- Apr 21, 2010
- 7
- 0
- 7
I already want to change my username because I see there are already a lot of chicken whisperers here. The handle is a little pretentious anyway but Oh Well.
I haven't had chickens for about 20 years now and now I live in a place where I would like to start a little flock of hens. I want just four hens for eggs. I am a carpenter and will be building a little coop soon. Before I had "Sex Linked" hens. I liked the big brown eggs and the quiet temperament of those birds. Is there another breed that has similar qualities? I will probably buy day old pullets. I can't wait. For the first few weeks I will have to protect them from rats. I plan to build the coop sealed with wire on the floor to prevent entry from rats. There are not a lot of rats but I know they are there and it worries me. I do use a poison bait that I know the rats like. There is a giant pecan tree nearby that keeps the rats fed year round.
I will make my coop like the purina model with a few modifications. I make a feeder box with a hopper inside that opens to the inside. This keeps the birds out of the food and I can add food as needed from the outside weeks in advance. I also like to keep the water up on a platform with a perch. This keeps the water clean so a 3 gallon waterer will last over a week between changes. The run will be open to the sky with a wire lid about 4' x 6'. The whole floor will have about a foot of straw.
I am glad I found this very active forum. I look forward to coming back here and talking chicken.
Mike Callahan
Sacramento CA
I haven't had chickens for about 20 years now and now I live in a place where I would like to start a little flock of hens. I want just four hens for eggs. I am a carpenter and will be building a little coop soon. Before I had "Sex Linked" hens. I liked the big brown eggs and the quiet temperament of those birds. Is there another breed that has similar qualities? I will probably buy day old pullets. I can't wait. For the first few weeks I will have to protect them from rats. I plan to build the coop sealed with wire on the floor to prevent entry from rats. There are not a lot of rats but I know they are there and it worries me. I do use a poison bait that I know the rats like. There is a giant pecan tree nearby that keeps the rats fed year round.
I will make my coop like the purina model with a few modifications. I make a feeder box with a hopper inside that opens to the inside. This keeps the birds out of the food and I can add food as needed from the outside weeks in advance. I also like to keep the water up on a platform with a perch. This keeps the water clean so a 3 gallon waterer will last over a week between changes. The run will be open to the sky with a wire lid about 4' x 6'. The whole floor will have about a foot of straw.
I am glad I found this very active forum. I look forward to coming back here and talking chicken.
Mike Callahan
Sacramento CA
