Separate coops?

[Homemade1]

Thanks again for the replies. Definitely a lot to soak up! The reason I mentioned inside the house is there’s no electric where my coop is located. While close enough to the house to monitor, it’s quite an issue to get electric to it with the lay of the land, trees, etc. As to Mrs. K’s question about kids: I do have one daughter almost 8 months. For the same reason as the electric, it will be quite a while before she is able to be at this spot, much less on her own. It’s been quite the physical task just to get over there with building materials and tools needed to construct. However, daily trips to this spot without tools, materials, etc. just to collect eggs, maintain, and feed chickens will not be an issue for adults.

I’m thinking we may start with just these for egg laying and consider a different breed in the future. Or I may just add another, larger coop and run in the future for a separate breed and have both. I can definitely get another coop and run in that area, as I can’t let them free range over there anyway. Predators are a definite issue here.

 

[Homemade1]

Are you a true backyard or are you more farm like?

Also wanted to add: I don’t think I fall into either category well. I would say backyard due to size. I’m sure there are others on this site from WV and many have seen that parts of WV can be “farm-like”. Not so in my situation. My area is literary consisted of steep wooded terrain. The “flat” area I have my Coop located in was once a wooded area that I cleared. It’s roughly an acre in size. Aside from that, picture very steep, wooded terrain.

 

[Mrs. K]

What I meant, was that many people have backyard chickens in their yard, next to the house, the swingset, and the patio. Where their children play in amongst the chickens. In that scenario, a rooster can take the laughing, yelling, running and jumping child, normal healthy behavior as acts of aggression, and often will flog those kids.

IMO - I would not want a rooster in a truly backyard setting.

 

[archeryrob]

Yea, We have a Brahma rooster that can be an Azzhole and he is laid back. RIR roosters can get very aggressive. We had some and I killed them all for going after my lab and other people. Plus once they get to a year and get spurs they like to use them.

What part of WV are you in?

 

[Homemade1]

What I meant, was that many people have backyard chickens in their yard, next to the house, the swingset, and the patio. Where their children play in amongst the chickens. In that scenario, a rooster can take the laughing, yelling, running and jumping child, normal healthy behavior as acts of aggression, and often will flog those kids.

IMO - I would not want a rooster in a truly backyard setting.

I gotcha now! No this is definitely in close proximity to the house but not quite like that.

 

[Homemade1]

Yea, We have a Brahma rooster that can be an Azzhole and he is laid back. RIR roosters can get very aggressive. We had some and I killed them all for going after my lab and other people. Plus once they get to a year and get spurs they like to use them.

What part of WV are you in?

I’m about 25 mins north of Charleston.

 

[Homemade1]

So, I have been thinking about this a little more today and at the moment, chicks are tough to come by. Most of them are being sold out the day of arrival at our local feed stores. I wouldn’t have any trouble finding a good home for these chicks. I even have a few friends who might be willing to take them immediately if I decide to go that route. Unfortunately, I had too much research to do before diving into this and as I though RIR‘s would be my best route AND it’s the most popular breed here I dove right in.

SO before I do that again, I wanted to see what everyone’s opinions were on another breed. I understand that isn’t something that is easily suggested on the Internet, but I have a LOT of breeds and the information out there is miles long. Some of it I don’t even trust! I have a few breeds I have looked at that MIGHT be winners but who knows.

END GOALS:
•1 coop (at the time being it is without electric) 8’x8’ with 8‘ walls. [already down to finishing touches so I can’t change size now]
•Attached run (this may be any size - I was thinking 8’ x 20’ ?)
•Laying hens (preferably likely to go broody for when I want to have eggs hatch, I know that’s not a guarantee)
•Will eat cockerels so hopefully a meaty bird (doesn’t need to be huge)
•May eat pullets if there is an overrun (will consider selling if people locally would be interested - not in this for the money)
•A separate pen and shelter for cockerels


I don’t know if these are unrealistic goals?? There’s a lot of info out there and I’m having a heck of a time sifting through it between work and more work when I get home. I get this is near impossible to suggest over the internet but hoping there’s a particular breed out there to get me started back in that right direction.

thank you all very much!

 

[Mrs. K]

I (myself prefer a mixed flock) think you would be happy with a mixed flock. Some dual purpose birds is a good place to start. Now more than once, I have thought, hmmm I think this will be the perfect breed for me, only to find that once I have it, not quite so much.

What I have found, is that you want a few that are good egg layers, like the RIR, but go ahead and add some Buff orpingtons, or Black australourps, nice dual purpose birds. I would add an Easter egger or two.

You could have 12-16 birds. I would suggest, you keep what you have now, next year add to it, and the third year you should be well on your way to your goals. This gives you a multi-generational flock, you will have a good steady supply of eggs, and generally they don't all live forever, so you can keep working new birds in as you start hatching out.

 

[Folly's place]

I think that starting with pullets of several breeds will be more interesting. Look at Henderson's breed chart, feathersite, and some of the catalogs for ideas. We all have preferences, based on experiences in part, and plans do change over time!
For example, my experience with hatchery RIRs, the orange ones, and any of the red sex-links, is that many are flock bullies, and the roosters are often not nice. Also they tend to be smaller, not so dual purpose.
Plymouth Rocks, Australorps, Sussex, Orphingtons, there are so many nice dual purpose breeds! Try a mix, and see who you like. And toddlers can be tricky to have with roosters, as already mentioned.
Electricity in the coop: To have good egg production over winter, you need fourteen to sixteen hours of light out there, and that means electricity! I don't know if you have much freezing weather, but if you do, having a heated waterer is so much better, for you and for your flock.
If you have bears, electric fencing may be necessary too.
How about some pictures of your coop and potential run?
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

That was going to be my suggestion, go through Henderson's Breed Chart to look for breed characteristics and Feathersite to see what they look like.

Henderson’s Breed Chart

http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

Feathersite

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html#Chickens

I also agree to try different breeds. Just because a breed "goes broody" doesn't mean the ones you get will. I once got Buff Orpingtons that have a reputation of going broody. Mine never did. But some of my Black Australorps did so i purposely hatched replacement chicks from eggs laid by those BA's. In a couple of generations most of my flock went broody.

I do not use lights to extend laying, letting my older hens molt as the days get shorter, sometimes as short as 10 hours. But often pullets will lay through their first winter instead of molting. I keep new pullets every year so I usually get a few eggs throughout the winter. There are all kinds of little tricks you learn as you go.