Locating a chicken moat garden.

[aart]

Quote: I've never used a walk behind snow thrower, and there are different kinds of augers or paddles that move the snow off the surface - some of which may be adjustable from the surface being cleared, so can't tell you for certain. But it will probably tear up the ground a bit, especially if it doesn't freeze hard before needing to remove snow. Cutting the grass very short before snow fall will help. I have to hand shovel my coop path, but use a tractor mounted snow thrower on my gravel drive and part of my outer yard to a shed. It tosses some gravel, dirt and grass from time to time, again especially if the ground doesn't freeze hard first, but it will grow back and I'm not too picky about 'pretty lawns' as I have a rough country yard.

 

[vickivail98]

I'm not super worried about the lawn, but I sure am tired of mud! I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, right now I suppose I should figure out how to pay for the coop as soon as possible after closing. I think my timeline is to get the coop in as soon as possible (this fall), use my existing fencing to let them start clearing next years garden and then two springs from now I'll start building more permanent and larger housing. I'll be out of commission for heavy duty work because baby # 3 will be coming. I'm excited to get started but everything seems so expensive!!

 

[aart]

I'm not super worried about the lawn, but I sure am tired of mud! I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, right now I suppose I should figure out how to pay for the coop as soon as possible after closing. I think my timeline is to get the coop in as soon as possible (this fall), use my existing fencing to let them start clearing next years garden and then two springs from now I'll start building more permanent and larger housing. I'll be out of commission for heavy duty work because baby # 3 will be coming. I'm excited to get started but everything seems so expensive!!

That sounds like a pretty good plan.
A smaller coop that can be moved later and few birds to get going on eggs and garden tillage might be a good start.
I've found t posts and lightly clipped 2x4 fencing can be moved pretty easily in my sandy soil.
You're not going to want to be shoveling out long paths and walking on packed snow while pregnant.

I've always heard, and found to be true, that it's good not to do too much the first year on a new property.
Living there for a year will give you valuable information about how the property functions thru the seasons of weather,
and a better idea of what you really want to do and how it will fit the site.....
......plus there's always critical things to do to a new house that might preclude livestock.