Is it time to move my chicks?

[cmom]

What a beautiful coop!!! I'm envious.

 

[Chris623]

Thank you for the kind words regarding the chicks new coop.

I got them transferred today. Since the temps will drop down in the mid 70's tonight, I dropped the front "hatch" and it went totally dark inside. This was the first time they'd been in the dark. You should have heard all the commotion!!!!! I know "tough love" and a couple of nights and all would be well, but I ran an extension cord out to the coop and put a little automatic 7 1/2 watt night light in it. I'll run it for a while until they get used to the place and then it'll go bye-bye somewhere. I figured today's transfer was enough of a trauma.............no need to compound it. After all, I don't have the names of any chicken Psychiatrists!!!!!

They are all huddled in a corner as if the world were coming to an end, but I'm sure they'll make it through the night.

 

[lalaland]

I'm laughing because I can just hear your chicks screeching their heads off!

 

[socks]

Yes, beautiful coop! and I expect you don't have a hardware cloth bottom like mine....I only mention it because while that works fine with adult birds roosting high I had a horrible experience on the 4th day when the local coon bit their toes off through the 1/2 " wire because their poor little toes were dangling out.

It looks like you have a solid bottom on the coop (I see containers underneath) but just wanted to mention it in case I could prevent anyone else making my stupid mistake.

 

[kathyinmo]

Very nice coop and run. However, it is absolutely not large enough for that many birds. THAT would be my main concern. 28 square feet is only enough room for about 6 chickens. They will be pecking each other like crazy.

I think you should (quickly) start working on another one. Figure about 4 sq feet per each chicken..... you need at least 80 - 100 square feet, IMHO. Something like 8ft x 10ft or more.

Good luck. I am sure you will have great fun building more and more coops, as you increase your flock size! By all means, keep the first one you made, and just add more! Hey, you do a great job!

 

[Chris623]

Yes, the coop has a solid floor. It's built just like a house. Below the coop, buried in the dirt and attached to the base is 1" x 2" welded steel wire. This baby is predator proof!!!!! I also plan on putting a 3' wide swath of buried 1/2" hardware cloth around the entire perimeter of the run just to discourage any digging.

These chickens will not be living in the coop or run, but free ranged. I did a thorough search on this site (and other on-line sources) before I started and found several comments to support that 1.5 sq ft per bird is sufficient for nights in the coop. I've heard others say it isn't, but if I'm incorrect, I'll sell this one and build another. No big deal. There are six nesting boxes and plenty of roosts. I don't remember the exact number of inches required for each bird at roost, but I provided what was recommended. And I'm putting roosts out in the run for those birds that prefer to roost outside. I ordered 25 birds (they shipped 26) because that was the minimum the hatchery would ship. I figured I'd lose some before maturity (I've lost 3 already) I live on 6 acres, but two sides of my property are up against a State Park and all of it's wildlife. (Coyote, Bobcat, Raccoon, Possum, Owls, Hawks and lastly neighborhood dogs.) I figure while free ranging I'll lose more.............at least until they become pretty savvy as to the dangers. So I'm not too worried about my being overcrowded. If it turns out they are, I can eat some, give some away, or build an addition or a completely new coop.