Hello all! I'm a newly minted chicken flock manager. I can't say "owner" because like cats, chickens don't seem to have owners as much as they have staff.
I live a few miles outside of Crvitz, WI having moved to the area from just outside of Philadelphia last September. Once I committed to the move I adopted the mindset of a country/wooded life and began working on the goal of learning better self-reliance and less on tradional means of providing ourselves with food....and as it turns out, entertainment. I'm essentially a city kid (at 55 y.o.) and had no idea just how much fun watching and interacting with chickens can be.
I have constructed a coop and a run of 250 sq ft and a flock of 10, mixed breed. One rooster, nine hens. I have a lot of questions and will begin researching the answers I'll be needing. Primarily I'm seeking information on insulation and heating. Then I need to learn more of diseases (looking to be proactive rather than reactive) and of course, dealing with predators. I have read "Rasing Chickens For Dummies" and am now ready to move up to "Raising Chickens For The Not So Bright But Has Promise".
I clean the coop every 5 days, water/feed daily, and sit with them quite a bit. The are named for food. Stu, Patty, Nugget, etc., sort of a warning....give me eggs or give me dinner. Thus far only one is laying but since we bought young birds (easing into the egg thing) the bulk of production is to come.
Anyway, this site looks like just what I need to be successful and more importantly, give the birds a good quality of life.
I live a few miles outside of Crvitz, WI having moved to the area from just outside of Philadelphia last September. Once I committed to the move I adopted the mindset of a country/wooded life and began working on the goal of learning better self-reliance and less on tradional means of providing ourselves with food....and as it turns out, entertainment. I'm essentially a city kid (at 55 y.o.) and had no idea just how much fun watching and interacting with chickens can be.
I have constructed a coop and a run of 250 sq ft and a flock of 10, mixed breed. One rooster, nine hens. I have a lot of questions and will begin researching the answers I'll be needing. Primarily I'm seeking information on insulation and heating. Then I need to learn more of diseases (looking to be proactive rather than reactive) and of course, dealing with predators. I have read "Rasing Chickens For Dummies" and am now ready to move up to "Raising Chickens For The Not So Bright But Has Promise".
I clean the coop every 5 days, water/feed daily, and sit with them quite a bit. The are named for food. Stu, Patty, Nugget, etc., sort of a warning....give me eggs or give me dinner. Thus far only one is laying but since we bought young birds (easing into the egg thing) the bulk of production is to come.
Anyway, this site looks like just what I need to be successful and more importantly, give the birds a good quality of life.
