New but looking to learn

Date sort Score sort
mdzw

mdzw

In the Brooder
Jan 28, 2015
20
2
31
Beach Lake, PA
Hi, I am new to the whole backyard chicken idea. I've been toying with the idea for the last 2-3 years. My sister decided she wanted to try it too. We live an hour apart but are learning together. We ordered 6 chicks from Myers Hatchery. 2 Easter eggers each & 1 Dominique each. We get them in early April. Looking now into getting a small coop & brooding equipment. We are both reading & learning alot. Sometimes we find conflicting information. I am not a builder. What is a good coop to buy for 6 chickens. I am getting 3 for now & when they stop laying they will be pets & get 3 more to lay.I need a coop that will be good in the winter as I live in Northeast PA. Also I am worrying about making it critter proof. All advice is welcome.Thanks
 
Well really and truly you can use a dog pen and put a topping on it so they can stay dry and still have plenty of fresh air. You can also easily move the pen to many different areas if needed. I used this this Technique and it worked great.
 
Welcome to BYC- have you visited the Learning center? That is a great first start, then I would recommend the coops forum and Predator threads.
 
welcome-byc.gif
 
mdzw said:
Hi, I am new to the whole backyard chicken idea. I've been toying with the idea for the last 2-3 years. My sister decided she wanted to try it too. We live an hour apart but are learning together. We ordered 6 chicks from Myers Hatchery. 2 Easter eggers each & 1 Dominique each. We get them in early April. Looking now into getting a small coop & brooding equipment. We are both reading & learning alot. Sometimes we find conflicting information. I am not a builder. What is a good coop to buy for 6 chickens. I am getting 3 for now & when they stop laying they will be pets & get 3 more to lay.I need a coop that will be good in the winter as I live in Northeast PA. Also I am worrying about making it critter proof. All advice is welcome.Thanks
Click to expand...

Welcome to BYC! If you plan to increase flock size, build a coop with enough floor space for the number of birds you intend to end up with. You need a minimum of 4 square feet per bird inside the coop. You also need roosting space for each (they should not and do not sleep in nesting boxes unless broody or sick). You will also need at least one nest box per 4 hens. EE's are nice birds but do not go broody and do not breed true at all. To hatch, you will either need fertilized eggs or a rooster. Remember, the size of your coop pre-determines the number of birds you can keep. Birds should also have an enclosed out door run(10 sq. ft. per bird) safe from predators and to use in winter. Happy chicken keeping!
smile.png
welcome-byc.gif


ETA: unless temps are in the negative, birds should not need additional heat. EE's are a good choice for cold hardiness (i know nothing about dominiques) What is important is good ventilation,w/o drafts and low moisture in the coop ie. droppings, rain and birds' breath too! My chickens do very well here in MI w/o heat or insulation. I have EE's, BO's, Amberlinks and RIR's.
smile.png
 
Last edited:
GOLDENSEABRIGHT said:
As for winter, I used a large tarp to cover the sides. I would put a bedding in two corners so they can stay cozy.
Click to expand...



justplainbatty said:
Welcome to BYC! If you plan to increase flock size, build a coop with enough floor space for the number of birds you intend to end up with. You need a minimum of 4 square feet per bird inside the coop. You also need roosting space for each (they should not and do not sleep in nesting boxes unless broody or sick). You will also need at least one nest box per 4 hens. EE's are nice birds but do not go broody and do not breed true at all. To hatch, you will either need fertilized eggs or a rooster. Remember, the size of your coop pre-determines the number of birds you can keep. Birds should also have an enclosed out door run(10 sq. ft. per bird) safe from predators and to use in winter. Happy chicken keeping! :)   :welcome  

ETA: unless temps are in the negative, birds should not need additional heat. EE's are a good choice for cold hardiness (i know nothing about dominiques) What is important is good ventilation,w/o drafts and low moisture in the coop ie. droppings, rain and birds' breath too! My chickens do very well here in MI w/o heat or insulation. I have EE's, BO's, Amberlinks and RIR's.  :)
Click to expand...
thanks, I don't plan on getting a rooster unless I have a real problem with preditors. I understand they defend the flock,but they can be nasty. I figure when the first 3 stop laying, I will get 3 more chicks & hand raise them until they are big enough to enter the coop. If a hen is "broody" does it matter if she doesn't get to hatch chicks? I would like my hens to be happy & as friendly as possible. My sister is concerned about introducing hens in later because of upsetting the "pecking order". I have not read about this yet. There was a chicken I wanted that I guess was rare because I couldn't get it till July. It is supposed to be very friendly & affectionate. I would love my birds to be affectionate. Lol. I read the best way to do this is to handle them a lot as chicks. It was a blue Orpington, if I find one locally I May still get one.
 
Last edited:

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom