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karkauai said:
Is there anyone here who lives in the Easton, MD area? It'd be nice to have someone I can call my local mentor.
Thanks,
Kent
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Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow

Chickens do need a lot of personal space, they can turn cannibalistic if they feel cramped. You might want to stop by our Learning Center for all kinds of good reads on all the aspects of keeping chickens...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/learning-center.11/

And here is you state thread so you might chat with your neighbors.... https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/maryland-thread.63745/

Best wishes and welcome to our community!
 
Hello and welcome to the people flock, best chicken place to be (other than out in the yard with the birds).
We also have a small prefab tractor setup. It is advertised to house 5 adult hens but there is no way on God's green earth that could happen with only 27 square feet and a layer large enough for four - according to the manufacturer. It really only accommodates two hens comfortably in my opinion. So we enlarged the run and we now have 135 square feet for just two hens. They have more than sufficient space to get away from each other although they hang together since it's just the two. It helps to add perches, stools, etc. things of interest beyond just foraging the ground while they're stuck in the run. Our girls free range the yard multiple times a day and I'm out with them for the duration due to predation risks.
Is free ranging an option for you? This would allow them access to new grass and bugs they only get when you move the tractor.
I've learned unless one has acreage, the spacing is never enough - at least not for me.
Good luck with your flock - sounds like a nice mixture of birds.
 
karkauai said:
Hi everyone,
I'm joining as a first-time back yard chicken guy. All I know is what I've read, no experience to fall back on. I'm hoping to find answers to many of the questions I have that are probably simple, but seem elusive so far. I'll be asking them on the forum.
I got a variety of pullets (raising for eggs) about 6 weeks ago. Two black coppers, two Rhode island reds, a buff orpington, and an olive egger. I guess they're about 6 months old now, growing and active, but not laying yet. They'll eat out of my hand now, but run if I try to pick them up. The only way I've been able to catch them was twice when the coop door was closed and they roasted in the run.
I built a tractor using a SnapLock Coop, pic attached. I move it twice a week. Feeding them Kalmbach crumbles 18% protein, and table scraps (not eaten unless carrots or broccoli stems are cooked), and dried meal worms a couple of days a week.
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Welcome. You are doing an excellent job of feeding them.
 

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