Wanted: Advice

[mimis chicks]

Hello! I live in south Florida. My son is about to construct the chicken coop for about 3 or 4 chickens. My yard in fenced in and I have a golden retriever (11 months old) pup. I am seeking advice on coop size and also what to do when we have frost warnings. It doesn't happen often but I want to make sure I am prepared. Is it advantageous to get chicks and let the dog get to know them as they grow into adult chickens?

 

[roostersandhens]

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

Your birds are unlikely to be affected by a short cold snap - chickens are more sensitive to heat than to cold. The Coops section has much advice on building coops, and the Florida thread (look in the Where am I - Where are You section) will have others that can give you housing advice.

 

[All Henned Up]

4 sq.ft. inside coop and 10 sq.ft. outside in run, minimum each bird.
Welcome and enjoy BYC!
Steve

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome to BYC!

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! I'm a fan of keeping dogs/chickens separate so I can't help you there, but there are plenty of threads on here regarding training dogs to leave the chickens alone, just use the search bar at the top of the page. Good luck to you.

 

[Teri Metcalf]

Greetings from Texas! Baby chicks need to be kept warm, but after 6-8 weeks they should be able to handle frost just fine.

 

[drumstick diva]

Dogs tend to think of chickens as squeaky toys and after the chick doesn't move anymore they go on to another one. I wouldn't ever let dogs and chickens be loose together unless the dog over time proves that it will not go after the birds.