm stock site (there's no Craigslist here) to look every day for someone who sold pullets that age of some of the breeds I wanted, within a short driving distance. I wanted to get them from the same place, to avoid any quarantine issues. It took two weeks and by the time I found them the coop and run was ready. They are happy and healthy and all laying well. The first few weeks I worried too much - though I also had a bout of cocci to tackle, too. We all learnt together, me and the pullets!

I feel much more confident now. I can't have any more chickens here (we are in the suburbs, limited to 5 and I have 4 now). But when I need to replace any, I may well buy chicks. That way, I haven't tried to learn everything at once!

Good luck, relax and enjoy each stage of the great chicken adventure!!!

 

[earlybird10842]

I am brand new to this, and am looking into what it would take to start a small flock. It doesn't seem like anything I couldn't learn, but it is starting to get complicated. Right now there are baby chicks everywhere for sale, but I can't bring them home yet because I don't have a coop. And once they come home the timer starts ticking. I am not sure if we're buying or building yet, and the latter will take who knows how long. I was thinking if my window to buy the chicks in stores runs out, then I can just order day old chicks online. But eveyone wants a minimum order of at least 15 and I don't want that many yet. I'm thinking like 4 to start. Ok, so maybe incubating? But incubators can get costly, and there is no way to determine how many chickens I will get and what sex. I really prefer to start with females as I hear males can be mean and I want fresh eggs. So if I incubate and get males, then what?I'm not trying to be overly picky, just simplify to start so I can learn the ropes.

So I'm kinda pulling my hair out a bit, thinking maybe I decided too late in the year. I dunno should I just scrap it and try next year? Am I am making this overly difficult? lol.. !

Any experienced chickeners have any words of encoragement/wisdom?

Baby chick checklist:
Chick mash
brooder --can be a box.
brooder lamp
feeder
waterer
wood shavings
BYC
the chicks themselves--four sexed gals from your local feed store sounds like your best bet
THat's all you need to start with. Then you have a few months to buid a coop. I would have some basic plans ready by the time you buy the girls...

 

[sweetie pie]

I am brand new to this, and am looking into what it would take to start a small flock. It doesn't seem like anything I couldn't learn, but it is starting to get complicated. Right now there are baby chicks everywhere for sale, but I can't bring them home yet because I don't have a coop. And once they come home the timer starts ticking. I am not sure if we're buying or building yet, and the latter will take who knows how long. I was thinking if my window to buy the chicks in stores runs out, then I can just order day old chicks online. But eveyone wants a minimum order of at least 15 and I don't want that many yet. I'm thinking like 4 to start. Ok, so maybe incubating? But incubators can get costly, and there is no way to determine how many chickens I will get and what sex. I really prefer to start with females as I hear males can be mean and I want fresh eggs. So if I incubate and get males, then what?I'm not trying to be overly picky, just simplify to start so I can learn the ropes. So I'm kinda pulling my hair out a bit, thinking maybe I decided too late in the year. I dunno should I just scrap it and try next year? Am I am making this overly difficult? lol.. ! Any experienced chickeners have any words of encoragement/wisdom?

I am new to this and I just want 4 chicks. You are right most hatcherys make you buy at least 15 but I finally found one that after April 1st you can get just 4 chicks. I went ahead and put my order in for April The name of the hatchery is Meyers Hatchery. I just called customer service and the lady was very helpful. Good luck

 

[Teacherpea]

I'm not experienced, in fact, I'm just starting out, too. But, I ordered my chicks from Meyer Hatchery because they did not require a minimum, and they also allowed me to choose sexed chicks. I did not want to run the chance of getting a bunch of roosters. I am glad I did this because I went out to our Tractor Supply store and though they had a bunch of cute chicks, they were straight run. They also were labeled simply as "red pullets" or "white pullets" or "bantams." The sign said the breeds may be one of several, which they listed. Me, personally, I wanted to know what I was getting. I purposefully chose my chickens based on their egg laying abilities, as well as their general temperaments. I know each animal is different, but overall, the ones I picked had what I was looking for. Meyer hatchery also lets you choose a "meyer meal maker" which is a free chick. They hope you will give the eggs away to someone in need or that you will raise a fryer to give away. Another thing that I liked is how they let me pick a delivery date, so my babies won't be here until the last week of April. As for the coops (and everything else for that matter), read-read-read and check every sale/buy venue possible: craigslist, ebay classifieds, etc...and start talking to people. My dad actually was talking to a neighbor of ours and the guy said his dad had an old coop we could have. So, that's where we are right now- trying to figure out how to work with the bones of a coop. Hang in there- I'm excited and nervous, too. One other thing, you can find pictures/plans for coops made out of pallets, and you can find those free everywhere. I hope this helps! I'd love to hear how you do!

 

[Marty1876]

When I got started, I bought the chicks and built a little chicken tracter for 4 hens and rooster while they broodered. I did not start in a coop, and didn't own a coop at all until 12 years into it. I picked up a 2 x 3 x 3 wooden shipping box on the road, put one board for a perch in it, put a feeder in one corner, and used 2 x 2's to make a 6 x 3 x 2 foot pen, with a door into the shipping box. I put a 3 x 3 piece of aluminum roofing over the open top of the shipping box, and put a brick on it too hold it down. Used a 30' x 24" roll of chicken wire for my fence area, and I was done. I wired a plastic coffee can into the corner for water. Done.

 

[kentuckygirl1]

Yes ,I also do the 5-6 weeks in the brooder in the house. In kentucky it can be in the 20's at night until may! and even with a heat light thats just too cold for my babies... LOL. u CAN easily make a small brooder box out of a plastic tub if you want to. BUT DEF GET A COOP BUILT OUTSIDE BEFORE YOU PLUNGE INTO BUYING CHICKS.