Newbie here: General Questions

[winniegirl]

Greetings! First, I love this site and have been lurking a couple of months now. You all are such an incredible resource, and I'm so grateful to have found this site--THANK YOU!!

In two weeks we'll be getting a couple of hens. I was looking around for a coop, asked someone at church where she got hers, and then she offered me the coop along with the two chickens inside! Well, my DH couldn't say no to that since all he has to build now is a run. My original plan was to get a pair of buff orps, but these chickens need to be rehomed. They were loved, but literally cooped up all the time and they are now two yrs old. Just let out "once in a while" to play with their kids and now the kids are tired of them. You know how that could happen. Anyway, we'll be loving them and my 6 yr old has already made them beds out of shoeboxes--I explained to her we'll save those for the babies

Couple of issues: The bantam "something" has very long curly claws. My plan is to wrap her in a towel and hold her while my husband clips. Does the quick go to the end like in dogs? Should we clip them all the way or a little at a time, so as not to touch the quick? Is there any issue of infection if I do cut the quick--since she'll be scratching in poo?

Vaccines Have never been to a vet. They appeared healthy when I saw them, just molting. What basic vaccines do they need right off? Should I deworm them as a precaution? Anything else they should be checked for right away?

Coop placement: we have a tree right in the middle where we want the coop to be--DH will chop it down. It will be in the middle of the run--should we leave a stump for roosting? How high? I hate to chop it down but it's about 15 feet high and I can't figure out how to keep it and still safely cover the run. We have hawks and skunks, never saw a racoon or fox, only as roadkill

That's all for now I'll try not to be too much of a pest, but I keep thinking of more questions.
Thank you so much for your help! I'll gladly take any
free advice.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

1. Clipping nails-yes, they do have the quick in their nails. I would clip a little at a time, at least on the first one or two, until you find it. If the nails are that long the quick could be out there too. You may need to do little but frequent trimmings to get the quick to shrink back down.

2. I don't vaccinate mine for anything.

3. What are you planning to cover the run with? I have a tin roof and I with that you could use the tree to ancor the roof around the tree and just leave a hole for the tree. Maybe you could do something like that with whatever you are planning to use. The tree would provide some nice shade, even with a tin roof.

 

[illinichick]

I agree, dont cut down the tree. My run is not shaded so my hens do not leave the coop until the shade from the building is on their side (afternoon and evening). Use your imagination and find a way to save the tree.

 

[winniegirl]

The tree was planted very close to our house and I've always opposed cutting it down

We don't know how deep
the roots go and my DH is always worried about that. The coop would still get shade from the house/porch, maybe even too much shade? Oh, and the tree goes over our roof! DH has to use a ladder to prune it, so maybe 25 ft.

Keep the tree? Save just a stump?

Here's the corner for the coop, the coop, and my kids with
our future chickens:

 

[debilorrah]

We are enlarging our coop in a few weeks and there is a tree right in the middle - we are leaving it. Good shade for the chickens and weeds grow around it so they will have munchies too.

 

[LynneP]

Welcome!
What kind of tree is it?
If safe for the run, it would be great to 'collar' it and include it in your plans.
I hope you plan to use hardware cloth for your run, because so-called 'chicken wire' will keep your girls in but make them vulnerable to raccoons, possums and various other creatures that will reach for chickens. Since you;re starting from 'scratch' (excuse the pun), it's worth the investment.

Have fun!

 

[Chicabee19]

looking at your pictures....

wondering if there is anywhere else on the property you could put the coop and run? That's really close to the house and the intake for your heat pump. I'd be worried about feathers and 'what-not' being drawn in.

Nice coop btw...

 

[winniegirl]

Chicabee,

Umm, thats our A/C unit and I never thought of that!
I was planning the run to end about 2 ft away from it.

Now what?

What do you think?? Would that cause a big problem being
that close??
always something, huh

 

[Akane]

I don't think it would cause a big problem. Mine sucks up more junk than that. But it will have a little impact on the use and lifespan of your ac unit. I'm debating how you would block off the tree and keep it. It's got branches too low to wrap a roof around unless you could cut it some. Maybe an arc of mesh wire from the trunk out along the bottom of the main branches so your roof just has a little dip in it around the tree.... You'd still have to trim the bottom up some. I'd see if you could make something work before cutting it down.