Life-Long Learners..planning and preparing

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Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan
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Well.. we've made progress! The chicks are ordered for the 4/16/12 hatch: BLRW (4) Arucanas (2), Golden Wyandottes (2, pullet and cock) Lt Brahma (1), Ancona (1) Bantam Silver Penciled Rocks (3), BO (1), Barred Plymouth Rock (1), Partridge Rock (1), Mottled Cochin bantams (3), Columbian Wyandotte (1), Mottled Houdan (1), Mille Fleur bantams (3), Golden Penciled Hamburg (1), Speckled Sussex (2), Silver Laced Wyandotte (1), Single comb Brown Leghorn (1), Silver Spangled Hamburg (1) and whatever free exotic chick they decide to send. I missed out on the Cuckoo Marans :( We're going for a variety of egg color and size with consideration towards cold hardiness, foraging/pasturing suitability, and docility. It'll be fun to see if we get any pairs or trios from the straight runs that we might show at the Fair. Talk about counting your chicks before they hatch!! I won't rest easy until all the wee ones are happily scooting about the brooder (we've got two heat lamps and a full spectrum light bulb that we used for my son's bearded dragon lizard..who alas passed away a couple months ago..which was a great way to talk about the circle of life!) A co-worker's spouse is in produce, so he's going to get us one of those big octagonal cardboard produce bins...perfect, should be big enough to keep them in until they can go outside. If not, I have a back up plan...I called Sears and they said they always have appliance boxes :)

We've started on the coop. I found a huge free pile of "junk" behind a neighbor's shed...sheets of MDF, 2"x4"x 8's, old barn wood, 2"x2"x 6' and 20', too much to list..we filled the pickup and have more than enough wood. We also found 10 8' cedar landscape timbers that we'll use for the uprights in the outdoor run. So far we've got the roof supports in place, the front panel (solid wall to 6' tall on the interior of the barn), and the bases and sides for a double row of nest boxes that will open from the back into the barn..so the kids can go collect eggs without having to go into the coop. The 2' between the front wall, the ceiling and the outside run will be enclosed in chicken wire (I have to order a big roll from the feed store in the next week or two) and we still need to build doors, roosts, and the dividers/doors for the nest boxes...for this we need to go get some hinges. Altogether, I'm pleased with the progress!

For the coop litter, I've decided to rely heavily on what we already have here on the property..specifically, pine needles, maple leaves, hay and straw (the last two have been in the barn all winter and are bone dry, as is the earth floor of the coop. I'm thinking that as long as I have my mix of "greens and browns" right that the hay/straw won't get damp/moldy.) and with a few added bags of pine shavings to get it up to 6" deep to start. I anticipate really being sore...that's a lot of raking, hauling and schlepping! The outside run plans measure it at 25' long x 8' wide with room for roosts, a dust box, etc. I hope this is enough space to contain them in when I don't want to let them out into the pasture (it will have an exterior door that opens up right into the pasture.) For pasture protection we've found another free source...we live right next door to an apple orchard, and the owner has 6 or more old apple crates tossed along the fence-line..the plan is to go huck them over the fence into our pasture, turn them upside down and cut a couple holes in the sides so the chickens can run for cover when a predator is around (lots of huge hawks and owls). The pasture is secured with 3 wire electric fence and enclosed at the bottom with chicken wire..I did not do this, but the people that used to live here had a dog rescue, so they did the entire property that way...hallelujah! My biggest worry is two huskies that live down the road and seem to get loose occasionally. We do have a gate across the driveway, though it will be a challenge to get everyone in the habit of shutting it!

The kids and I are super excited!!!!
 

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