MARYLAND THREAD!

[Rainekitty]

Coop questions for my fellow Marylanders:

My new small flock came complete with a homemade, sturdy, but small coop. It's approximately 3.5' x 4' x 3.5'(h) with a tin roof and it's set up on stilts approx 3' high. It has a roosting bar, three internal nest boxes (which take up a good portion of the floor space) and several homemade 'windows' secured with wire shelving so they're predator-proof and pieces of plexiglass that fit into the window openings in winter. I like that it's very secure, but I'm concerned that it's a little small for my 4 chickens, plus it's not very tall, so I feel like they're squished when they're on the roost. The chickens have a large run (6x10') and free range part of each day. They're locked in the coop at night.

My questions are:

Is the coop too small? There's not a lot of floor space but I'm thinking that if I can build a set of external but attached nesting boxes I can reclaim the floor space taken up by the current boxes.

Is the coop too short? The roost bar is about 18 inches off the floor, leaving another 18 inches for the chickens on the roost. They clear the roof, but barely. Would it be beneficial to "raise the roof", so to speak?

Should an external heat source be used in winter? The previous owner used a heat lamp in the coop, and all the chickens had their tail feathers burned off as a result. I don't want my chickens to suffer in the cold, but I don't want to roast them, either. Raising the roof would give me additional room to use the heat lamp safely. There are three small windows on the front side of the coop and one on the back, with plexiglass inserts to use in winter, but I'm not sure how much the plexiglass does to keep the cold out. The roost is also close to the front wall, the one with all the windows, so I worry a bit about drafts.

**edited for glaring typos

 

[wermnmnmnm]

Rainekitty,
I am NOooooo expert as my chicks don't even arrive until noon tomorrow... from what I have read, the roosts should be 18 inches off the ground, higher than the nesting boxes and at least 8 inches away from them so they don't poop in the box while standing on them. I like the idea of adding the nesting boxes, but make sure they are lower than the roosting bars. I have also read that chickens have lasted a kabillion years without having warming in the winter. The key is to prevent drafts without completely enclosing the coop to the point of moisture building up... I am reading the Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens... that is helping me, although the chapters on disease and predators are quite frightening. Hope this helps...

Margie

 

[DCchicken]

Rainekitty,

Skip heating the chickens in the winter. Not only is it dangerous and a fire hazard, but you will prevent your chickens from naturally adapting to the environment. My grandparents raised thousands of leghorns in the mountains of Wyoming with no electricity on the property. So skip it. Just make sure there is some ventilation and the litter remains dry. The bigger problem is the heat in the summer. And just wait until one of your chickens turns broody. Then everything will be turned upside down.

It is hard to judge the amount of chickens that fit in a coop as chickens come in lots of different sizes. But a good gauge is whether or not the chickens can turn around without bothering the other chickens. If they can't then the coop is too small. Roost height is also subjective. I have some coops that my Orpingtons cannot get up to the roosts. So I build (or modify) coops to fit the breed.

 

[SaltyPaws]

Hey all, I have some extra ducklings (rouen/mallard) that I'm looking to trade for some muscovy or sell outright. PM me for info as r we're not supposed to sell on here. I'm in Calvert County but may be willing to meet.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Coop questions for my fellow Marylanders:

My new small flock came complete with a homemade, sturdy, but small coop. It's approximately 3.5' x 4' x 3.5'(h) with a tin roof and it's set up on stilts approx 3' high. It has a roosting bar, three internal nest boxes (which take up a good portion of the floor space) and several homemade 'windows' secured with wire shelving so they're predator-proof and pieces of plexiglass that fit into the window openings in winter. I like that it's very secure, but I'm concerned that it's a little small for my 4 chickens, plus it's not very tall, so I feel like they're squished when they're on the roost. The chickens have a large run (6x10') and free range part of each day. They're locked in the coop at night.

My questions are:

Is the coop too small? There's not a lot of floor space but I'm thinking that if I can build a set of external but attached nesting boxes I can reclaim the floor space taken up by the current boxes.

Is the coop too short? The roost bar is about 18 inches off the floor, leaving another 18 inches for the chickens on the roost. They clear the roof, but barely. Would it be beneficial to "raise the roof", so to speak?

Should an external heat source be used in winter? The previous owner used a heat lamp in the coop, and all the chickens had their tail feathers burned off as a result. I don't want my chickens to suffer in the cold, but I don't want to roast them, either. Raising the roof would give me additional room to use the heat lamp safely. There are three small windows on the front side of the coop and one on the back, with plexiglass inserts to use in winter, but I'm not sure how much the plexiglass does to keep the cold out. The roost is also close to the front wall, the one with all the windows, so I worry a bit about drafts.

**edited for glaring typos

No need for heat. The coop is small enough that they will keep each other warm. How is the ventilation? This is much more important than heat. I have permanent ventilation along the roof eaves which I never cover, and my chickens are fine. As someone else said, by providing heat you are preventing them to adapt to the colder weather, and what will happen when you loose power in a snow storm? This sudden cooling off is much worse than having them without heat all winter.

1 nest box for 3 hens is plenty, so you can also just take out 2 nestboxes to reclaim floorspace.

 

[wermnmnmnm]

The new Chicken caboodle.. In front is the large Easter Egger, Eleanor, next to her is one of the Dominiques, #4, at the top is my Black Australorp, Edna, and next to her is the other Dominique, we think, Bobbie. All are super healthy and arrived from Ohio to MD in less than 24 hours. We are in love with them already!

 

[Rainekitty]

The new Chicken caboodle.. In front is the large Easter Egger, Eleanor, next to her is one of the Dominiques, #4, at the top is my Black Australorp, Edna, and next to her is the other Dominique, we think, Bobbie. All are super healthy and arrived from Ohio to MD in less than 24 hours. We are in love with them already!

Wermnmnmnm, how are your chicks doing?

 

[devonfeus]

Coop Question:

I have purchased the big 3 gallon water and feed holders for outside in the run. Do I also need to put food/water inside the coop for them at night? I am moving the chicks outside this weekend to their new home and want to make sure they have food/water if that is needed for the evening times....

Thanks!

 

[MsKris]

Hi! I'm in Wicomico County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Currently , I have 5 RIR (layers), I purchased from a lady who wanted to thin her flock. No roo, however my Ladies had recently been with her rooster and she said they would remain fertile for about 20+ days. It took them about a week to start laying in their new home, and by week two they were laying machines!!! I saved these eggs, 8 in first batch , 18 in second. On Mother's Day, 6 of 8 hatched successfully and are loving life, I pulled 7 clears out of the second batch and the remaining are starting to hatch as I type this. This is my first time raising chickens, I've wanted to do this my whole life! Having so much fun!!!
Take Care!

 

[cmhudson33]

Three silkies hatched yesterday/today! We all got to watch and video it last night and they are too too cute for words! We named them (in order of appearance below) Trixie, Chummy and Jenny. Three cheers for those who know where the names came from.