Raising Chickens to Hens for the first time! (Maryland)

[junebuggena]

I am secluded on 5 acres with no neighbors in site...... but i personally would like it to look on the nicer side, maybe match the house

For large coop ideas, head over here. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/large-coops.20/

 

[iluvsedward]

Thank you for the Maryland insider information. One trend i am noticing is chicken wire is not the best option for chickens keeps them in but not others out.

Yes, hardware cloth is a much better option. I also saw somewhere on pinterest someone painted the hardware cloth black and it became almost invisible! Kinda like a window screen. I certainly hope you have better luck than i did with predators, just when i thought i had fort knox the racoons proved me wrong. Its better not to have to learn by trial and error, so make sure to cross your t's and dot your i's!

 

[Living_Legend]

How do you guys feel about wire under the coop and run? Meaning chickens would be walking on it.

 

[junebuggena]

Wire is not good for chicken feet. It can cause broken toes and feet and increases the risk of bumblefoot.

 

[Living_Legend]

That's what I thought. That's a no go then. Just planning a Fort Knox even though there is no such thing

 

[Sylvester017]

How do you guys feel about wire under the coop and run? Meaning chickens would be walking on it.

When we ordered our coop from Chicken Condos, we opted to get two slide-in floor trays -- one solid floor tray and one dog/kennel wire floor (no sagging). We use the solid floor in winter when it's windy and cold, and use the wire floor during our humid very hot SoCalif summer heatwaves sometimes running in the 100 degrees for months at a time. The wire floor gives more air circulation during the heatwaves and the wire floor is made of the same sturdy kennel wire as the coop's pen walls. We have not experienced any conditions like Bumblefoot or leg injuries like so many warn about -- maybe because we cover some of the wire floor with disposable solid cardboard which also capture poops from the perch above. Anyway, the hard sturdy wire floor has been a blessing during our heatwave summers. I definitely do not recommend poultry hex wire for anything -- it is flimsy, bends out of shape and unravels very easily, does not hold its shape whatsoever, keeps chickens inside but does not keep predators outside! Stray dogs broke down our yard gate to get to our first little chicken coop years ago and completely mangled the hex chicken wire beyond repair -- a Good Samaritan neighbor chased off the strays before the strays got to my birds! With this second coop we opted for heavy duty kennel wire for everything. Our 5 birds use the inside coop during the day only to lay eggs or when roosting for the night. Otherwise, they are free-ranging the backyard all day which may be another factor why our kennel wire floor poses no leg problems for them.

We sprayed all the coop's black metal frames and dog kennel wire with Rust-O-Leum paint to fortify against rusting. We also have the coop under a patio roof to protect from our harsh summer sun and occasional rain downpours.

Solid floor tray -- disposable cardboard used to catch perch poops from above. This Ameraucana chicken was the only chicken we ever had that preferred to spend her daily snooze time alone inside the coop -- she was a strange one!

Curious Breda chicken inspecting the slide-in kennel wire floor.

The cement slab under the coop is easy to hose off chicken droppings once a week.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

When are they normally fully feathered? Week 6,7,8? I know its probably a exact sience but I just want to do my best at timing this the best I can for my first time.

I believe it is about 6 weeks. When they lose their fuzzy baby down then you can try letting them out for a bit. I wouldn't give them all day given the weather but they will eventually grow the extra feathers necessary to stay warm. Best wishes!

 

[lilmillefleur]

You can always make a wire skirt around the run so no predators can dig under. We cover our skirt with dirt but it isn't necessary. Or you can put it on a concrete foundation. We do this too (Our coop was originally built on an old shack foundation but Chicken Math had us expanding it off the concrete, hence the skirts.)
Our coop is a mini fort knox... We have never had a predator get inside the coop.

 

[Blooie]

That's what I thought. That's a no go then. Just planning a Fort Knox even though there is no such thing

Just remember one thing, no matter how you decide to construct your coop/run. Building like Fort Knox is indeed critical, but vigilance is even more so. Even Fort Knox has regular patrols and intense monitoring. Check regularly for loose or sagging spots in fencing, which can happen over time. Look for gates and doors that end up out of alignment. Walk the perimeter often, watching for signs of anything trying to get in. If you find 'em, reinforce 'em. Examine fencing and see if there are any holes, then repair them immediately. If you use a hardware or wire protective apron around to deter diggers, make sure that it hasn't lifted up, especially in corners. If you opt to cover your run, don't forget to check where the run and the cover meet.

Most of this is common sense, of course, but even the best ever chicken owners can be blindsided by something they "meant to fix" or "didn't notice". You've got this!!

 

[Folly's place]

My 'Ft. Knox' turned into rodent heaven this year! First rats, fixed; now mice, not quite all gone. It hasn't been fun at all. As soon as it's warm enough, we are pouring a new concrete floor out there!
Mary