SOOO Many Newby Questions!

[ChickyMama1220]

Ok so ill start with my coop! Im building a coop/run combo 10'x6'x6'h i will have 4 nesting boxes 15"w x 16"h x12"d. Are these boxes ok size/quantity for the potential hens? I have 10 chicks but know one is a rooster.. oops lol. I live in the city so cant have the noisy suckers haha.

Next. What is your run's ground made of? I was going to follow a post i saw where the entire run was sand. Then i saw someone say they were just gonna do a "sand box"? Right now its all grass. Its also not done so i need to figure out what to do lol

Will the chicks eat ants? We're in florida and its anty and buggy so im hoping my new buddies will help slim down the ants/bugs.

I have a 4' chain link fence. Can they get out? Id assume yes.

How long did you wait before you started to let your chicks free roam?

What is a broody? Lol

Does anyone have a compost bin they put the chicken poo into? If so is it worth starting one up? I dont have one nor do i know where to begin.

Has anyone raised bloodworms as a composting creature? If so could i use them as a treat for the chickens?

Do the chickens need any kind of medicated water or food? I bought the organic manna pro chick starter/grower. I think ill get a non organic version next time but are there some types you dislike? Or specifically like?

If we end up with multiple roos (and cant find anyone to take them) theyd probably become dinner.... is the chick starter theyve been eating ok for their meat? You CAN eat the roosters cant you? Sorry if thats a stupid question lol ive always thought roos and testosterone wouldnt make good meat for some reason.

That's all i can think of right now. Sooo sorry theres so many questions.. Even if you can only answer a couple of these questions that would be awesome! Thanks so much!

Britni
If youd rather email me any info/tips please do!
[email protected]

 

[GitaBooks]

Welcome to BYC!

1) that should be enough nest boxes. Sounds like a nice coop!

2) chickens love grass and dirt, they also love sand. Which ever one works best for you. Sand has better drainage but dirt supplies plants and bugs to pick at. You can do a mix of the two if you want, putting a sand box in and the rest being dirt/grass

3) Chickens do eat lots of bugs, but I don't know if they will eat ants. I don't think mine do but some may.

4) Chickens can jump 4 ft, but that doesn't meant they will. You could try setting up a simple chicken-wire roof, light-weight but keeps them in. You can also try clipping their wing feathers (painless if you avoid blood feathers).

5) Chicks can learn to go outside at a couple weeks of age, but they must have access to their brooder up until they are fully feathered. You can start letting them range then, as they will have learned where home is and should return to it.

6) A broody hen is a chicken that wants to raise babies. She will sit on a nest, sometimes even without eggs, develop a bald stomach and only get up to use the bathroom and eat for a few minutes a day. They can be very stubborn about it. Not all breeds go broody.

7) I don't have a compost bin myself, but I hear they work really well and make great dirt/compost. Chicken droppings can take longer to break down than other species, or so I've heard.

8) I've heard that manure worms are used in worm bins with great success. There is a great book that involves lots of information on composting with worms. I can't remember its name right now. Sorry. The worms can be fed to chickens.

9) Only unless they are sick do they need medicated food. I don't use organic or medicated, but our feed store doesn't seem to have that much variety and organic food is expensive. Its really a personal choice.

10) Chicken starter/grower can be fed to them their whole lives, up until butcher time. You aren't suppose to eat medicated roosters or those that are sick, but otherwise their meat should be great.


You can ask as many questions as you want! I love talking about chickens, its so much fun.

Best of luck to you!

 

[ChickyMama1220]

Thank you so much for the warm welcome AND all the answers!

I used to raise mealie worms so im gonna start that back up
May start into the old composting worms again too!

At what age would be of a good butchering age for any potential rooster?

Ive heard chickens like ants but if not theres plenty of little florida palmetto bugs (roaches) for them to LOVE!

im trying to figure out a way to do a portable run (mesh material screen and stakes). Anything come to mind? I have neighborhood cats around and dont wanna chance them comin and grabbing one if i free range them

These are my little guys and the coop my husband is working on this weekend

 

[Casper101Popcor]

Those are some beautiful chicks you got there. GitaBooks practically answered the best way. And do you know what types of chicks you have?

 

[ChickyMama1220]

I thank you! They are all gorgeous! I unfortunately don't know which are which.. the lady wasnt very good about keeping them separate.. adults and babies were running everywhere! So i just waddle/comb checked for red looking rooster babies and i got what i got.. but the list of her chickens is here.

barred rock, australorp, buff orps, leghorns, ameraucana, rhode island red, gold star, black star.

So they could be any hybrid of them. Mutt or pure theyre still awesome lookin chicks haha. Were just goin for eggs. No 4h yet! Haha

 

[Casper101Popcor]

He he. I think you defiantly gota Buff O. They are pretty mutt or not. I'm still hoping my little pullet Casper is okay!

 

[ChickyMama1220]

Oh u think so? Which one the bigger gold one? And whats wrong with casper??

 

[Casper101Popcor]

Yes, the bigger gold one. And Casper just had a bad pecking order accident...but I hope your chicks are happy and healthy for the rest of their lives!

 

[GitaBooks]

Awesome chicks! They're very cute and have gorgeous feather coloring. Its very likely they could be cross-breeds. I breed cross-breeds in my flock, and this year they had a lot of variety.
I love the coop also, and your yard is perfect for chickens.

As for butchering age for roosters, people who raise their roosters for meat, that aren't Cornish-crosses, have birds at butchering age around 12-16 weeks. However, my family tends to wait a little longer, as we really raise birds more as a hobby, not for perfect meat.

Whatever way works for you!

 

[Free Feather]

Leave the run grassy, the chickens will have it ripped up quickly anyways until they free range, which is something they can do as early as a few days old with supervision, and about three weeks old on their own. After the run is stripped by the chickens, put down a carbon material like leaves or straw or hay. They will dig around and crap in it. Keep adding more carbons and plant materials as they break down and crap on the pile. It will eventually make great compost for the garden, it keeps the run from turning into mud, and it gives the chickens something to do when they have to be in. You can put sand in a cat litter pan for them to dustbathe in.