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We just started our own family of chicks

Discussion in 'New Member Introductions' started by chknhouse, Apr 19, 2012.

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  1. Apr 19, 2012 #1
    chknhouse

    chknhouse New Egg

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    Apr 19, 2012
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    We are a family of 5. and just bought our first chickens last weekend. We started with a flock of 12 but lost one the first night. Se was a little small and weak when we got them home. So I went back the next day and bought 3 more one to replace the one we lost and 2 more friends.
    We have easter eggers, some yellow silkies, road island reds and black ones ( not sure of all there correct names yet)
    My wife grew up on a farm in maine and had several chickens and other animals. We are building our coop now. I would like some ideas on how to build the pen. We would like to be able to walk in it. People tell me to cover the ground with wire and cover the top?
     
  3. Apr 19, 2012 #2
    Fierlin1182

    Fierlin1182 powered-flight

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    Hello and :welcome
    I'm sorry you lost one of your chicks. :hugs I hope you have many rewarding experiences raising the others! :D
    As for your coop, you could check out the "Coops" tab at the top of the page ^^. If you're building your coop out on the dirt ground, you don't need to cover the ground, as the chickens will be fine scratching at the bare ground inside. The top does need to be covered though, to protect from predators, if you have any, and rain.
    Many people build their coops out of wood... ours is made of corrugated steel as is pretty much just a rectangular box with roosts and nesting places which we can easily walk into.
    Whatever you decide to do, good luck and enjoy the site! :D
     
  5. Apr 19, 2012 #3
    dawg53

    dawg53 Humble Premium Member

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    Welcome to BYC. You can lay welded wire fence on the ground running around the outside of your pen attached to the bottom of your fenced pen as an "apron" to prevent predators from digging/tunneling into the pen. Shovel dirt on top of the fence if you wish. I used chicken wire as well as the welded wire for an apron, but the chicken wire is rusting and disintegrating due to moist soil and time. The welded wire fence is fine though.
     
  7. Apr 19, 2012 #4
    chknhouse

    chknhouse New Egg

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    Apr 19, 2012
    New Jersey
    I ve had many suggestions. Thank you both for your ideas. Someone suggested digging a ditch and putting the metal wire in the ditch and filling with dirt. I was thinking of making four stud walls and covering the outside, floor and over the top with chicken wire. I keep over thinking this. I know there has to be a simple way.
    Someone had said to line the top, sides and floor with chicken wire and put wood chips and sand on the floor of the pen
    My coop is 4 x 6 with a a frame roof outside access nesting boxes the whole coop will be enclosed. But how Im not sure of. That's where I start over thinking things. I don't want to make it real low because we want to be able to get into it and clean it out
    Any simple suggestions[​IMG]
     
  9. Apr 19, 2012 #5
    greymane

    greymane Chillin' With My Peeps

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  11. Apr 19, 2012 #6
    chem

    chem Out Of The Brooder

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    Mar 30, 2012
    Space Coast, Florida
    welcome to BYC! [​IMG]

    there are sooooo many people on here that can give advice on coup building. i am a new chicken mom myself and made the mistake of using chicken wire on the outside. that was a big no no. whatever you do, think about the chicks in the long run. spending a little extra more will save heartache and problems from predators :)

    i hope you have a great time with your new babies!
     
  13. Apr 19, 2012 #7
    1muttsfan

    1muttsfan Chicken Obsessed

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    Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan [​IMG]

    Laying wire on the floor of the run will prevent the chickens from being able to scratch and dig - favorite activities for hens. I would use Dawg's method, or do what I did and bury a foot of hardware cloth all the way around my run (my soil is very hard and stony or I would have buried 1 1/2"). I like the dirt floor of my run, but do use hay or straw in the fall/winter/spring to reduce the mud (soil is also heavy clay).
     
  15. Apr 19, 2012 #8
    4-H chicken mom

    4-H chicken mom Overrun With Chickens

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    Hi and :welcome from Ohio. So glad you joined. Good luck. :thumbsup
     
  17. Apr 19, 2012 #9
    Kevin565

    Kevin565 Chicken Obsessed Premium Member

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  19. Apr 19, 2012 #10
    dreamer5577

    dreamer5577 Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Hi && Welcome!!!
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