Variation on the square foot question asked in other posts

[steinway]

Thanks to all of you for your help. Seems complicated to me now but like anything else once you figure out the basics it should be OK. Thanks again

 

[Daisy8s]

Yes, chickens can cause problems in a garden. Even if they don't damage the fruit they do eat greens so they may eat the leaves off the plants. I wouldn't put them into the garden once things start growing, but they'd be great in there during the long winter, early spring, and late fall. I'm in Michigan, too, so you've probably got from late October to early April when little is growing. They'll scratch up the dirt to turn it for you and they'll leave a gift of free fertilizer.

As for free-ranging outside the garden in summer...you'll be surprised at how well they can find their way home. Keep them in their home for awhile (at least a week) and then let them out for gradually more time each day. They have the instinct to come home at night to roost so begin letting them out approximately two hours before dusk and then increase that more each time. One of my chickens takes a detour under one fence, around a building, and over another fence to get home each night when none of the others do--go figure.

As for the horse stall coop. What about predators such as racoons and possum that could easily climb walls? In some barns the stall walls don't go all the way to the ceiling. You may need to cover the top of the stall to prevent predators from going over the top of the stall walls and getting into the coop.

In general, when looking for a cold-hardy bird you're looking for a smaller comb as it is thought that the comb can become frost bitten. That is the only consideration for whether a bird is "cold hardy" that I have run across, but I haven't done much research so maybe there are other factors as well. And, recently I read some research that suggested that a too damp coop may be the cause of frost bite rather than the size of the comb. I think your horse stall should provide plenty of ventilation so that shouldn't be a problem for you.

Finally, the comment to build bigger for more chickens than you have now is a good one. I thought I built plenty big but now I wish my coop was bigger. I think once you have them you see that they are meant to be a flock animal where all help keep watch for predators and socialize together. And, four chickens won't give you four eggs a day. Depending on the breed I'd guess you'd get 2 to 3 eggs each day. If that meets your egg needs then 4 is enough, but if you want more eggs then you may want a few more chickens. Supplementing store-bought feed with garden compost is a great way to afford more chickens!

Good luck!