Mod - Please Delete!

[nicolets]

Please delete thread

 

[nicolets]

Oh, almost forgot - few questions while I'm here (some I'm wondering myself, others I'm sure I'll need to answer for my mom)
When do RIR, Red Star, and Australorp Hens start laying? A range would be nice.
How long do chicks need to be indoors under a brooder lamp (at what age can they move to the coop)? I'd get them early August, if that changes anything.
What are some things to keep in mind when selling/using eggs from your yard (when they go bad, if you can keep them out at all like you do with fertile eggs, etc)?
And last, is grit necessary or is that only for chickens locked in a coop always (so they can't find their own rocks outside)?

 

[WI FarmChick]

I'm Back, BYC!
(I joined a year or two ago and then deserted... no, I didn't lose interest, I simply gave it a break, being that my parents were sick of always hearing about chickens.)

Now, to business.
So I'm back to the world of chickens with a well planned shopping list that contains everything needed for the first two months of having chicks (well, maybe more, but if more, then I'm set for later... 'cause I guess August chicks won't need a water heater right away), including the 9 chicks themselves. UNDER $150 (someone please tell me if this is average, overboard, or stunning - but just to note, when I earlier tried to do this while ignoring prices, it went over $1,000, so I'm rather satisfied...). Eh... minus the coop (the $1,000+ was from when I thoughtlessly decided to buy a wooden coop online....... yikes!). That's the point of this post.

So......you have a coop? You just need to know where to put it?

Location...
Well, it's always 'location, location, location', isn't it? I have no idea where this thing is going.

Option 1
First I thought the old garden, since it has some wires, leading me to think that may be helpful if I ever needed electricity in the coop, but... wires + chickens, I dunno. Plus, my dad's on and off for farming (unfortunately that is planting-wise, and not livestock-wise), and I don't think that would get me anywhere in receiving permission.





Option 2
Then, I thought of our old 'treehouse' as a base structure (nobody's particularly handy around here). Now that I have a little brother, it is sort of used again, but...



Option 3
A coop I saw someone was currently building made me wonder if treehouse + swingset would get us anywhere. But now that I think of it - that swingset there is very unstable (notice the rocks we use in attempt to hold it down when someone swings).



Option 4
...The deck (the underneath part was what I had in mind... it currently puts a roof over everything that a shed would, if we had one. I assure you this is the messiest part of the yard.)?





Option 5
The sideyard (building anew).



So that's the location choices. I'll add here that the treehouse & deck are also possibly good for using as part of a run (provided the under-deck's rocks are cleared).

The COOP... + Run
So I was on board for using a pre-made structure and playing it by ear the whole way with scrap wood (I cannot spend a dime over $50, sadly... and preferably, much, much less.)... but then I realized, building novices don't get lucky enough to find that much scrap wood, AND build something with it that looks anywhere close to slightly good... not to mention, have it actually suit their needs. But of course, that is not out of the running.
But I know what I want. It's gotta have an egg hatch (the doors that are right above the nesting boxes), very preferably a removable floor for easy cleanup, and of course it's gotta fit 9 chickens - unless smaller coops can be attached somehow. I know these may not all fit that criteria, but here are some I was thinking about.

Coop 1 (I like this second-most, but pallets are supposed to be extremely hard to work with...)
Coop 2 (personally, I like this the best, but that seems impossible right now)
Coop 3
Coop 4

And of course other suggestions are welcome. I don't THINK I need plans to build a run... 6 ft posts + wire fencing 1+ foot deep in the ground, with more of the fencing overtop, plus... somehow make a door in it... eh, maybe I do.

So that's it - tell me what combo's would work best (a first choice to last choice list would be nice in addition to a location vote if you've got the time)! Building advice would be awesome, even if I won't be building this for many many months, it's the first thing to be done once chickening is secured.

 

[nicolets]

Actually, I've decided (I unfortunately don't know how to delete a thread).

 

[WI FarmChick]

So what have you decided?

 

[nicolets]

Two Coop 1's in the nook by the house in the sideyard.

 

[WI FarmChick]

Cool....are you building one from scratch or did you buy one?

 

[WI FarmChick]

Oops.... I took a look at the plans for your coop #1

That looks nice!

You are going to put 2 together? is that what you mean?

 

[WI FarmChick]

Here is a play house someone made using just pallets and found free wood and stuff.

But with instructions on how to make it step by step. you could modify it or it might be the right size already.

Check it out.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Pallet-Playhouse/

 

[nicolets]

Yes, and I've seen that before - thanks though!