- Mar 17, 2011
- 22
- 0
- 22
Hi, I am a new chicken owner as of this morning! Although I have been lurking and researching for some time, I still have a few questions.
! - I purchased seven Easter Egg chicks this morning that are 3 days old. I'd like to get 5 more from another shipment that is due to arrive at my local feed store in 2 - 3 weeks. I understand I will need to keep the new chicks in a separate brooder due to the age difference. However, a second feed store is due to get chicks the same day or one day later. I am hoping to have various colored chicks and was thinking I could shop at both feed stores. Since they will be about the same age (within a day) can I put all the new chicks (ones bought in a couple of weeks), even though they might be from two different batches/stores, in the same brooder?
2 - I will start building my coop asap but the size will be limited since I am using a slab already in place. The coop will hold 12 chickens. Problem - I have had my chicks for one day and I am already addicted, I've got the bug, I'm toast! So, when I want more than twelve, what do I do? I could build a second coop but I am not sure how that works. Two coops sharing one run? If so, will the chickens go back to their particular coop, will they try to crowd into one coop ... ? I'm trying to get answers before construction starts.
3 - I already have a poured concrete slab on my property and I was thinking it would be the perfect place for my coop. However, it is an odd slab. On each of the four sides, there is a poured 4" wide lip that is a few inches high. I figured I could just build 2" x 4" walls on top of the lips/edges. My concern is cleaning it out since the floor will be below grade, below door/entry level. Anyway, I was strongly considering using the deep litter method and am unsure how the poured edges might affect this. A pond form as a big litter box? There is also a one foot wide poured section on the outside of one edge. Just an area for potted plants or should that be incorporated into the coop construction? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you in advance for your help.
! - I purchased seven Easter Egg chicks this morning that are 3 days old. I'd like to get 5 more from another shipment that is due to arrive at my local feed store in 2 - 3 weeks. I understand I will need to keep the new chicks in a separate brooder due to the age difference. However, a second feed store is due to get chicks the same day or one day later. I am hoping to have various colored chicks and was thinking I could shop at both feed stores. Since they will be about the same age (within a day) can I put all the new chicks (ones bought in a couple of weeks), even though they might be from two different batches/stores, in the same brooder?
2 - I will start building my coop asap but the size will be limited since I am using a slab already in place. The coop will hold 12 chickens. Problem - I have had my chicks for one day and I am already addicted, I've got the bug, I'm toast! So, when I want more than twelve, what do I do? I could build a second coop but I am not sure how that works. Two coops sharing one run? If so, will the chickens go back to their particular coop, will they try to crowd into one coop ... ? I'm trying to get answers before construction starts.
3 - I already have a poured concrete slab on my property and I was thinking it would be the perfect place for my coop. However, it is an odd slab. On each of the four sides, there is a poured 4" wide lip that is a few inches high. I figured I could just build 2" x 4" walls on top of the lips/edges. My concern is cleaning it out since the floor will be below grade, below door/entry level. Anyway, I was strongly considering using the deep litter method and am unsure how the poured edges might affect this. A pond form as a big litter box? There is also a one foot wide poured section on the outside of one edge. Just an area for potted plants or should that be incorporated into the coop construction? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you in advance for your help.
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