New Member from Louisiana

[newtoBYC]

So here's my story......HI! My name is Alisha, I am new to BYC, and also new to raising chickens! My husband and I thought we would enjoy raising backyard chickens. We have four children, three girls ages 12,9,&7 and one boy age 3! I bought the chickens from a local feed store in March 2012, it was an impulsive decision. My husband (Adam) and I talked about getting them for about a year at that point, and it was spring so I knew if we where going to do it, now was the time! We surprised the kids when they got back from vacation. They where thrilled to see four baby chicks, 3 Ameraucna's and 1 Rhode Island Red! Getting them was the easy part! Then, we realized we had no idea what we got our selves into! I used BYC to look up everything from, coops, feeding,and watering.. etc. At first we kept them in a rabbit cage inside for the first month, then moved them outside by the second month they where really cooped up so, we would let them out daily to roam freely....the more we let them out the braver they became. The further we would find them away from the house our main concern is they would get lost not to mention they destroyed my garden, and they where pooping all over our neighbors driveway and he wasnt to happy about that! But it was just hard to get them back in the cage at night but a great workout .By May our chicks where getting pretty big and noticed one of the Ameraucana's was extremly aggressive and definitly was the boss to the other chicks well turned out to be a Rooster as you can see from my profile picture. So, in June we finaly built them a coop we designed thinking it would be perfect. We wrapped it with chicken wire and put chicken wire for the floor so the scat can fall in the grass so it would be less maintence for us. Which thats driving me nuts its not drying up like i thought it would. We don't let them out anymore, the cage is 8x4 so they have plenty of space. But Im concerned that we should let them out that there not getting enough excercise? Its just so hard to get them back inand they literly run like there trying to escape! Not to Mention there not laying yet! I put hay in there boxes but the next day its out becasue of the wire it falls right through. Im concerned that the hens are stressed from the rooster, who picks on them!!! I dont know what to do at this point, get rid of the rooster? Am i just being Impatient? Is the coop not good enough for them!! PLEASE HELP!!!!!
THanks,
NewtoBYC

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

If you got your chickens in March they must be going on 5 months now? Most chickens start laying aged 18-24 weeks. Some breeds take longer than others to get into production. Are you feeding them layer pellets/mash yet? They should be giving you some eggs soon. Unless the rooster bullies them I don't think he's the cause. If you plan on letting them hatch their eggs in future keep him around. Roosters can be useful round the coop, apart from fertile eggs they also protect hens (and chicks if you have any) and look out for predators.

 

[fried green eggs]

Hi &

. If I understood correctly your 4'x8' coop/run is actually a bit small. The recommended size is 4 sq. ft in the coop and 10 sq. ft. in the run - per bird. So your setup would be better for just 3. Your hens do not need a rooster to produce and will actually produce better without the stress. If the rooster is already aggressive towards hens - it will get worse as they get older. Roosters can get really aggressive towards people, especially small children.
I have a covered kitty litter box as a nesting box and 10 out of my 14 use it over the nice ones I built. Can your coop/pen be moved like a tractor coop? As for free range and getting them back in - I have trained mine using cracked corn to return to the coop/pen. I put the corn in a coffee can and shake it and then give it to them in the pen only for a few days. Then I will start letting them out in the evening only for a few days and call them back with corn to their pen. The reward is in the pen only. Mine start running to me any time they see me carry anything. lol Good Luck.

 

[newtoBYC]

I got the layout idea from the Dutch Hen house which is 36x84 we decided to make it bigger then that...48 inches by 96 inches. Coop is built off the ground. We are not great builders so we thought this design would be best. Ill post pictures! We planned on eventualy adding a bottom addition so they have two stories but we wouldnt be able to clean it out as well...so we decided to leave it as it is. They'd be walking in there scat! They go sooo much! I built them cubbies that are about 12inx12in or so so they will lay in there! The rooster is not aggresive towards us or the children we hold him all the time and have since he was a baby. I just find he peeks at them alot and chases them around. It does seem they dont like it when he does do that. I guess I should let them out more often to roam. We just had a bad experince they got in our neighbors yard and they where so lost and freaking out we all where freaking out! Yes the coop can be moved I dont see why not! I will keep my eye on the rooster to make sure he isnt stressing them out! Thanks for all your ideas!

 

[Kevin565]

 

[newtoBYC]

Also I did just start them on layer pellets! My main concern with the rooster was him putting the hens in distress and could be possible keeping them from laying!

 

[redsoxs]

Howdy from Kansas and

! Glad you joined us.

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

I agree, that sounds like pretty close confinement for 4 birds full time. In addition, chicken wire is not the best flooring comfort wise for the birds. Have you considered making them a run they could go into during the day?

 

[newtoBYC]

Yes, that was the plan to open up a door in the floor with a bridge they can walk down to the bottom level, which is grass, but its full of poop. So my fear is , Is if we close in the bottom and put an opening with a little ladder for them, we would not be able to clean it out properly!! I guess unless we fill it with sand or something. But it would have to be cleaned every day and we both have full time jobs! So that wont happen!! Im thinking maybe chickens just arent are thing. Any suggestions please? I feel maybe if we let them out more it would help. BUT we do not have a fenced in yard!

 

[Red Barn Farms]