Spring 2017 first timers post!

[AutumnHens]

Three weeks and the babies will be here!!!! I can't wait!!!

 

[Magnolia7330]

Three weeks and the babies will be here!!!! I can't wait!!!

That's exciting. Looks like you have a good variety.

 

[AutumnHens]

I ordered a mix so the kids could tell them all apart. Plus I don't need super production just enough not to jave to buy store eggs. Sadly thoigh, not all of rhose chicks will be mine, some are going to another local for a split order.

 

[coddledeggs]

How perfect! A group of people as nutty (er, enthusiastic) about getting their first chicks as I am. I too am expecting my first chicks the first week of April. I have ordered from Meyer Hatchery and am expecting 4 chicks. One welsummer, one barnevelder, one cream legbar, and one Swedish flower hen. Just have my fingers crossed that they arrive healthy and are all pullets. I made my choices based on reported friendliness to both chickens and people, decent egg-laying, nice assortment of colored eggs, and not likely to go broody. I plan to start with these four, and then get four more when these slow down with their laying. This will be a grandma/granddaughter project, so these girls will have a home with us all their days, even after we are no longer getting eggs.

The coop is about halfway finished. I will include photos if I can figure out how to post them. We purchased heather Bullard's coop plans, but doubled the width of the coop, and quadrupled the area of the run, giving us a footprint of 8 by 17 feet.

I am planning on using a ferplast rabbit cage found on Amazon to use as a brooder. It's 64" long by 24" wide by 20" tall. I am hoping it will be large enough for them until they are coop ready.

I am in Aptos, California, on the coast 40 miles North of Monterey and 70 miles South of San Francisco.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Nice coop! I have been working on mine, the foundation is done and it will be done in time for April chicks. I am going to brood them in the coop using the MHP method, thanks for joining us!


Gary from Idyllwild Ca here

 

[junebuggena]

How perfect! A group of people as nutty (er, enthusiastic) about getting their first chicks as I am. I too am expecting my first chicks the first week of April. I have ordered from Meyer Hatchery and am expecting 4 chicks. One welsummer, one barnevelder, one cream legbar, and one Swedish flower hen. Just have my fingers crossed that they arrive healthy and are all pullets. I made my choices based on reported friendliness to both chickens and people, decent egg-laying, nice assortment of colored eggs, and not likely to go broody. I plan to start with these four, and then get four more when these slow down with their laying. This will be a grandma/granddaughter project, so these girls will have a home with us all their days, even after we are no longer getting eggs.

The coop is about halfway finished. I will include photos if I can figure out how to post them. We purchased heather Bullard's coop plans, but doubled the width of the coop, and quadrupled the area of the run, giving us a footprint of 8 by 17 feet.

I am planning on using a ferplast rabbit cage found on Amazon to use as a brooder. It's 64" long by 24" wide by 20" tall. I am hoping it will be large enough for them until they are coop ready.

I am in Aptos, California, on the coast 40 miles North of Monterey and 70 miles South of San Francisco.

Add some more ventilation on that back wall.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Here is my newly finished foundation

 

[AutumnHens]

That's looking real nice Gary, what are the dimensions on it? I already know I need a bigger coop, I just need to figure out how to get it..... husband is unconvinced that this is an actual "need".

 

[coddledeggs]

Nice! Are you going to put wire across the bottom to discourage predators? My coop was started in August and still pretty far from being finished. I like my contractor and he knows that my chicks aren't coming until Spring, but I am impatient to have it done so that I can add the fun finishing touches. The coop name will be Le Rendez-Vous. Fits in with the French theme, but easy to pronounce and I am hoping that it will be a rendezvous point for family and friends.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

No wire under dirt floor, 1x1 concrete footing all the way around.