Hi everyone! This is my first post here. I've been lurking here for the last year or so, studying and learning. This is a great site and had been very informative.
I've been working on our coop since last year. A little at a time, hands are always full since we have two little ones running around and work schedules, etc. I'm sure many can relate. It's almost done and I should be able to get some chickens in there in a couple weeks. I have a source for some 20 week old pullets which I was going to start with. We were going to start with 4 birds until we got the routine down, the coop can support 8-10 birds. Now our biggest question is should we wait until spring instead of starting from scratch in October. I saw another post that stated that adding young chickens to your flock in October would be fine, but how about starting from scratch?
The coop is made from old pallets, it's got 3/4 in plywood for the exterior walls with siding on top of that. It is also insulated with R11 insulation. The roof is also insulated and has asphalt shingles. I will be running electric out there for a light source as well as a water heater to prevent their water from freezing. I don't plan to artificially heat it because if I lose power I don't want them to go into shock with the cold. I plan on doing the deep litter method which should help keep things warmer. I live in northern IL so winters can be rough although the Farmers Almanac said that this winter would be mild and dry again. But who knows, it said last year was going to be brutal and we had the mildest winter I can ever remember.
So after that long drawn out story, the question is can I start a coop from scratch with 20 week old pullets in October?
I've been working on our coop since last year. A little at a time, hands are always full since we have two little ones running around and work schedules, etc. I'm sure many can relate. It's almost done and I should be able to get some chickens in there in a couple weeks. I have a source for some 20 week old pullets which I was going to start with. We were going to start with 4 birds until we got the routine down, the coop can support 8-10 birds. Now our biggest question is should we wait until spring instead of starting from scratch in October. I saw another post that stated that adding young chickens to your flock in October would be fine, but how about starting from scratch?
The coop is made from old pallets, it's got 3/4 in plywood for the exterior walls with siding on top of that. It is also insulated with R11 insulation. The roof is also insulated and has asphalt shingles. I will be running electric out there for a light source as well as a water heater to prevent their water from freezing. I don't plan to artificially heat it because if I lose power I don't want them to go into shock with the cold. I plan on doing the deep litter method which should help keep things warmer. I live in northern IL so winters can be rough although the Farmers Almanac said that this winter would be mild and dry again. But who knows, it said last year was going to be brutal and we had the mildest winter I can ever remember.
So after that long drawn out story, the question is can I start a coop from scratch with 20 week old pullets in October?
