La Petite Maison Jaune
In the Brooder
Hello everyone!
I’m brand new to chickens but will getting two adult hens (golden sex link and an easter egger) from a farmer friend soon! I’ve been thinking about raising chickens since moving from an urban apartment to my home in Charleston three years ago. I used my free time during this spring Stay At Home to do a lot of research on BYC (thank you!), get consent from neighbors, and start building.
My coop is 3.5x4’ with two nest boxes and the run is 4x10’. It’s been quite a learning experience as I haven’t built anything before. I’ve got a few more days of assembling hardware cloth panels on the back and top, creating a pulley system on the pop door, adding a perch, and finishing food and water dishes.
Future improvements I’m planning include: curtains for the nesting box, exterior shutters with traditional Charleston shutterdogs, moving some of my garden herbs into planters for the chickens, building a gutter and barrel to collect and reuse rainwater, and making a barley fodder ladder.
I’m planning to feed Layer 16% crumbles with oyster shell for supplementation, which is what they're used to from the farm. I would love suggestions about also using spent grain (from a brewery), barley sprouts, and sourdough starter.
The beagle, who turns 13 next month, is in charge of inspections and squirrel patrol.
Thanks and I look forward to learning from and sharing with everyone!
JB
I’m brand new to chickens but will getting two adult hens (golden sex link and an easter egger) from a farmer friend soon! I’ve been thinking about raising chickens since moving from an urban apartment to my home in Charleston three years ago. I used my free time during this spring Stay At Home to do a lot of research on BYC (thank you!), get consent from neighbors, and start building.
My coop is 3.5x4’ with two nest boxes and the run is 4x10’. It’s been quite a learning experience as I haven’t built anything before. I’ve got a few more days of assembling hardware cloth panels on the back and top, creating a pulley system on the pop door, adding a perch, and finishing food and water dishes.
Future improvements I’m planning include: curtains for the nesting box, exterior shutters with traditional Charleston shutterdogs, moving some of my garden herbs into planters for the chickens, building a gutter and barrel to collect and reuse rainwater, and making a barley fodder ladder.
I’m planning to feed Layer 16% crumbles with oyster shell for supplementation, which is what they're used to from the farm. I would love suggestions about also using spent grain (from a brewery), barley sprouts, and sourdough starter.
The beagle, who turns 13 next month, is in charge of inspections and squirrel patrol.
Thanks and I look forward to learning from and sharing with everyone!
JB