Open Air hutch and free range plans

[ChickInDelight]

My six chics are still in the dining room. I have assembled a (wire front) hutch I imagine seats 4 comfortably. When babies are bigger, my plan is to let them free range in the fenced yard during the day under the watchful eyes of my 2 dogs and 4 cats. I plan to put them in the hutch at night. I live in Loudoun County Virginia where the weather is fairly mild, but some winter nights get below 20 degrees.

When the weather starts to get cool, I plan to add a heat lamp and heavy tarp cover (anchored) over the hutch. I imagine I will someday have to invest in a coop and perhaps smaller, fenced run.

Please, show me the errors of my thinking.

 

[ChickInDelight]

I think I now have a better idea. While there are 2 fairly large vents at the top of the sides, I believe I will cover the front mesh part with a clear plexi-glass pane on front. That way, the chickens can still see outside and not feel so cooped up and dark?

Also, my number has been reduced to 4 because I gave 2 away to a family with children that lost 1 of theirs. The hutch seems a good size for 4 birds.

Opinions needed.

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

What kind of chickens do you have? That looks awfully small...

 

[hisdaughter]

Isn't there a formula for space per chicken? I think I read 2-4 sq feet /chicken. Unless the cat if very large, it looks ok for chicks but not chickens.

 

[ChickInDelight]

I only plan to keep the chickens up at night once grown. The yard is less than a quarter acre.

I am down to 4 chicks: Rhode Island Reds (Penny and Prudy), Buff Orpington (Buffy) and Barred Rock (Roxie).

That cat is rather small. The chicks are in the nesting box.

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

Quote:
It definitely won't hold 4 full sized hens, even just to sleep in at night

I have a similar rabbit hutch that I keep a pair of Seramas in, in my garage as it's cheap wood and wouldn't weather well (which I'm afraid yours may be made of the same fir wood) because it wouldn't fit any more than two Seramas. I use the bottom half for one broody Silkie at a time.
It's this one:
http://www.petco.com/product/110106...-4C8D-DE11-B4D4-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

 

[ChickInDelight]

OMG!

How big is an eight pound chicken?

I probably will look into a coop. There is significant chance that predators may snag my birdies, so I am waiting until winter (or chickens go monstor-size) before I start building.

The "farm chickens" seem to have a very dismal life in their small yard with concrete floor. I would rather my chickens be fox food than join the farm flock.

Funny how I can get attached to something I see more often on a plate than in the yard.

 

[tarragon]

Quote:
Now I'm confused. There is a significant chance of predators snagging them, so you are NOT going to build anything until winter???? Cause the predators are all on summer trips to other states? Am I missing something here?

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

Quote:
Now I'm confused. There is a significant chance of predators snagging them, so you are NOT going to build anything until winter???? Cause the predators are all on summer trips to other states? Am I missing something here?

I think I am, too, Tarragon. My "farm chickens" have an 8x6 coop, 4x4 coop, and 4x6 coop, respectively, that they get safely locked into at night. They "free range" in a 50X150 ft. fenced in dismal chicken yard.

You asked for advice and we're giving you our opinions. Not sure what you were looking for here. An 8lb. chicken is the size of a basketball with feathers, give or take.

 

[wood&feathers]

Not to mention that even while free ranging my hens like to seek out "dark dismal" hidey holes. Digger even makes her own! replacing ventilation with airflow might be OK to a certain extent in winter, but not right now! Plus those chicks will grow a lot faster than the OP thinks. They need a coop for sure. At 8 weeks I was frantically building with DH looking over my shoulder wanting them out of the house!