New member from Tennessee

[Tnredraven]

Hi everyone,
I have been reading back yard chickens for about 2 years now and we finally have a place where i can have chickens. I am building a small coop for 4 to 5 hens to get started and later my hubster will build one that can hold 25 to 30. I just don't want to wait for my chickens any longer! lol. I plan on getting Rhode Island Reds, that was the breed my father had when i was a girl on the farm and the eggs were huge and tasty. I do have a question and any info would be wonderful! I can still get chicks up until Oct. 8th, that would put them ready for the coop mid to late November. If i put a heat lamp in the coop will they be o.k and not be too cold? I live in Evensville TN and the winters here can be topsy turvey, one year warm one year cold. One thing that is constant is we do get high winds from time to time at any time of year.
I love this site and look forward to being a member here and chat about chickens!

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, Tnredraven, and

! Great to have you aboard!! Yes, your Oct. 8 chickens will be coop-ready by that November date - perhaps even without heat if your coop is sound and draft-free. You said this initial coop will be small. Chickens generate a lot of body heat that should keep the whole lot pretty cozy. I wish you well on your chicken adventure!!! What breeds are you getting?

 

[Tnredraven]

I am fond of Rhode Island Reds, sentimental reasons i guess as we had them when i was little. My coop will be 4x6 with a 16x6 run, both coop and run will be mobile. I can't free range due to hawks in our area. We live in the country on 5 1/2 acres and i love having the hawks to keep the mice and such in check, but i don't want them snacking on my babies! So i will have a mobile run so they can have access to new ground and bugs. I plan on having vents at the top of the coop, but wasn't going to cover them. Maybe i should make a door or shutter to close them off at times?

 

[redsoxs]

Ventilation is necessary and good but too much, particularly when it is cold and if it generates a draft can make for a cold coop. Can't go wrong with RIRs! I always have a pretty eclectic flock and my favorite breed changes every so often. Ordered a pair of Naked Necks this year and love their personality. Also have a soft spot for Speckled Sussex - such a pretty bird. And I've always loved Red Stars. And..and...and...

I am shying away from the Mediterranean breeds - too loud and twitchy for me.

 

[CuzChickens]

Welcome to Backyard chickens!! I personally have never raised RIR's I jumped right into slightly less common breeds. I also LOVE the Speckled Sussex, I currently have 4 hens and a rooster of the Speckled Sussex breed. I am also a huge fan of Wyandottes, I currently have Silver laced, and Golden laced, can wait to get Blue laced, they are always out of stock though...I hope you enjoy Backyard Chickens as much as I have.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - you have some great advice already so I'll just say hello and wish you all the best with your impending flock!

All the best
CT

 

[Ravynscroft]

I wouldn't worry about a heat lamp, they should be fine by then... our bad cold snaps usually don't even happen til Jan/Feb anyways... lots of humidity here so the ventilation is most important...

I had young ones all last winter... never heated and didn't lose any to the cold...

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[QueenMisha]

Welcome to BYC! It's great to have you.

Personally I would not recommend RIRs. Not today's RIRs, anyways. What everyone sells as RIRs today are really Production Reds, and they are mean as snakes. Trust me when I say they have absolutely nothing in common (appearance or personality) with RIRs like you'd have seen back in the day. I've got both at home and just about everyone who sees the real ones asks me "What are those?" because they look so different from the common PRs. Working with lots of chicks being raised for sale I see their aggression played out frequently... my boss will get 300, maybe 400 chicks, raise em up to maturity. Most batches, we might have 10 or 20 of them a little bit picked on, because whenever you have that many birds together you're gonna see a few get picked on. But batches with Production Reds in them? Easily 200-300 birds who are terribly picked on and half naked! Are this is usually the work of only 20-30 Production Reds.

If you wanna get RIRs... go to a breeder and get REAL RIRs. If you want a red production bird, go with a New Hampshire or Red Sex Link. Today's supposed "RIRs" just aren't the same thing.