Slightly panicked: Starting to build our Coop...just got 13 Chicks!!!

[Sarkchick]

Absolutely will be supervised. Until they're in the coop with the 20 foot run on the grass, and secured with hardware cloth everywhere, we're going to keep them closely watched in supervised "play time." We have every kind of predator you can think of. Except maybe alligators. Not that I've seen in KY anyway. Thanks for the info.

This post is a week old but just needed to say "Enjoy the grass
now, in a month it will be dirt" Great thread, I'm enjoying it

 

[M Brennen]

Ees aren't even a official breed just a mix of a whole bunch of chickens.... and somehow they lay blue eggs(usually, every once and a while one will lay brown...)another name for them, mutts... I love them tho! Here's my ee roo... hobbesView attachment 2240733

He is beautiful!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

P.S. That brooder is NOT big enough so plan on changing it to something bigger very soon. That can even be a large cardboard box like appliances come in.

We did. I posted a description and pictures somewhere on this thread. They're in a 3 x 5 x 3 ft high brooder with a hardware cloth cover now and seem fine. Should be good until their coop is ready. Thanks!

 

[jspeese]

Sounds like you have a nice set-up planned. I'm sure it will be great, especially since your husband is an engineer. My going on 4 years old 13 girls (New Hampshire Reds, Delawares, Blue Cochins) also have an 8 x 8 coop, but a 360 sq ft run with a top. If I were you, I'd consider making the run bigger if you can. Yes, they will soon start flying out of the brooder, and they won't have the sense to fly back in! I think a production red is typically a cross between a Rhode Island Red and a New Hampshire Red. With golden sex-links, I think the father is usually also a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red rooster and the mother can be any number of silver factor white breeds like Rhode Island Whites, Delawares, White Rocks, and others. And if they are commercial (like ISA Browns), a considerable amount of selection and breeding has gone into the parent lines as well. Campines are beautiful, but I don't think they are used any more in any modern commercial hybrids (although I could be wrong).

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Sounds like you have a nice set-up planned. I'm sure it will be great, especially since your husband is an engineer. My going on 4 years old 13 girls (New Hampshire Reds, Delawares, Blue Cochins) also have an 8 x 8 coop, but a 360 sq ft run with a top. If I were you, I'd consider making the run bigger if you can. Yes, they will soon start flying out of the brooder, and they won't have the sense to fly back in! I think a production red is typically a cross between a Rhode Island Red and a New Hampshire Red. With golden sex-links, I think the father is usually also a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red rooster and the mother can be any number of silver factor white breeds like Rhode Island Whites, Delawares, White Rocks, and others. And if they are commercial (like ISA Browns), a considerable amount of selection and breeding has gone into the parent lines as well. Campines are beautiful, but I don't think they are used any more in any modern commercial hybrids (although I could be wrong).

thanks for that breed info! It is pretty confusing, with all the breeds and cross breeds, and mutts. Interesting about the Production Red, I had no idea, but sounds like it makes sense. Don’t know if you saw the later post but we did build a bigger brooder that we’re hoping will last them about 3 more weeks. We put a rollback hardware cloth top on it, secured with 2 x 4s. We’ll keep it closed to eliminate flight risks. You’re right, at 3 weeks they’re already starting to fly all over, especially when outside in the playpen on the grass.
When they are older I’ll post more pictures so you all can tell me your breed thoughts on our “mutts” We love them already. I never dreamed I could become so attached to 13 chickens, and in such a short time.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

thanks for that breed info! It is pretty confusing, with all the breeds and cross breeds, and mutts. Interesting about the Production Red, I had no idea, but sounds like it makes sense. Don’t know if you saw the later post but we did build a bigger brooder that we’re hoping will last them about 3 more weeks. We put a rollback hardware cloth top on it, secured with 2 x 4s. We’ll keep it closed to eliminate flight risks. You’re right, at 3 weeks they’re already starting to fly all over, especially when outside in the playpen on the grass.
When they are older I’ll post more pictures so you all can tell me your breed thoughts on our “mutts” We love them already. I never dreamed I could become so attached to 13 chickens, and in such a short time.

And thanks for the thoughts on run size too. My hubby wanted to make it smaller but I’m still pushing for larger. We have the property, why wouldn’t we make it spacious for them?

 

[Kellow1]

Yep, we look forward to the blue eggs. Easter Eggers, huh? Is that a breed or another name for Americaunas?

There is no such breed as Americaunas. It is simply the merchandiser's way to sell the barnyard mixes we backyard chickeneers call Easter Eggers because they lay colored eggs!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

There is no such breed as Americaunas. It is simply the merchandiser's way to sell the barnyard mixes we backyard chickeneers call Easter Eggers because they lay colored eggs!

yep, I'm beginning to see that!

 

[NatJ]

There is no such breed as Americaunas. It is simply the merchandiser's way to sell the barnyard mixes we backyard chickeneers call Easter Eggers because they lay colored eggs!

Not barnyard mixes, they are hatchery mixes!

 

[electrycmonk]

We did. I posted a description and pictures somewhere on this thread. They're in a 3 x 5 x 3 ft high brooder with a hardware cloth cover now and seem fine. Should be good until their coop is ready. Thanks!

So ya gonna start a "This is our coop" build thread yet? Or wait like I did and almost 4 months afterwards I finally got to do an 'ex post facto' post with it's stages and pics from along the way...... I'm still updating it (currently this week as well) and wondered if you plan to give us pics in update here or have you already started a build thread ????? (Silly grin)