New in Indiana

[CJCharles]

Hi, my daughter and I started with 4 chicks in May of this year. They are now 10-11 weeks old and look like mini chickens. We are in Crawfordsville, IN. This has been quite the adventure, from finding the cost on a pre-made coop eek to fears about one of the chicks sex, to discovering how much they poop (!). We have them for pets essentially and hope for eggs in the fall. We are learning a lot!

 

[cavemanrich]

I also only keep chickens as pets, for over 20 years. I do eat the eggs. No roosters allowed in my area, although some peeps do keep some. I don't need roosters, and do not want the noise they create. One complaint by someone, and sheriff could arrive and instruct me to remove/get rid of, or get rid of all. Or have a talk with the Judge.
Post some pictures of your coop setup. Is it predator proof to the best of your ability?
What is your predator lineup??? Is it somewhat similar to what I deal with?. Raccoons being the most concern. Hawks as the aerial predator.
Do you have owls?? I do not, since in metropolitan area.
I know you will enjoy the chickens as pets, as much as I do. Mine also live long lives. (untill they cross to the Rainbow Bridge )

Ask anything else you may not be sure of. We as BYC community are here to help with answers.
BTW, I have been thru your town a number of times. Used to pick up steel coils from Nucor.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[Callender Girl]

"Adventure" is the right word! There is SO much to learn at the beginning. But, aside from the poop, most of it is a lot of fun!

You've already learned that good pre-fab coops are astronomically expensive; I bought the one in my avatar, used, off Craigslist and insisted I would never spend that much on another coop.

Then, I "accidentally" ended up with eight more chicks this year, and with the cost of lumber tripled over last year, I spent more on the new coop -- even with free labor and repurposed roofing from the old barn.

Your chicks are growing up to be lovely hens, and I'm sure they will reward you with wonderful eggs in the fall.

Welcome to BYC, where a lot of experienced and nice folks will be happy to help you along the way!

 

[CJCharles]

I also only keep chickens as pets, for over 20 years. I do eat the eggs. No roosters allowed in my area, although some peeps do keep some. I don't need roosters, and do not want the noise they create. One complaint by someone, and sheriff could arrive and instruct me to remove/get rid of, or get rid of all. Or have a talk with the Judge.
Post some pictures of your coop setup. Is it predator proof to the best of your ability?
What is your predator lineup??? Is it somewhat similar to what I deal with?. Raccoons being the most concern. Hawks as the aerial predator.
Do you have owls?? I do not, since in metropolitan area.
I know you will enjoy the chickens as pets, as much as I do. Mine also live long lives. (untill they cross to the Rainbow Bridge )

Ask anything else you may not be sure of. We as BYC community are here to help with answers.
BTW, I have been thru your town a number of times. Used to pick up steel coils from Nucor.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

Thank you for the warm welcome. Our chicken ownership is a joint venture and is on my daughter's property. It is not predator proof and in our discussions, I have been gently overruled. Their house is in a subdivision. She has a tall privacy fence and even though most predators (foxes, raccoons, weasels) can come right over, she doesn't think they will. She has 2 dogs also. The one predator that has spooked her is a hawk, but the chickens run for cover the minute anything flies over too low. and that has made her think they will be ok. They free range in the yard most days. I don't yet have a photo of the coop, but will put one up when I do. Roosters are a no no since it would definitely bother close neighbors. And we don't need any more chickens than we have. ing
Nucor has been a good employer for a lot of folks here. Thank you for your greetings.

 

[Callender Girl]

I hope you can convince your daughter that the chickens are not safe. I mean, they are -- until the day they aren't.

I had owned this property for years and had never seen a mink until the night I had to chase off one. But, by that time, it had killed three of four chickens in a coop. I forgot to close the coop door ONE night. Scooping up the mangled remains of my dead birds -- mink kill, they don't eat their prey -- was horrific, and my guilt was overwhelming. I hope your common sense wins out over her reluctance.

 

[CJCharles]

I hope you can convince your daughter that the chickens are not safe. I mean, they are -- until the day they aren't.

I had owned this property for years and had never seen a mink until the night I had to chase off one. But, by that time, it had killed three of four chickens in a coop. I forgot to close the coop door ONE night. Scooping up the mangled remains of my dead birds -- mink kill, they don't eat their prey -- was horrific, and my guilt was overwhelming. I hope your common sense wins out over her reluctance.

 

[CJCharles]

Thanks. I know, I have read horror stories, but the coop is movable from place to place in the yard, so no wire below ground level. Otherwise, they do get locked up every evening so I believe it would be safe at night.