New to forum & chickens. Free range or coop?

[wdglide]

Hi. My wife and I just moved from Fla to E. Tennessee. We are in an old restored farmhouse with a large 100 yr old barn. The barn is filled with old, but dry and non-moldy hay.

We are thinking about getting a 4-5 egg-laying chickens. We are brand, spanking, new to the chicken world. In fact we are new to the farm world in general. We are both NY > FLA > Tenn transplants.

I have an option of letting them free range around the barn (with 3 lamancha goats) or building a coop near the house. I was hoping to keep costs low. I have existing out-building I can use. I also have yrs of carpentry experience. I am in a rural area and predators may be an issue, i.e., raccoons, possums and mabye coyotes (though I have never heard one around here).

My question is: Free range or coop? Which is better for a total newbie - in my situation?

Thanks in advance.
Phil

 

[The Tinman]

Free range during the day and coop at night. The hay I would be careful with. It may be dry and mold free but there could be all kinds of stuff living in it.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I agree with the simplest approach. but be aware that some predators hunt during the day as well as at night. Raccoons in particular will come out in daylight, especially when there are young ones to feed.

The hay might be reused as mulch for your new vegetable garden?

 

[gaduke]

From Ky!

 

[wdglide]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I just climbed to the top of the hay loft. There are loads of coon poop up there. I mean LOADS!

Now I am worried that the hay (100's of bales) is riddled with coon nests.

If coons are a serious threat, then maybe a coop is the answer.

 

[conroy]

from LI NY We do a combo... they free range during the day and they are in the coop at night. They have an area around their coop that is fenced in but as they got older we let them venture into the backyard. So somedays they get to go in the yard and days when we aren't gonna be home alot we leave them in their fenced area around their coop.

 

[Southernbelle]

I prefer the coop. I keep my chickens penned up because I have too many idiot neighbors who let their dogs roam. Sounds like you have a serious coon infestation and you'd need to keep your chickens in a highly predator proof pen to keep them safe from the coons.

If you put the word out that you want to get chickens, you may be surprised at what people give you. I mentioned it to a friend of mine and she asked if I wanted the 10x10x6' dog run that the previous owners of the house left under their porch! I set it up outside an outbuilding and instant chicken coop.

 

[1_FnkyFrm]

from East Tennessee! Glad to see joined us. Your going to need a coop here in E.T.

 

[chicknduck]

 

[caralynnp]

hello from ky! set up traps for those raccoons! make yourself a Daniel Boone hat

if you are only going to have four you could lose all of them real quick. It happened to me.