New(ish) to Raising Chickens!

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drumstick diva said:
Thank you so much for your follow up, video and narration. Really enjoyed the walk thru.
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It's me that should be thanking you all! Without your help this would have at minimum been much more time consuming and difficult...not to mention possibly less successful. I have happy, healthy chicks...which is always a win.

I'm not sure the 'introduction' area was the place for it, lol!! But I've always been one for keeping things easy to follow, lol. If you all like, I'll follow up more when things change again. Starting with the new doors, then the remodeled run. If I should be doing this somewhere else...please feel free to direct me to that area and I'll put a continuation link here :).
 
Another quick update!

I decided not to cut open the walls of this shed yet...as I'm still considering moving the flock to the barn (the rabbits will be there also, so it makes sense to consolidate my 'backyard' livestock lol). What I DID do, was begin putting inner doors on the current coop. I got one done, but ran out of 2x4's for the second lol. Soooo...I mounted the first to make sure it was all going to work ok...and it seems to be exactly what I was looking to do. The trick was to make them fit as closely to the existing doors as possible, to limit the intrusion on the inside space. My goal will be to leave the outer doors open completely all spring and summer...once the chicks feather out. This will give them all the ventilation and 'outside' experience they can get while still being coop bound.

Anyhow, here's a short video of the work, and also the current state of the chicks!

 
More updates lol!

Hope y'all don't mind. I'm just continuing here for others who may like the idea of getting their chicks out of the brooder WAY ahead of time. I'm happy to say that all 26 chicks (well, 20 chicks and 6 mutants lol!) are doing amazingly well.

A couple things to note though. I have a LOT of available time to spend fiddling with temperatures etc. This is NOT a set it and forget it process when the temperature range can be as much as a 40°F swing from day to night to day. Sometimes they need both lamps, and at varying heights from the coop floor. Sometimes only one, at a varying height. I find that a higher lamp affects the overall temperature in the coop (broad focus of heat), while a lower lamp is more like a spotlight for intense heat in one area...with a greatly lessened effect on overall heat in the coop. I know, it sounds odd with the same overall energy input...but the coop is only thinly insulated (1" foam), and isn't sealed...so the energy drain varies dramatically from one end of the coop to the other. My point in mentioning this is that someone with a typical 9-5 job, or that otherwise can't monitor the temps through the beginning week or two to get it right...might come home to cooked or frozen chicks.

Anyhow, with that disclaimer...I'd very much recommend this if you have the time to spend adjusting things to the chick's needs!!

Anyhow, here's the video update! It was 50°F outside, 65°-70°F ambient in the coop at the back...and 80°F on the floor under the lights. PERFECT for 3-4wk old chicks!

 
Welcome Chris....as far as VA goes, we are 2.5 hour neighbors! LOL I had just ordered 10 Rhode Island Reds and went into Shelter in Place overdrive to build a coop inside a horse barn.....In 3 days, Im done...and the girls sit in a large Rubbermaid water trough in my office....they are not quite a week old....Ha! So you have time! There is a whole section here with photos of interiors of coops....Have fun with it!
 
Cie said:
Welcome Chris....as far as VA goes, we are 2.5 hour neighbors! LOL I had just ordered 10 Rhode Island Reds and went into Shelter in Place overdrive to build a coop inside a horse barn.....In 3 days, Im done...and the girls sit in a large Rubbermaid water trough in my office....they are not quite a week old....Ha! So you have time! There is a whole section here with photos of interiors of coops....Have fun with it!
Click to expand...

Somehow I missed this!!

Nice!!

The coop is good enough for now I think...going to need a nesting setup sooner than later. I'll probably build an exterior one to keep my floor space available for the girls.

I did finally let them out into the run a couple days ago, after I did some renovation to it (mostly spreading out what was left of the chicken wire 'bird' net):


Then, today. I spent a couple hours yesterday moving compost bins into the run. They LOVE them lol:


So...the chicks are happy, healthy...and things are moving right along lol.

Next project...is to build a wire cover for the run! Wish me luck lol.
 
Quick...and probably last update for this thread lol. I'm looking for the place where I'm supposed to just talk about my birds...but I haven't taken a lot of time to do it yet lol.

Anyhow...turns out, I'm 99% sure they're all female, lol. What are the chances? Straight run Hoover Hatchery...and I get 20 pullets lol.



Oh, and the 6 Cornish X? Yeah...7.5lbs to 8.5lbs at 6wks.

Insane.
 

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