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HowIsItDone said:
Thank you all, for your warm welcome!

I'm not sure where to post questions... do I just start a new thread under certain categories?
I don't want to be rude, and post a bunch of newbie threads, spamming the place. :)

For instance:
-Which type of wood should I use for the coop?

-How much distance do I need between my (shallow) well, and the coop/run? (The township says 100', but that severely limits my placement)

-How/where do I add my geographical area to my profile?
Do I post it under "status"?

Appreciate the help. 😊
Click to expand...

To ask questions about your coop/run build, go to this forum and start a new thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance.9/

To add your location, go to your profile and follow steps 1-4:
adding location.png
 
EggSighted4Life said:
Welcome to BYC! :frow


That's my two favorite reason to do anything.. because I want to and it terrifies me! :woot


Fun pun. Stuff is just stuff and supplies are important but I can tell from your post.. you've got something already.. where it counts! ;)


I already have wire dog kennels on hand (in larger sizes).. but they have been excellent brooders with only minor modifications.. and raised to table height is also a helpful addition to the use of front/side (not top) opening doors.

Not all advice is gold, but the freedom of access to consider it and find out what might work best in YOUR environment is, or can be.

Happy adventures! :wee
Click to expand...
I have one of those wire dog cages. 😊

Could I start them in that (modified) for 2 weeks, then move them to a larger brooder in the garage? Assuming late May/early June? *Southeastern Ontario

Or should I just start them in the garage?
Mosquitoes are bad then, and it's boring in the garage. ☹️

Maybe I should wait until July.🤔
 

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Welcome! In my experience, try making a raised brooder that is as tall as you are, so that your hands come at their level, makes them so much more comfortable bc you don’t seem as intimidating! Best of luck, and have fun! Right now is the perfect time to just enjoy getting chicks, before you become addicted. They are just so lovable!
 
HowIsItDone said:
I'm not seeing that. It could be my browser.
I should try a different one.

Appreciate your help.
Click to expand...

In the upper right corner, click on your avatar and a drop down menu will appear:
Screen Shot 2024-03-20 at 2.30.52 PM.png


On that drop down, click on Account Details and you'll find a field you can fill out with your location. Type in your location and then be sure to click on the Save button.
 
HowIsItDone said:
I have one of those wire dog cages. 😊

Could I start them in that (modified) for 2 weeks, then move them to a larger brooder in the garage? Assuming late May/early June? *Southeastern Ontario

Or should I just start them in the garage?
Mosquitoes are bad then, and it's boring in the garage. ☹️

Maybe I should wait until July.🤔
Click to expand...
Sounds like you have many special considerations to make and work around. Mosquitoes being one of the biggies (they are annoying and *can* transmit Pox, etc).. but they'll be there every year.. so is this consideration for you or the chicks? And I wonder how folks in your region deal with it? The mosquitoes are here year round in my climate with peak times.

How long chicks are content inside any brooder, depends on size of brooder verses size of brood (and also breed even sometimes).. My kennels are large enough to support a brood of 4-8 a full 6 weeks regardless of where I keep it. I add in paintings made of polka dots and other enrichment stuff.. little roosts, etc. Shaving are contained via taped on cardboard sides or cling wrap.. usually high enough (5-6 inches) that by the time they wanna jump up there are actually to big to fit through the bars. While I use paper towels until they have figured out the food and water (a few days to a week).. then peel it off the top of the shavings and they go to town.. pecking around, dust batching, etc. Using puppy pads or the like and not having anything to scratch through is a good way to rapidly induce boredom.

If boredom starts to set in before going out full time, usually around 2-3 weeks of age.. bringing in a clump of grass with dirt attached will give some enrichment and allow them a little exposure to build some immunity before going out full time in addition to possibly being a source for a little naturally occurring grit. Using a heat source that allows for full night time darkness is even better than red bulbs (which are better than white ones) and goes a long way towards their mental health for lack of a better term. Boredom always breed mischief. Moving from smaller to larger spaces is helpful both in ensuring a feeling of security early on and in providing the feeling of expanse.. in correlation to their confidence and curiosity level.

For me.. when I have the option of choice.. the later in the year (may/june) the hatch comes the less likely I'll be seeing eggs before the next year (jan/feb).. and they'll be sure to molt at the end of that next year . meaning maybe less than 9-10 months of eggs. Earlier hatched chicks say march April.. usually start laying by august/sept.. and keep laying all the way through until the following October. So more like 13 months of eggs the first laying season.. followed by standard lay/molt cycle every year.. varying according to individual. I'm a little north (at the cal/or border in US) and use natural lighting. January hatched birds.. have also been too soon.. still causing them to molt that first year/lay season.. reducing it even further! Some birds will not comply with my statements, no matter HOW much planning I've done to combat the winter egg lull. :he

Artificial lighting may especially net different result than I'm reporting. And being on the coast as I am we're fogged in a good portion of the summer. So anyone's mileage is expected to vary some.

Whether you start them indoors or somewhere else is dependent on you. Some folks can't stand the dust or the noise.. others run air filters, and some don't fret. I've done them all including allowing broody's to raise them.

So on the back of what's mentioned previously.. I like to only get the amount of birds I need to meet the egg production value.. while leaving room in my set up to add a few new comers each year to combat that winter lull in eggs that IS inevitable by the time year 2 arrives.

Alas.. too much information kills adventures and dreams. :oops:

Individuality maintains the mystery though! What fun breeds are you looking at, anything specific? Have you already found hatcheries or breeders in your area? Planning to have a rooster or hens only? Are you eventually eating some chicken or is that not part of your goal at this or any point? Sorry if this has been discussed already, I'll be reading through the pages I missed before replying now. :pop

ETA: okay most my questions were answered! :lau
 
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Loved your reply so much, I bookmarked it.

Mosquitoes for all of us, I guess. I won't want to go out there, and they won't like it either...
It will be my first time, and I don't want anything to go wrong, even tho it will, lol.

I love the enrichment ideas. And keep it natural. I like that.

I won't be ready until May at the earliest, so this may end up being a practice year.
"No matter how much planning", eh? 😂

Our house is small. A few weeks inside before moving to the garage seems like it could work.
Next year, I might have a broody hen who wants to help, and I can start earlier.. 😊

Half of the goal is eggs, and half of the goal is showing my grandchildren how life works.

I'm using Frey's Hatchery Ltd..
https://freyshatchery.com/chickens/

Hen's only, as I'm not "supposed" to have roosters, but they won't guarantee sex for less than 30 chicks. That could go bad fast.

I harvested chickens in my youth, but I didn't know those birds. Could I do it? My Grandmothers did... am I so weak? Possibly.
I bet my Grandmas didn't name them.😂

I'm sorry. I haven't yet figured out how to use the quote button. It would have been so much simpler.
 

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