Ready to throw in the towel!

[Blooie]

Well, as I said, I'm still not totally sure we'll never get chickens again. We were just talking about it at breakfast this morning when the topic turned to eating store bought eggs. Choosing to start raising chickens is just as personal a decision (based on your location and what you want to do) as NOT raising chickens would be, and the only people who can make those calls are those facing it.

I wrote this BYC article shortly after my rehoming decision.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/making-the-tough-calls-difficult-but-essential.73460/

 

[llombardo]

I'm happy that someone who has had to make this choice replied....thank you! I was worried that my original post would come off as uncaring. I want to be clear that it is because I care that I can't stand to see my babies shredded to pieces every morning anymore. When I first got into this, I had no idea that would have to cull roosters. I had no idea we had such an aggressive predation issue. No idea that my backyard would be destroyed or that I would forever be powerwashing my deck. My greatest mistake is that I bought several coops with the intention to free-range. I spent so much money in the beginning, I'm not sure I can afford to build a run now. Seeing your words help considerably, as this truly comes down to whether I can walk away from something in which I am so deeply invested.

You can do a cheap set up. Get some stakes, put up fencing and add an electric fence around perimeter and net on top--done until you can do something more permanent.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm happy that someone who has had to make this choice replied....thank you! I was worried that my original post would come off as uncaring. I want to be clear that it is because I care that I can't stand to see my babies shredded to pieces every morning anymore. When I first got into this, I had no idea that would have to cull roosters. I had no idea we had such an aggressive predation issue. No idea that my backyard would be destroyed or that I would forever be powerwashing my deck. My greatest mistake is that I bought several coops with the intention to free-range. I spent so much money in the beginning, I'm not sure I can afford to build a run now. Seeing your words help considerably, as this truly comes down to whether I can walk away from something in which I am so deeply invested.

You and you alone are the only one who can make this decision. You know your feelings and your situation far better than any of the rest of us. There is nothing wrong with giving up your flock if they don't bring you joy. Examine why you have them. What will it be like if you don't? Are you emotionally attached, or just thinking of the original investment? Can you sell the coops if you decide to give the chickens up? Recoup some of that cost, anyway? I wish you all the best as you try to figure out what will be your best option.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I completely understand! There are days I feel the same way - about chickens, about my career, about lots of things. And I'm pretty new at this and haven't suffered any losses... yet (knock on wood).

You need to do what is best for you and yours. But if you choose to make a run, I will tell you that I managed to build a coop for under 50 bucks using recycled materials. My pen was store bought, but I could have made one on the cheap using recycled materials. Hit up craigslist or facebook or neighbors. I'm sure others on here have ideas, too. If you choose to pen them, they'll deal with it. Give them a good ol' dose of tough love. Maybe tot can let them out a bit every once in a while. Maybe there's a compromise to be found somewhere. They def need to be cooped up at night.

I am sorry you have had such negative experiences. But Blooie is right (as is often the case): it's a personal choice. I wish you luck. I'd probably be having the same concerns if I'd gone through what you have.

 

[tripletfeb]

I don't mean to sound mean at all, I'm sure you love your birds dearly, but I have a question. You said you don't eat their eggs. Why have chickens then? I have mine for their eggs and entertainment but it does sound like it has become more of a stress to you then a relaxing hobby. Again, it's ok to rehome and not have chickens. Just do what is best for you. I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide.

 

[starri33]

Awesome! I like the advice. This is exactly what I needed. Please keep it coming! My babies refuse to roost in their coop because I couldn't keep the snakes out. I have learned to live with the rooster crows, but when combined with a list of other issues, that crowing is hard to ignore. I started free ranging because I felt that runs were unnecessarily cruel (this was in the beginning, when I didn't know any better). However, I haven't quite figured out how to transition them to a closed run without stressing them out too much, nor do I have the option of burying fence 2 feet below the floor (too rocky) to protect them from raccoons. Starri33 first reminded me of the possibility of a closed run (thank you!), so now for this to work I need to be able to build a coop and run for VERY cheap as I just learned my dog will need a $3000 surgery. Thanks so much everyone!!!

Jessicx, I can't tell you on how to teach them about using the coop, but I can suggest putting hardware cloth about 6 inches under the dirt and up the sides of your coop and run for keeping the snakes out, discouraging the squirrels and rabbits, most have a dirt floor in their coops, I got pallet's for free and those are the floor in the current coop, won't stop snakes or mice from getting up into the coop if they can manage to bypass my chicken wire. I use hardware cloth around the bottom portion of the chicken run for the same purpose of keeping the snakes and stuff out. then for the upper portion I use regular sized chicken wire, as my new run area is as big as it is, I've had to put bird netting over it to keep the hawks, owls etc out of there. I'd love to be able to let mine free range, but I am a worry wort chicken momma who'd end up sitting in the yard with a shot gun..lol.

 

[starri33]

this is only one of the many ideas you can get for pallet chicken coops. Ask around at your local stores and businesses that get in pallets, you can probably find them for free. Will take some work, but it won't cost a bundle. Check Craigs list and any of the buy and sell facebook groups for your area for free lumber/sheds/chicken wire etc.. I found my bird netting at Lowes, $20.00 a roll, 7 ft wide, 100 ft long. Ask any of your neighbors you see that have a scrap lumber pile about getting theirs.. if you can't afford the hardware cloth, you can use the wood off the pallets, bury it 6 inches deep and then run it at least 4' up on the sides of your run, use bird netting for the rest of it. I was blessed in being gifted 4 x 4 x 8's from a friend who delivered pipes. I've used those in building my coop and run. I have one of those store bought coops, but the osb I bought for the new one is only 150.00 more than what I paid for that thing. If you don't eat the eggs, sell them to help off set the cost of the feed.

 

[SomeChickinTN]

I only have theoretical advise, as I am just beginning my journey with chickens, but I have focused heavily on learning how to deter predators (hopefully). Some people fence the floor of their run to stop diggers....My yard is nothing but rock too, so I'm extending the run wire on the ground and completely burying it with rocks from my yard. The top of the run is also covered with wire.

My coop is being built out of pallets, which I can't seem to find for free, but there is a local hardware store that sells them for a dollar a piece. We are using welded wire and hardware cloth, most of which we have bought really cheap or recycled from other people. The coop doors/run ramp will be padlocked....

I guess my point is that everyone that frequents this site can give you amazing predator advice, and based on my limited experience thus far, I know it's possible to build a cheap, secure run. So you just have to decide what you want and then run with it.
If you are truly done with chickens, there is nothing wrong with that. But, if you are just feeling hopeless and wish you could find a way to keep them, then take a breather, think like a predator, and build a run like a fortress.

 

[starri33]

I only have theoretical advise, as I am just beginning my journey with chickens, but I have focused heavily on learning how to deter predators (hopefully). Some people fence the floor of their run to stop diggers....My yard is nothing but rock too, so I'm extending the run wire on the ground and completely burying it with rocks from my yard. The top of the run is also covered with wire.

My coop is being built out of pallets, which I can't seem to find for free, but there is a local hardware store that sells them for a dollar a piece. We are using welded wire and hardware cloth, most of which we have bought really cheap or recycled from other people. The coop doors/run ramp will be padlocked....

I guess my point is that everyone that frequents this site can give you amazing predator advice, and based on my limited experience thus far, I know it's possible to build a cheap, secure run. So you just have to decide what you want and then run with it.
If you are truly done with chickens, there is nothing wrong with that. But, if you are just feeling hopeless and wish you could find a way to keep them, then take a breather, think like a predator, and build a run like a fortress.

I am glad to see someone else did research..lol, my husband thought I was nuts, but I wanted to give my girls and now my rooster and girls the best chance for survival that I could. Hubby fussed at me for the size of the run and the coop that I want, told him first of all, it was time for me to get what I wanted for a change and second, if he thought it was to big, he could go live in there for a week and then talk to me about it.. my chickens are getting a new 8 x 24 ft coop (I currently have 12 girls and a rooster with 6 more un-sexed chicks) and the run I'm not sure what size it's going to be over all. Our county says I can build a 300 sq ft building, no power with out having to get a permit, so that is what I am aiming for with the coop, this one is less than 200 but it allows me space to add on if I should want. Will post some pictures later today.

 

[SomeChickinTN]

I am glad to see someone else did research..lol, my husband thought I was nuts, but I wanted to give my girls and now my rooster and girls the best chance for survival that I could. Hubby fussed at me for the size of the run and the coop that I want, told him first of all, it was time for me to get what I wanted for a change and second, if he thought it was to big, he could go live in there for a week and then talk to me about it.. my chickens are getting a new 8 x 24 ft coop (I currently have 12 girls and a rooster with 6 more un-sexed chicks) and the run I'm not sure what size it's going to be over all. Our county says I can build a 300 sq ft building, no power with out having to get a permit, so that is what I am aiming for with the coop, this one is less than 200 but it allows me space to add on if I should want. Will post some pictures later today.

Yeah, my sister lost her chickens to predators, and my father in law lost most of his, so that was my focus when I decided to get them. I'm hoping it works out. I'm not sure exactly how big my run will end up being either, but my county rules seem to be vague.. I'm going to put my garden next to the run and then fence it in and add a chicken tunnel going from the garden to the run so they can have access in the fall.