Keeping Chickens in the Backyard

[gardener]

Quote:
Wow that is a tiny yard. But three bantams would be happy if you just gave then half that space. Even an 8 by 4 foot outdoor run would be ok.

 

[eggzettera]

I second getting a bantam I love the look of the bantam cochin - I bet alot of people would belief they are just some "exotic" bird. Around here we call them "exotic ground dwelling parrots" - and not as noisy.

 

[SoyBean]

Very tiny. But believe me there are more bugs and weeds out there than you can shake a stick at. And you know what....if chickens are half as noisy as that darn yippy dog that has been barking for 10 min now, then I think I'll be fine with the neighbors. That dog barks for long stretches at a time and everytime I get out of my car...and the dog is two apartments over.

I'll try and gets some pictures and post tonight or tomorrow. Do any of you have any pictures of descriptions of any runs or coops I could put in a space this size?

 

[gardener]

I agree dogs barking are way more annoying. You can search this site for coop and run designs.
You should just make your own with a bit of lumber and some 1/2 hardware cloth.

 

[Break an Egg]

welcome soybean, I was thinking in your situation, an eglu would be perfect. Although, it is alot of fun to make your own coop.

Let me see if I can get you some links:

this is a nice coop made by elderoo, I thought it would be perfect for a small area:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=572712#p572712

and here is an eglu, mind you it will only hold 3-4 hens, and the thing is expensive, but it looks like it is easily maintained.

http://www.omlet.us/products_services/products_services.php?view=Chickens

good luck, and keep us posted~!

 

[SoyBean]

That eglu looks awsome but it is terribly expensive. I could possibly build something similar to it though. The eglu would fit in my yard no problem and the chickens would still have room in the yard to walk around. I'll try and design something that could work. I'll take pictures tonight of the yard.

 

[SoyBean]

I was also wondering if I could make use of a dog kennel in any way. We babysat a dog this past winter and they ended up giving us the dog kennel because they no longer needed it. Its been sitting outside since then so it'll need some cleaning but I'd say its medium size wire dog crate. The dog that slept in it was an Australian Shepard if that gives you any idea of size. The tray is removable in the bottom and it has one door. Can I use this for anything?

 

[wegotchickens]

You sure can!
It'll make a great cage to keep them in while young. Would have to be inside if there's no roof, though. And you might have to put carboard around the sides to minimize drafts while the chicks are young.

 

[SoyBean]

That's a great idea. If I attached walls around the sides and added a roof to the kennel, could it possibly be made into a very small coop, and then I can attach a run to it? (kind of like that eglu thing? We could possibly find some planks of wood to use for the sides and roof and finding the wire for the run shouldn't be too hard. Anyone think this is a good idea?

 

[rooster-red]

Do you have a way of disposing the manure created by the chickens?

You could use some of it on your plants, but it would need to compost first, raw chicken manure would burn your plants.