Wasn't sure where to put this but parents said yes to chickens :)

[Fierlin1182]

Well that's good news.

When are you going to get your chickens?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Haha thanks

And I'm not sure, hopefully April. But I have to get a job first before I'm allowed to get them so it could be sooner or it could be later. I would -love- to place an order right now for mid April but I can't because I need to get the job. Plus we have to buy stuff to make a brooder and buy or make a coop so yeah. I'm hoping it's this spring or summer and not next year.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Is 15 birds too much to start? Lol maybe I'll start with 10? Idk

 

[Fierlin1182]

We started with 2, but then again we live in the middle of the city and it's not usual practise to start setting up small farms I don't think 15 is too many if you've prepared and you've got the space. I've heard people here say they started with way more, like 20 or 30. However, it could be hard remembering all their names and telling them apart. I could barely do it with 2 (the ones of the same breed always look identical while they're growing, and they change so fast ), I don't think I'd have a hope with 15. Anyway, it's up to you. It sounds like you're confident with what you're doing, so you should be able to manage fine with anything.

Wow, you're going to build your brooder and stuff. That's pretty impressive Our chick brooder was a glorified refrigerator box lined with newspaper. And the coop is a tin shed-like number which came with the house, so we didn't have to do anything there. Besides, our chickens have the third garden section to themselves, and they usually don't go into the coop besides to lay. And sleep.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Well we have 3 acres so I figure we should get a lot lol even if I get one or two of every breed, that's still 5 or 7 for one and 10 or 14 for two and most minimums are 15 anyways so we might as well get that and aw thanks, I appreciate not sure I know everything but I do know quite a bit thanks to this site as for names, yeah that'd be a pain! lol I'm only getting one or two per breed though, as I just mentioned, so hopefully it shouldn't be too hard maybe I'll put leg bands on them or something. Like twist ties xD

And thanks! But were not building it lol make as in like put it together I guess. like well probably just get a Rubbermaid bin and fill it with wood shavings (heard newspaper is slippery and can cause splayed leg, though yours turned out fine but don't wanna risk it), and get a heat lamp and feeder. Then as they get bigger and older and start needing less heat and more space, maybe get a second bin and cut a door in them both and make a chick condo. Lol and then we will probably just buy a coop. We might make one but idk. We have a dog house that neither dogs have ever used that I always thought would be a perfect coop but it's way too small for 15 birds lol maybe 3 or something if that xD

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh and they're gonna free range so won't need a run. But I'll probably build one anyways just in case of weather and stuff. So yeah.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wait. Should I even start with 10+? I know I already asked that but I just realized..what if we mess up the predator proofing since it's our first time? I don't want the whole flock to be eaten..

 

[Fierlin1182]

Wow 3 acres, that is a bit plot of land We have 900 plus a bit in square metres. Which is about a fifth of an acre, but it counts as large in this suburb.

Leg bands is a good idea, maybe I should've thought of that I'm not sure where one would purchase such things though, although they could always be fashioned out of objects around the home, I suppose. Like those plastic ties used on bread bags, they should be safe enough because you get some enormous ones.

It's always nice to have a backup dog kennel for if you ever need to separate a couple of chickens from the flock Such as when there's a sick one or one who's gotten pecked. So it's good you have it there.

I think if you've done a lot of research and triple-checked everything, you should be all right for predator-proofing. Hardware cloth's hardware cloth, whether it's your first flock or not, it'll be able to keep things out all the same If your chickens are going to free range though, there's not much you can do when they're out in the open, and it could happen again even if you were to start with a smaller flock. I hope everything goes fine for you though

Although it's pretty unpredictable, sometimes the best defences are overcome and sometimes people who have no predator proofing can sail along fine for years (like, for example, us We don't even close the coop door at night. We were very diligent about it at first, but after two years there was absolutely nothing, and the neighbours weren't closing up their coop either so we left it. It's been four years since then, and not a peep. I suspect we're probably in a predator-free area. Snakes pass through sometimes but they don't bother the chickens, they're more a fan of rats, lol.)
So I think go for it anyway, especially if you can't get a smaller minimum order.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yeah, we're lucky haha there's a street behind us and our house and those were the only ones they left when they built the condos and townhomes in front of us so yeah. It's nice cause were set back and they have a pond we walk around down the street. It's a bit weird though because we have so much room in the front and the neighbors in the back are right on top of us. Ha well, they're house is a bit further back, it's yard first, but still.

Yeah, I heard the idea from a friend though honestly I think they sell zip ties at Home Depot or something.

Yeah the kennels been up there unused for years lol

Yeah I guess you're right. I was just thinking if I had less, less birds would have to die r suffer or whatever instead of all 15. Though it might not happen anyways.

Really? Wow, impressive. I suppose I could put them in their run and not lock th coop door at night but I wanna lock them cause we have predators haha

 

[Fierlin1182]

Interesting. People are always telling us we could redevelop our property, split it into three and make a nice profit. But we think it would be much better to have the garden It's nice to have some land for things like veggies and fruit trees, and chickens. Plus, it would be a lot quieter at night!

If you have predators you should probably close the door The closest thing we have around here are the neighbours' cats, but they're terrified of our chickens so they probably don't count, lol. What kind of predators do you have? If you have digging ones you might want to do that thing with burying wire in the ground around the coop.