October chicks in Eagle Mountain

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Wow, thank you so much everyone! What a warm welcome. :)

N F C said:
:welcome

Congrats on the upcoming chicks...what breeds are you getting?
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DobieLover said:
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
Yes, what breeds did you pick?
Have you started building your coop? I strongly suggest you visit the Coop and Run Forum and read up on proper coop design and get chopping. Chicks grow incredibly fast. Additionally, if you finish the coop before they arrive, you can brood them directly in the coop with a brooder plate. It's a much better arrangement than brooding in the house which is a dirty, dusty proposition as well as the coop offering much more fresh air and space.
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So I wanted breeds that would do okay with Utah's hot summers and cold winters, were friendly, okay in confinement, and would give me colorful eggs (hoping to sell extras to neighbors since I live alone). My main motivation for getting chickens was actually to use their manure in my garden but I know they're also pretty fun backyard pets.

I ordered an Austra White, Blue-Laced Red Wyandotte, two Easter Egger assortments, and two Marans assortments. I'm very excited for all of them!

I ordered (and already received) the Formex Snap Lock coop. I got the automatic door, also. https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalo...Lock-Chicken-Coop-Up-to-8-chickens-p1269.aspx

I'm building a 10'x15' run. The coop will be inside the run, raised up a couple of feet so they can hang out under it if they want. The chickens will have to stay inside the run since I don't want them eating up my garden!

One big question I have is how to transition them safely outside once they're feathered out. That's at about six weeks? It will be mid-November then, and I would really rather not run an extension cord out to the coop if I don't have to. I do have a garage I can use as a "halfway house." Average temperatures here in November are 51/21.
 
elizzard_87 said:
Wow, thank you so much everyone! What a warm welcome. :)




So I wanted breeds that would do okay with Utah's hot summers and cold winters, were friendly, okay in confinement, and would give me colorful eggs (hoping to sell extras to neighbors since I live alone). My main motivation for getting chickens was actually to use their manure in my garden but I know they're also pretty fun backyard pets.

I ordered an Austra White, Blue-Laced Red Wyandotte, two Easter Egger assortments, and two Marans assortments. I'm very excited for all of them!

I ordered (and already received) the Formex Snap Lock coop. I got the automatic door, also. https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalo...Lock-Chicken-Coop-Up-to-8-chickens-p1269.aspx

I'm building a 10'x15' run. The coop will be inside the run, raised up a couple of feet so they can hang out under it if they want. The chickens will have to stay inside the run since I don't want them eating up my garden!

One big question I have is how to transition them safely outside once they're feathered out. That's at about six weeks? It will be mid-November then, and I would really rather not run an extension cord out to the coop if I don't have to. I do have a garage I can use as a "halfway house." Average temperatures here in November are 51/21.
Click to expand...
That coop is not large enough for 6 chickens.
Do you have a shed or something you could convert all or a portion of into a coop?
I would brood directly in the coop with a brooder plate. That is the best way to brood chicks when a broody hen is not an option IMO.
 
DobieLover said:
That coop is not large enough for 6 chickens.
Do you have a shed or something you could convert all or a portion of into a coop?
I would brood directly in the coop with a brooder plate. That is the best way to brood chicks when a broody hen is not an option IMO.
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It's definitely big enough for them to sleep and lay in. They will also have a 10x15' run.
 
elizzard_87 said:
It's definitely big enough for them to sleep and lay in. They will also have a 10x15' run.
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I'm afraid that I agree with @DobieLover
I've seen those coops. They may say, that they hold 8, but there isn't enough room. The roosts are not practical for that many either. They are too low and too closely spaced.
Check into used sheds on Craigslist and fb marketplace. You could also build a simple 3 sided structure on one end of your run.
Good luck!
 

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