new to the "chickie thing"

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Chris Zahm

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So we just picked up 6 hens and a rooster last week from a friend who had recently moved and couldn't keep her chickens. My husband and grandson just put together a 'house and run kit' from Tractor Supply, but since we aren't comfortable leaving them outside with not much run space and that we live in Vermont, we decided to put the 'kit' into our 8x12 shed that we had. This way they are protected from the inclement weather and other hassards. They haven't laid yet and there is one smaller chicken that looks like it might be being persecuted from the other bigger hens/rooster. I haven't noticed any injuries and am trying to feed this one separately. Don't know if I should put an extra cage into the shed for this one. Also trying to decide what foods are bests for them (we have dry pellets already) and which they like to eat=best for them. They seem to like the dried peas, oatmeal, raisins, oranges, grapes etc ..)
Any ideas would be helpful. Oh, also there is a light/heater bulb set from 6am til dawn and 5 pm till 8 pm, for a total of 14 hrs of light per day.
 
Why not just convert the 8x12 shed into their permanent coop? Most prefab coops grossly overestimate the capacity. The average chicken needs at least 4 sq ft of coop space per bird and at least 10 sq ft of run space per bird. Overcrowding stress can increase aggressive behavior, sometimes to the point where dominant birds start to cannibalize the lower ranking birds. It's very normal for hens to stop laying after a major change in environment. Combined with the fact that the days are shortening, you probably won't see eggs till spring is on the way. Egg production is directly tied to daylight exposure, too little and the hormones for production don't get triggered. As for feeding them, layer feed is for actively laying birds only. The high calcium content is not good for birds that aren't going to use it. Starter, grower, and flock raiser feeds are safe for all ages and stages. They don't really need heat, but they do need a lot more ventilation than most prefab coops and sheds provide.
 
Hello Chris. Welcome to BYC! There is tons of info here and very good people to help you on your journey as a new chicken owners. :)

If you want to get the most out of BYC, I suggest you do the following:
  • For general education, spend some time browsing the Articles link above and possibly the Learning Center. You will find excellent information for both newbies and long-time chicken owners there.
  • When you have specific questions, most of the time a quick search will come up with the answers.
  • If you don't find anything useful that way, post your question in an appropriate sub-forum. People here are very helpful and will answer your question even if it has been asked 100 times before.
Enjoy your time here.
 
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To Backyard Chickens!

Chicken feed and free choice calcium is best.

Some roosters are prone to too much calcium in layer feed while others seem to do fine. Research this to make your decision on it. The option is to continue with the layer pellets or go with a flock raiser type of feed. The down side of this is that the Hens will not get all that they need to lay eggs at the highest level
 
ronott1 said:
View attachment 1181945
To Backyard Chickens!

Chicken feed and free choice calcium is best.

Some roosters are prone to too much calcium in layer feed while others seem to do fine. Research this to make your decision on it. The option is to continue with the layer pellets or go with a flock raiser type of feed. The down side of this is that the Hens will not get all that they need to lay eggs at the highest level
Click to expand...
I've never used layer feed, always have oyster shell available, and have 3 year old hens that still lay daily in the spring/summer. Layer feed is not needed for highest level of production.
 

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