New member.

[007Sean]

Howdy, and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!

 

[Hayes Ranch]

A neighbor brought more chickens.

 

[Debbie292d]

A neighbor brought more chickens.

Wow, they're gorgeous! It appears to me to be almost all hens too although I'm bad at guessing other breeds.

 

[Hayes Ranch]

I thought they were all hens, but one black one is a roo.

 

[swampfox440]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Hayes Ranch]

I grew up on a farm with chickens but I have never used an incubator. Last night I got my hands on an older gqf 1502 and a brooder. I have read and watched videos on the subject, I think everything will be ready to start this Friday. There are lots of unused barn space to make a home for these birds. I have never built anything for chickens, I would appreciate advice on what is the best wire to keep predators out? How much outside room do they need? This time of year I am gone before daylight and home after dark through the week.

 

[Debbie292d]

I grew up on a farm with chickens but I have never used an incubator. Last night I got my hands on an older gqf 1502 and a brooder. I have read and watched videos on the subject, I think everything will be ready to start this Friday. There are lots of unused barn space to make a home for these birds. I have never built anything for chickens, I would appreciate advice on what is the best wire to keep predators out? How much outside room do they need? This time of year I am gone before daylight and home after dark through the week.

1/2 inch hardware cloth is the wire the vast majority of us use. That will keep most everything up to a bear out if fastened properly and buried or bent at the bottom and run out 18" to 24" to protect from digging. We went outward for under the coop, then covered it with pavers and 1' of large rocks. It helps to have farmers leave piles of rocks near the road for the taking.

Chicken wire is good for putting around your garden or bushes you don't want the chickens to get into but is worthless to keep varments out.

For size of run, 10 sq feet per bird is recommended. Coop is avg 4 sq feet per bird. Most of us will tell you to go bigger.

 

[Sammster]

Welcome! Nice to meet you

 

[triciayoung]

I grew up on a farm with chickens but I have never used an incubator. Last night I got my hands on an older gqf 1502 and a brooder. I have read and watched videos on the subject, I think everything will be ready to start this Friday. There are lots of unused barn space to make a home for these birds. I have never built anything for chickens, I would appreciate advice on what is the best wire to keep predators out? How much outside room do they need? This time of year I am gone before daylight and home after dark through the week.

Definitely 1/2 inch hardware cloth. Since you are gone the entire time they are awake, I would do 1/2 inch hardware cloth walls, ceiling and make an apron, it is when you attach the hardware cloth at the bottom and then run it out on the ground 18-24 inches and then cover with dirt or rocks. This keeps digging predators out.

 

[Hayes Ranch]

1/2 inch hardware cloth is the wire the vast majority of us use. That will keep most everything up to a bear out if fastened properly and buried or bent at the bottom and run out 18" to 24" to protect from digging. We went outward for under the coop, then covered it with pavers and 1' of large rocks. It helps to have farmers leave piles of rocks near the road for the taking.

Chicken wire is good for putting around your garden or bushes you don't want the chickens to get into but is worthless to keep varments out.

For size of run, 10 sq feet per bird is recommended. Coop is avg 4 sq feet per bird. Most of us will tell you to go bigger

1/2 inch hardware cloth is the wire the vast majority of us use. That will keep most everything up to a bear out if fastened properly and buried or bent at the bottom and run out 18" to 24" to protect from digging. We went outward for under the coop, then covered it with pavers and 1' of large rocks. It helps to have farmers leave piles of rocks near the road for the taking.

Chicken wire is good for putting around your garden or bushes you don't want the chickens to get into but is worthless to keep varments out.

For size of run, 10 sq feet per bird is recommended. Coop is avg 4 sq feet per bird. Most of us will tell you to go bigger.

Is 1/2" recommended to keep larger snakes out also? It seems like an overkill otherwise.