New mama! ❤️

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Thank you for the advice! We are in the “desert” of Wyoming, just bordering the Windriver Mountains, it gets extremely cold during the winter (-37 last year), and almost never above 85 in the summer. I’m a little stressed about what will be best for them for the winter, I’m guessing heat lamp(s) and good insulation will be key? Please correct me if I’m wrong. We get a ton of snow so I assume no flat roofs; and the air here can be very dry. Any advice you or someone else might have would be greatly appreciated!

I don't know a lot about coops and stuff, but there are threads about ventilation. It's very important. I recommend checking it out.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

I'm guessing 14-16 weeks on the birds.

I think they are all pullets, but I would like a closer pic f the BRs saddle, please.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Hiya! Nice to meet you. What started out as doing a good thing just might turn into a passion. Bless you for taking the chickens.

You might just fall in love Best Wishes

 

[SeventyNeves77]

Looks to me like all three are pullets. And they’re beautiful! What’s your coop/run set up like?

Thank you for your reply! When can you tell if they’re hens or roosters? As of right now, our “coop and run” are a basic 15’x15’ kennel, and then a 6’x3’ wooden crate(?) we have a lenolium roof screwed onto it for now, inside it’s lined with pine chips and I have a roosting branch up off the floor, and also a couple of nesting boxes that are also line with pine shavings. Like I said, this was all very last minute, and we are in the works of making a legit coop and run before winter hits, which is basically in a month lol. Any tips or advice is welcomed! I also forgot to add that we have a bunch of chicken wire over the top of the kennel to protect them from the eagles and hawks that are plentiful here. We are awaiting the shipment of more chickenwire at our store this week; we made a cutout door with a secure latch for the “coop” itself, so every evening around dusk we put them to bed and lock it up so they can’t be easily accessed by ground predators. Thanks for all of your guys’ help! I deeply appreciate it all.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I looooove Wyo! I’m in Southern Ohio, so totally different weather, but I’d recommend checking out some of the coop designs on this forum. My coop is 10’ by 12,’ with windows all around, has a metal roof, and lots of ventilation holes around the roofline. Probably not what you need... If you’re not planning to get more chickens right away, you won’t need too much, but do plan on buying a flat panel heater. I would never recommend a heat lamp because of the potential for a fire. Here’s a link to the one I amplanningto buy for our coop: https://smile.amazon.com/Cozy-Produ...ref_=ox_sc_act_image_1_1_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Also, if you decide to insulate the walls or roof, you’ll want to make sure to install some type of wall to keep your girls from eating the insulation. Trust me, mine discovered that foam insulation around old windows is just delicious!

I use natural river sand in the coop and run. It’s cheap, easy to keep clean with a kitty litter scoop, and makes for year-round dust bathing. I’ve got three to four inches on the floor of the coop, about two inches on each of two poop boards under the four roosts andinthe nest boxes, and about ten to twelve inches in the run.

Because your weather is so extreme, I think you might want flat roosts for your girls so they can keep their feet covered at night. Our roosts are 1” by 2” boards, but you could just use a 2”x4” board with the 4” side up.

Other than that, everyone else here told me about “chicken math” when I was designing the coop and run. It’s a real thing. You may think you’re only going to have a few chickens, but you will end up with a lot more than you thought...

 

[ronott1]

Sorry for the late reply! Our internet has been slim to none lately, so I haven’t been able to get on here until now. I absolutely love and appreciate everyone’s responses! Including the welcoming ones . You’re all so kind. I just went out and took these photos of them.. the red is very skiddish and doesn’t like when I’m near, the buff is starting to get used to me, and the barred is definitely the friendliest. Thanks for your guys’ help!! I will check out the other sites some of you have lost d

They are very sweet! and all thee are pullets. Lots of eggs for you!

 

[SeventyNeves77]

Hiya! Nice to meet you. What started out as doing a good thing just might turn into a passion. Bless you for taking the chickens.

You might just fall in love Best Wishes

Hahaha! I think you’re onto something they’ve become my new obsession! I can’t learn enough about them and I love it all!

 

[SeventyNeves77]

They are very sweet! and all thee are pullets. Lots of eggs for you!

Ah thank you!! I appreciate your reply!! We are open arms to eggs

 

[SeventyNeves77]

I'm guessing 14-16 weeks on the birds.

I think they are all pullets, but I would like a closer pic f the BRs saddle, please.

Happy to hear your guesstimate! Thank you . Tomorrow, I will definitely try to get more pics of the BRs saddle from different angles.

 

[Flockandfowl46]

Welcome to BYC hope you enjoy your time here I know I have very knowledgeable people here!