- Feb 13, 2011
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I own:
three dogs
one Cockatiel
a horse
I will soon own:
two RIR hens
Being in a family that consumes a large amount of diary, it seems to me that it would be beneficial to have chickens. We've decided we want just two to start out with (may expand later on, but for now, just two). I'm considering getting them from animal control, as there seems to be an excess of adult chickens in animal controls near me. I haven't called yet, so I don't know if they have any RIRs, but if they don't, I may just get myself two chicks from the Murray McMurray hatchery.
In any case, I have two sheds and a dog run for the chickens. The metal shed will not be for the chickens; it will be off-limits. However, the other shed, which is slightly older but much taller, may be converted into a semi-chicken coop. We'll still use it for storage, but we'll organize it so that the chickens aren't endangered and can safely nest in the shelves higher up on the walls. We'll provide nest boxes. I'm probably going to install a doggie door in the shed for them so they can come and go at will and have as little draft as possible, especially considering how cool it is right now. In the summer we'll probably just prop the door open for air flow.
I was considering using the dog pen as a chicken coop by using plywood and attaching the boards to the side of the run and creating a coop that way, but as compared to using the shed, this seems like a lot of work.
Any advice?
Thanks!
three dogs
one Cockatiel
a horse
I will soon own:
two RIR hens
Being in a family that consumes a large amount of diary, it seems to me that it would be beneficial to have chickens. We've decided we want just two to start out with (may expand later on, but for now, just two). I'm considering getting them from animal control, as there seems to be an excess of adult chickens in animal controls near me. I haven't called yet, so I don't know if they have any RIRs, but if they don't, I may just get myself two chicks from the Murray McMurray hatchery.
In any case, I have two sheds and a dog run for the chickens. The metal shed will not be for the chickens; it will be off-limits. However, the other shed, which is slightly older but much taller, may be converted into a semi-chicken coop. We'll still use it for storage, but we'll organize it so that the chickens aren't endangered and can safely nest in the shelves higher up on the walls. We'll provide nest boxes. I'm probably going to install a doggie door in the shed for them so they can come and go at will and have as little draft as possible, especially considering how cool it is right now. In the summer we'll probably just prop the door open for air flow.
I was considering using the dog pen as a chicken coop by using plywood and attaching the boards to the side of the run and creating a coop that way, but as compared to using the shed, this seems like a lot of work.
Any advice?
Thanks!