new and (hopefully) will need a coop

[rachelm10]

I have a chick from my son's kindergarten class...(I posted in the sick, emergency forum about this)...anyway, he had a splayed leg and the teacher was going to put him in the freezer b/c he looked like he was dying. I took him home and hobbled his legs and fed him. He got better within days, but now his leg is messed up again. It actually turns backwards. I don't know what to do. We were excited about having a chick (want to get more) and I was wondering what kind of coop to get for only a few (3 at most) chickens. I have heard about an eglu, or something like that. Has anyone had experiences with it? Hopefully this little guy will be ok, so I can plan for him!
Rachel

 

[masschix]

Rachelm10:

I'm pretty new to the chicken thing as well....sorry I can't help you out on the sickling. However, I can tell you after my hours of research on this website you are probably looking to create a chicken tractor. You might want to look at the coop designs on this website....many possibilities. Good Luck!

 

[Anny]

the elgu is a very cute coop. Although very pricey for the size coop you're getting. Making your own simple coop isn't to hard and will be alot cheaper. You can even paint it a fun color like the eglus. Building the coop could be a run project for you and your child.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Try the band-aid thing with its' leg...I used this website & within a few days, my chick was like brand-new!
http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html

As for the Eglu, they are about $500 a piece for a chunk of plastic with a teeny run. For $500 you'd be able to build a decent sized coop with a decent sized run. Our 8 x 8 coop with two large runs was about $800 (not including time & labor).

 

[tiffanyh]

What kind of chick is it, hopefully not a cornishX. They can have leg probs.
Can you post a pic?

 

[tomdeggeater]

Figure 1.5 sq.ft. per chicken floor space, figure using 4ft x 8 ft panels-ply, osb, whatever is least expensive.
Build a box with those parameters. A slanted shed roof would be economical.
Then, you want a couple of nesting boxes for them to lay the eggs in. 50% of total resident hens.
The roof could be hinged so you can get in easily to clean, feed and water them.
I'll draw up a plan on mspaint.
E-mail me with how many chickens, space you have to put it in, etc. and I'll send yau a plan, free of charge.
It's good practice for me.
Tom

 

[Cetawin]

The teacher was going to put a live chick in the freezer? egads!

Look at the small coop designs on the links at the top of the page. Great ideas for small coops. Good luck with the little one.