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JuliBiGoolees

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Greetings! I plan to start my first backyard flock this spring. I've been stalking chicken groups/pages like this for about 2 years :lol:. I ordered a chicken coop from Wayfair (which I'm sure is too good to be true and will probably get scammed out of $69.99 but I'm willing to roll the dice for $70. It was 80% off). I still have time to find another coop if needed.
Where I live, with just under an acre, we can't have a rooster, no free range and max 12 chickens. I plan to start with 6. A nice variety of friendly, colorful egg layers. Any favorites you recommend?
I'm hoping to get the chicks to be comfortable with us holding them so I have cuddly, friendly hens.
I wish I could rent a set up for chicks since it's quite the cost for 4-6 weeks. Any ideas on borrowing/renting chick brooder set up rather than purchase all the items?
Thanks in advance! And thanks for all the info I've been reading for the past 2 years.
 
JuliBiGoolees said:
Greetings! I plan to start my first backyard flock this spring. I've been stalking chicken groups/pages like this for about 2 years :lol:. I ordered a chicken coop from Wayfair (which I'm sure is too good to be true and will probably get scammed out of $69.99 but I'm willing to roll the dice for $70. It was 80% off). I still have time to find another coop if needed.
Where I live, with just under an acre, we can't have a rooster, no free range and max 12 chickens. I plan to start with 6. A nice variety of friendly, colorful egg layers. Any favorites you recommend?
I'm hoping to get the chicks to be comfortable with us holding them so I have cuddly, friendly hens.
I wish I could rent a set up for chicks since it's quite the cost for 4-6 weeks. Any ideas on borrowing/renting chick brooder set up rather than purchase all the items?
Thanks in advance! And thanks for all the info I've been reading for the past 2 years.
Click to expand...
Good morning, and welcome to BYC. You should definitely look at plans to build a coop. The prefab coops you see will not hold as many chickens as they claim. They do not have good ventilation and are generally built from fir wood. They leak and they rot quickly. They certainly do not protect from predators. You can often find used sheds and kennels on craigslist that can be modified to make great coops.
 
Hi! Welcome to BYC! And congratulations on your new journey!

You really shouldn't need to rent or borrow a brooder for only 6 chicks. You could use what you have around the house. A lot of people use those plastic totes as long as you account for growing chicks and proper ventilation. I recommend looking at the mama heating pad method instead of a heat lamp. Here's a good thread to read about that: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

Also, you mentioned buying a cheap coop off Wayfair. Just a heads up that a lot of those prefab coops lie about the number of chickens they will hold. Those cute Tractor Supply ones? Typically only hold 2-3 chickens comfortably.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.

You're not going to have to wait for that coop to arrive to know that it's not going to be good enough for even 6 chickens. Start looking for a used shed to convert into a chicken coop. That's always going to be your biggest bang for your buck.
I would not only focus on selecting breeds that are friendly but also breeds that will thrive in your particular climate.
I think that the little coop that you got from Wayfair would be a good chick brooder. Just get an electric brooder plate to use as their heat source and close the door so they cannot go out into the run until their wing feathers have developed enough for them to flutter up the ramp.
 
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:welcome Welcome aboard the BYC! Glad to have you join us. Where abouts are you located in? We do have sub-forums for individual states and locations where you can post your questions..perhaps a neighbor might be able to help you out. I've had numerous success purchasing coops on Facebook Marketplace, as well as Craigslist.
 
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:welcome Nice to have you here!
Agree with the other posters.
When I first started with chickens I bought a (very cute looking) utterly useless prefab. I had 5 chicks and it was flimsy, poorly designed for real chicken use and only suitable for maybe 3 regular sized chickens at most. If you want bantams it may hold 4-6…..
I ended up using it as sleeping/laying quarters after some modifications (the roofing bar didn’t leave enough space for the birds and had to be changed). However I also built a walk in enclosure with a people sized door and hardware cloth all around as well as a corrugated plastic roof. I placed the prefab inside on some concrete blocks and it worked for them until I converted a big garden shed into a coop (cut in windows and high up some vents, put up roosting bars and some nest boxes) and attached the run after I cut out a pop door for the chickens to get in and out of the coop/run. I lived in Wisconsin at the time and moved them before winter. The prefab became the infirmary/quarantine area.
Long story short…… get something bigger and better constructed. Look on marketplace, Craigslist etc. Check out the coop section for ideas on building or converting something into coop/ enclosure. Even play sets, playhouses, pallets etc can be repurposed.
 
Hiya, and welcome to BYC! :frow

What state/country are you in?

If it's not sub-zero temps there, as mentioned above, you could set that up as your brooder until they're about 6-8 weeks old, after which there will probably be overcrowding issues.

I'd check FB Marketplace, as you might find something there that's ready to go or maybe just needs a little fixing up.

Here's our Coop forum if building one is an option.

As for the type of chickens to get, here's an article that lists many breeds and their attributes. It's not all-inclusive, but it would be a good place to start. Here's one more that IS inclusive if you know what breed(s) and want to read up more on it.

We have lots of Forums (tab up top), so if you have any questions, you can ask here or find the forum your question fits best in and post away.

We're glad you're here!
 

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