More Newbie Questions, with one from my DH as well,

[3KillerBs]

First, please correct me if I should have just added this to my previous thread. Different boards work different ways and I always want to be a good board citizen.

DH's question first. He really likes the idea of being able to feed, water, and get eggs from the outside of the pen. But he is worrying that hens will jump out of the nestbox and fly away when we open the lid. Will they do that? Will they try to get through an access hatch when its open?

Will chickens voluntarily go through a corridor a couple feet wide to get to a different run? If you think of the available area in my yard as the number pad on your keyboard with the metal garden shed in the middle at #5 the proposed coop and hardened, free-access run would be #2. #1 and #4 have to remain open for access to the lawnmower and garden tools. #3 is occupied by a sizeable shrub.

It might be possible for me to use the area of numbers 6, 9, 8, 7, and maybe even the page down key and divide it into 3-4 sections to grow mini-pastures that I could rotate. Would the chickens willingly walk a narrow corridor around the shed to get to 8, 7, and page down? Would they have to be herded?

How long would half a dozen hens take to turn about 100-120 square feet of vegetation into bare dirt anyway?

Obviously, putting the chicken coop at #5 would be best, but that metal shed is firmly anchored on a brick floor and is unlikely to go anywhere without more labor than DH is willing to spend on the project.

Finally, this property has some weedy, neglected areas where we've cleaned away dead trees and overgrown shrubs. If the vegetation includes ragweed, holly, live oak, honeysuckle, prickly pear cactus, pokeweed, lambs quarters, false dandelion, sassafras, and a heavy layer of pine straw is it a chicken buffet or a chicken last supper?

 

[3KillerBs]

Please?

 

[basicliving]

Hi - and

This thread has good info on plants poisonous to chickens https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=167630

I don't have nest boxes with outside access, so I can't really address that one, except to say that when my hens are setting, they are setting and nothing can make them move!

I honestly tried to figure out your layout, but I'm on a laptop that doesn't have the number pad

And I got a headache trying to read your note and visualize the pad in my mind! Chickens are funny little things though - some take a while just to get used to a new chicken door. I would guess that if they can see "freedom" through a little walk way, they would figure out how to use it!

Hopefully, someone will weigh in with better answers for you.

Take care,
Penny

 

[RasMama]

I also have a laptop without the number pad you talk of... but I would think that chickens are pretty curious little creatures & given enough time & no barrier, they will venture into any open areas of their run to explore.

As for turning the earth bare, I have 3 hens in a 12x12 run, took them next to no time to turn the earth bare but they seem OK with it that way too, I just throw in grass clippings, garden and kitchen scraps every day, which with their occasional free-ranging seems to give them enough green.

Our egg access actually lifts up the whole roof of the coop. I have one hen in particular that loves to come into the coop right when I'm collecting eggs. Sometimes she'll hop onto the ledge but usually she stays inside with no problems. If she does hop up, all it takes is shooing her back in to avoid an escape.

As for etiquette... I'm pretty new on here too, but it looks like new questions get a new post or it gets lost in the original & people don't know there is something new to respond to.

 

[Quack Shack]

Hens fly away when he lifts the lid to collect eggs? They won't go far if you trim their flight feathers. Basically giving them a haircut but not too close because you don't want to draw blood. That will not guarantee he doesn't get pecked so perhaps pick a time in the afternoon while they are all off the nest foraging to collect. Most of my flock are AM layers so my kids know to check after lunch. Hope that helps. A pic or diagram may get you some more help on the layout. Sorry but you lost me, too.

 

[3KillerBs]

And here I thought I was being clever in using a description that most people would have right in front of them. I forgot about the growing prevalence of laptops. LOL

I'll sketch out the proposed layout and put it into the coop section.

We don't have chickens yet. We are still trying to find out if chickens are legal. DH is just worried about chickens flying up out of the nestbox when we get eggs and having to be chased down.

I was hoping that a well-grown 100-120 square feet would take 6 chickens a few weeks to reduce to torn dirt so that I could get a 6-8 week pasture rotation going. 400-500 square feet is about all I can come up with for permanent fencing.

Thanks for the help.

I'm sure we'll have more questions as we continue into the project.

 

[Quack Shack]

Then you have the ergo designed keyboards and it just gets crazier. Consider entry for the eggs from the side if that's an issue for your DH. Beware of HOAs and do know your county/city guidelines. Several members have had to forfeit their flocks or be fined so research before you get a flock is a good idea. Maybe just feeling out your neighbors, too. I opted to 'grandfather' my flock before a developer could finish his phase behind my home; I also based my keeping a manageable flock for non-profit on the different types of animals within a 3 mi radius of my property. My city/county guidelines stipulate my birds must be confined (perimeter fence works) and no more than 50' from my neighbor's doors. I have also trimmed wings so that my neighbor doesn't walk out to his truck and find one of my roos sitting on the hood. Probably wouldn't go over well. As for digging up grass, since mine do free range most of my property, my only complaints have been the destruction of the landscaping around my roses and trees. They do have dust baths created next to my foundation where nary a weed will grow. If anything, the yard man complains they are making the grass grow faster with all the organic poop! Yet another perk besides eggs. Great that you are plotting the whole thing out before hand. I just got the bug, picked up the flock and kinda came home with a plan during the 2 hour ride back.

 

[Seven Trees]

One of my coops has an "egg thief" type of nest box. Here's a link to a picture of it from my blog - http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4992/2157/320/coop.jpg

We should have made it lower in the coop, since they liked to sleep in it until we rearranged perches. They never pop out the top, and it's really easy to gather eggs and clean out. I'm thinking of building one onto an older coop that some neighbors gave us.

As for getting your chickens to move through a narrow "hallway", just toss a little scratch to get them lured through. Once they figure out that an opening leads to good times, they'll never forget.

-Joanna

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. As for the nest boxes mine are on the outside of the coop. If you look at the coop pages you will see many coops that have nest boxes on the out side of the coops. Here are some pictures of mine. I have never had a bird try to get out when I open the doors.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks so much.

DH had visions of chasing chickens every morning.