New Guy looking for some info....

[Rick68]

Hi everyone...I'm new to this, but am very excited. I posted on the new member page yesterday, but I could really use some help answering a question...So here goes...

1. Does the coop need to be "white washed" inside?
2. Will there be any issues with having the coop near a mercury light? Would it affect the roosting habits?

I'm starting out with an egg laying hen and a rooster.I plan on letting the rooster have free run of the land. Will he roost at night with the mercury light shinning in the coop?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks Rick

 

[gryeyes]

The coop doesn't need to be whitewashed inside. However, you may find it easier to clean flung poop (it happens) off the walls if there is a paint barrier over the wood.

I don't think - but I'm not an expert on this - the mercury light will have any adverse effect on roosting behavior.

MY rooster comes in at night, too. Matter of fact, he's not the last one in. I have a Coop Monitor pullet who makes sure everybody goes in at dusk. She'll come out a couple of times just to ensure all the stragglers have made it inside.

But why ONE hen???? That rooster will overmate her, poor thing. She needs some ladies to help keep the rooster happy.

You looking for chicks? You don't need a rooster to get eggs.... Get a couple of hens, if you just want eggs.

 

[Rick68]

Thanks for the input. Pretty funny, I planned on just starting with chicks (all hens), but my wonderful wife has a friend who offered to GIVE us an egg laying hen...With one catch...We must also take the rooster )...no big deal just a change of plans. I do plan on keeping the rooster seperate from the hen, at first...Who knows were this will all go.

Thanks for now.

 

[teach1rusl]

If you insulate, you will need to cover that. But if not, then no, you don't need to paint or anything. That's for US more than for them...lol. I would suggest a vinyl scrap being tacked onto the floor though...makes clean-up so much easier. Are you sure the hen is laying? Not insinuating anything against your wife's friend...but many folks give hens away when they're past prime egg laying age. I guess just keep that in mind as a possiblity if she doesn't lay well. Your rooster may or may not overmate the hen. If he's an older rooster, he may not be all that "energetic." If he's young, I'd keep my eye on your hen for wear on her back or wings....cause overmating is a big possibility.

 

[maplesky7]

If I keep a light on over night I can hear my roos crowing aaalll night long. Just so you know.

and you should look into getting a chicken saddle it protects a hens back from the roo... you can do a search here and find someone who makes them in the buy/sell/trade area.

 

[Rick68]

Good morning said Roger the rooster )...Thanks for all the inputs!

Well, spent Friday night into Saturday morning up again on Saturday early working on coop , got Chickens late afternoon Saturday, worked on run Sunday...sit down Sunday evening and looked at our work....Wew...

Everything is going great, the kids LOVE our new friends...No egg yet, well see if we got a laying hen or not ????

Both Roger (the rooster) and Tilly (the hen) are Very friendly, and seem to be adjusting well to their new home, my Lil' Flower (wife) is happy....and we all know when Momma's happy the family happy ;o)...

As far as the Mercury light causing any problems with roosting....everything seems to be fine.

I do try and need to keep Tilly and Roger separate...He seems to have quite an eye for Tilly ;o)...
Right now I can control there exposure to each other by use of the 2 chicken doors out of the coop, but only one at a time can be in the run; I do plan on giving them their own run soon...

Anyway thanks for being here, I'm sure I'll have more questions / comments along the way.

Pretty funny though...I over heard my 4yr old daughter talking with my 6 yr old son...She was asking when they thought Mom and dad were going to get a pony..!!!....So..... Who knows....? The wife flat out asked me when we think we could make ANOTHER coop for the meat chickens.

I plan on posting photos once I figure out how.

Thanks again the New Guy, Rick

p.s. we still plan on getting chicks...may be from the Easter Bunny....?