Texas

[SlipsWife]

I am not a expert on this but here is the way I understand this. If your going to free rang or have a run you can get by with 2 sq feet of floor space in this state where we don't get a lot of snow. Without having away for them to get out of the coop at all for long period of time you have to have at least 4sq ft per chicken. I myself go with the 2sq ft with a run that has 8 sq ft per chicken cause we do not get much snow or bad weather that keeps them inside for long. So with the 72sq ft you have you could run as many as 36 chickens if they ha way to get out of there. I would run 20 to 25 with a run of 300sq ft of run.

Does your current set up use the 2 sq ft and 8 sq ft per chicken right now? Do they seem to be content with that amount of space? We have plenty of room right now but as the chicks grow that we have, I'm afraid things might get a little snug while we decide who to keep and who to sell. They will be layers, not extremely heavy breeds with hopefully a few bantams in the mix if I can convince my husband they are worth keeping.

I'm trying to make a temporary area to keep the majority of the ones we won't be keeping, a few extra roosters that we will process and I feel like I'm 'over thinking' how much space they are all going to need to get to about 16-20 weeks. If we keep the 60 we have (plus we have more coming next week...eeekkk!) we are looking at 240 sq ft for a coop and 600 for a run @ the 4/10 break down. I feel like that's a lot of space for a temporary situation. I guess we really need to sell off a few chicks now but after we sold the extras last year, we had SO MANY losses due to predators that I don't want to end up with just a few pullets/hens again.

 

[TexasLisa]

Due to the cold, I bought this chick home and raised "her" in my garage and restroom for the last few weeks. Now she is almost 3 mos old. But so ugly that she has only a few wing feathers. I think this is a She. With the weather warming up, hopefully in the next 2-3 weeks I can return her back too the ranch. This naked condition is a trait of Vietnamese GaNoi

O wow! I didn't know you had any. Is this what it will look like when it gets bigger?

Lisa

 

[hungnguyen]

Quote:
Wow, what a turkey you got there. That how pure GaNoi from Vietnam looks. When coming to US, many breeders stop trimming the feather so the bird can survive the cold environment here. I myself cross them with other breeds such as Thai, Brazil and they start to have more feathers. Last year I sold one to a breeder in NC, a few months later he called me and sent me the picture of the 2-3 mo chicks. He wondered what's wrong with them when , at 2-3 mo old, all they had were a few wing feathers. Someday, people will start cooking these chickens for thanksgiving and x-mas. PS: Mine won't grow up to be like that .... because it's a She

 

[hensfortherapy]

Liberty hill..... Well technically Georgetown, but in miles/life liberty hill

Hi I am in Liberty Hill too.

 

[hensfortherapy]

I am thinking about getting some Appenzeller Spitzhauben chicks when I get a broody hen. This one is from Sweet Peeps Chicks in Round Rock. Aren't they neat?

 

[SlipsWife]

I am thinking about getting some Appenzeller Spitzhauben chicks when I get a broody hen. This one is from Sweet Peeps Chicks in Round Rock. Aren't they neat?

We had a couple of German Spitzhauben pullets from Cackle in our hatchery surprise last year. They were EXTREMELY friendly. Anytime you sat down they thought it meant you wanted them to sit in your lap.

The only downside is they really liked to roost, the higher the better and would roost at night on top of the run or other areas and not go into the coop with the others. We sold them to someone who was going to let them free range on 10+ acres. They came to buy a couple of the others and the fit was perfect for the German Spitz girls too. I'm not sure the difference between the 2 breeds, if its just a colorization difference or there's more to it, but hopefully they will be just as sweet as our 2 girls!

 

[hensfortherapy]

We had a couple of German Spitzhauben pullets from Cackle in our hatchery surprise last year.  They were EXTREMELY friendly.  Anytime you sat down they thought it meant you wanted them to sit in your lap.    The only downside is they really liked to roost, the higher the better and would roost at night on top of the run or other areas and not go into the coop with the others.  We sold them to someone who was going to let them free range on 10+ acres.  They came to buy a couple of the others and the fit was perfect for the German Spitz girls too.  I'm not sure the difference between the 2 breeds, if its just a colorization difference or there's more to it, but hopefully they will be just as sweet as our 2 girls!

I have a Barred Rock pullet that does that. I have to go out and call her out of the tree and tell her to get in the coop so the coons won't get her. Too afraid for her to sleep out of the coop at night.

 

[lovingmyhens]

Oh boy!! I have 24 two week old chicks in the brooder. Barnevelders and Wyandottes I purchased. Today I will set my own eggs. Mostly some very dark Marans, a few Swedish Flower Hens and a few frizzle easter eggers. I'm setting close to 70 eggs. Told my son how much I wish I had a garage for brooders. He commented that I would overfill that too. Darn it if he is right!!! anyway, I am way down west in Barnhart (about 50 miles from San Angelo and about 1 1/2 hrs from Midland Odessa) If anyone is wanting some great Marans chicks soon.

Oh gosh am I glad you are far away!!!
They sound positively delightful!

 

[lovingmyhens]

Quote:
I have small cage of 3' x3' to house a single chicken. Then I also add some large cage of 4' x 8' (for 1 chicken or a pair) so they can run. Sorry, I cannot imagine your coop based on the description you gave. However, a. with space of 6x12, i think it is enought for 2-5 chickens, unless you don't want them to move around, flapping their wing etc. b. "more than 18" could mean 19-100 ... technically "too crowded"

Funny funny man!!!

 

[oweirdo]

I am thinking about getting some Appenzeller Spitzhauben chicks when I get a broody hen. This one is from Sweet Peeps Chicks in Round Rock. Aren't they neat?

I got my silkies from her! I'm hoping she finds the lavender silkie pullet