New! Getting ideas & answers!

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thenewguy94

thenewguy94

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Hey there! I recently purchased a house with some land and have been wanting chickens for a while. Now that I have a good space to keep them I thought noes the time.

I'm looking to keep a small flock of hens for egg production. My idea of small is 4-6. So my main questions come from this number. Best breed? How big of a coop and run? Best feed?

I'm an electrician by trade and a woodworker in my spare time so building a coop should be of no trouble. If you have answers to these questions or suggestions let me know! I'll keep you guys updated on my progress as time goes by!
 
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.... What part of the world you in ?? makes a difference on coop and run construction..... I live in N. Central Washington and in my profile is "My Coop" ... Click on it and see what I built.. A few things need changing... No biggee..
About chickens.... I went to a local chicken raiser... http://justfowlingaround.weebly.com/ .... Took their suggestions as to what I was looking for... Had them raise the birds to 3-4 months old... Easy way to start...

Dave
 
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Glad you joined us!

Here are some answers to your questions:

Best breed: There really is no "best" breed; it depends on your individual preferences. However, if egg production is your main goal, I'd get some really productive breeds. Some excellent choices include Leghorns, Red or Black Sex-links, Australorps, Rhode Island Reds, and Plymouth Rocks. You could also try dual-purpose breed, such as the Wyandotte, Orpington, and Easter Egger. There are hundreds of chicken breeds to choose from.

Size of coop: The general rule of thumb is that a large fowl chicken needs at least 3 square feet of coop space and at least 5 square feet of outdoor run space. In most cases, more is better. The only exception is if you live in a really cold area, since a spacious coop is hard to heat or keep warm enough simply by the hens' body heat.

Best Feed: It varies depending on the age of your birds. The brand of feed doesn't really matter, but the type of feed does. Chicks that are 0-6 weeks of age should eat a 20-22% protein chick starter feed. Birds 6-18 weeks of age should eat grower feed or continue eating starter feed. And birds that are laying or are over 18 weeks of age should be fed a commercial layer feed.
 
Thanks for the response! I really like the look of silkies and have heard good things about them. Coop wise I've been thinking of a 4'x6' coop (width x length) with a 6'x10' run.
 
Silkies don't lay many eggs, I don't think so...
 
Looks like you are WET and not too hot and not too cold.... 4.5" rain a month is a lot... 25-85 deg. is pretty good...
I would think about building the coop and run on high ground... or add fill to elevate the run and coop... water is not good...
Build a strong coop and run the FIRST build.... retrofitting after a 'coon or fox or coyote has ripped it apart and killed all your chickens is a PITA... There are suggestions and materials lists all over the forum.. Find what you like, start a thread for folks to follow your build, and suggestions will follow...
 
Here is our rainfall..... 6" so far this year with around 14" normal for the year

...Click on pic to enlarge......



...
 
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Hello there and welcome to our flock!
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Lots of great breeds out there. BantamLover has left you with some great info. Stop by our learning center for all kinds of good articles on getting started, building the coop, picking out breeds, raising the chicks and keeping your flock happy, healthy and safe from predators....https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

Make yourself at home here and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Welcome to our flock!
 

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