OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[GrinningRedHead]

You're welcome. I see that you have a lot of large fowl in your list of possible breeds. You wont be able to put 10 large fowl in that coop. Maybe 3 or 4 would be my maximum for that one. If you go with silkies, you could probably have 5 or at most 6 in that coop. Just an opinion. What is your reason for chickens? Eggs? Or just to have a few chickens for fun? Silkies will give you eggs but you need 2 or 3 of their eggs to equal one large egg. And silkies lay every other day at most and stop laying often to sit and try to hatch eggs.

Well Josh,
I will have to do some homework and double the design for this coop, that's for sure! Hoping to have 6 healthy egg layers, plus four of the silkies (that's mostly for my husband he likes the ones in head to to feathers). So with the 6, I'm hoping to receive at least 12 large eggs a week and anything extra give away or sell.
At first, I just want to start with the pullets, and once I'm truly comfortable and have learned what I need to about these sweet birds, plus have the resources I might just encourage those silkies to lay hatching eggs!

Still have a lot to learn. Thank you for the input!

 

[JoshU]

Well Josh,

I will have to do some homework and double the design for this coop, that's for sure! Hoping to have 6 healthy egg layers, plus four of the silkies (that's mostly for my husband he likes the ones in head to to feathers).  So with the 6, I'm hoping to receive at least 12 large eggs a week and anything extra give away or sell.

At first, I just want to start with the pullets, and once I'm truly comfortable and have learned what I need to about these sweet birds, plus have the resources I might just encourage those silkies to lay hatching eggs!


Still have a lot to learn. Thank you for the input!

If you or your husband want to get addicted to silkies, check out the silkie thread. Everything you ever want to know. If your good with tools just take ideas from the coop page link at the top of the page. Simple and well ventilated coops are just fine. I would make your coop big enough for more than you start with. Or else you will just rebuild or add on in a year or two. Good luck.

 

[blessedchick]

Good advice, JoshU, especially on coop size...we all know how chicken math gets ahold of us! I quadrupled the size of my flock in less than 2 months after getting my first silkies...crazy addiction!

And a huge

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[OHfarmerswife]

my husband is a corn farmer. I was reading your post and his comment was "the radio trick has been tried in cornfields for years and all it did was give the racoons music to eat corn by". too funny

 

[OHfarmerswife]

First year with chickens 1st group of 26 are 16 weeks and second group of 13 are 13 weeks..
I have a question about nesting boxes.
We have two rows of nesting boxes, five in each row.
The first row is 19" off the ground and the second row is 31" off the ground.
Is this going to be ok?
I do have room to put 4 nesting boxes on the floor under the rows of nesting boxes.
The roost is on the oposite wall and is 36" off the ground but we have a ladder going up.
Thanks

 

[loanwizard]

Should be fine. I have about that many for 30 layers. I too have about 50 16 week olds. Waiting patiently....

 

[GrinningRedHead]

Where is everyone else from?
Tried to go through the thread from the beginning before I noticed most people in the first 15 pages are from everywhere else but South Western Ohio!

I am originally from Sidney, Ohio and am fairly familiar with the Eastern side of the state on down to Cincy and am familiar with some areas tween here and Columbus.

Hopefully, in a few weeks, my husband and I will be moving into a new home in Greater Cincinnati (from NKY) with potential for urban farming.
Even further hoping to have a coop up and ready for some pullets before the end of August.
Would you be able to help me with some questions?

Like where to find certain breeds here in Ohio (or surrounding states IN and KY). So I am curious if you would not mind given me some free advice regarding my wanting to start raising pullets in the late summer or would it be wise to just wait and order chicks to start in the early spring of next year.

Here are a list of breeds I am very interested in finding and am trying to avoid driving all the way to Meyer Hatchery.

• Australorps
• Barnevelders
• Buff Brahmas
• Dominiques
• Dorkings
• Orpingtons
• Red or Speckled Sussex
  

If you would mind helping me, would you direct me to another South Western Ohio poultry farmer?

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Courtney

 

[SowdersHomestead]

Mt Healthy Hatchery is right in Cincinnati. I know they had an outbreak earlier this year but I've never had a issue with them. Plus with every 50 you order you get 25 free males for the freezer. Our 25 freebies had 4 pullets in it.

Good luck

 

[chickenpooplady]

I live outside of Hillsboro Ohio. We started layers in December in the garage so that they were laying by spring. My layers and broilers are from Mt Healthy Hatchery and so far I am happy with them http://www.mthealthy.com.

 

[JoshU]

Where is everyone else from?
Tried to go through the thread from the beginning before I noticed most people in the first 15 pages are from everywhere else but South Western Ohio!

I am originally from Sidney, Ohio and am fairly familiar with the Eastern side of the state on down to Cincy and am familiar with some areas tween here and Columbus.

Hopefully, in a few weeks, my husband and I will be moving into a new home in Greater Cincinnati (from NKY) with potential for urban farming.
Even further hoping to have a coop up and ready for some pullets before the end of August.
Would you be able to help me with some questions?

Like where to find certain breeds here in Ohio (or surrounding states IN and KY). So I am curious if you would not mind given me some free advice regarding my wanting to start raising pullets in the late summer or would it be wise to just wait and order chicks to start in the early spring of next year.

Here are a list of breeds I am very interested in finding and am trying to avoid driving all the way to Meyer Hatchery.

• Australorps
• Barnevelders
• Buff Brahmas
• Dominiques
• Dorkings
• Orpingtons
• Red or Speckled Sussex
  

If you would mind helping me, would you direct me to another South Western Ohio poultry farmer?

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Courtney

Time of year really doesnt matter if you have somewhere to keep chicks temperature steady. As far as winter, if you get them soon, they will be feathered out by the time cold hits. Google mt healthy and give them a call. They are near you. If you wait until spring you wont get any eggs til next fall. If you start them now you may or may not get eggs before spring. Good luck.