Who else had their chicks BEFORE they built their coop?

[Sinfonian]

Grand plans to build my brother's and my coops over the last few months were thwarted by illness and extremely wet weather. So we got our chicks yesterday and nothing's been done to actually build the coops. I don't think it'll take much longer than a few weeks since both my brother and I are out of work, but it got us thinking. Who actually built their coop before the chicks arrived? If you read the books, not many, hehe.

 

[Darklingstorm]

I still don't have my coop finished and I've had 6 of my 10 for a month now.

 

[SilkieMomma]

I had my first chicks before I ever built a coop! Actually I'm up to 50 or so chickens now and their coop is still a work in progress. They have a place to roost and be out of the weather right now. I have big plans for this summer though!

 

[bburn]

Well, duh, yeah. Of course I had my chickens before I had a coop. And I had them before I had a brooder too. Then we brought them home and put them in a big box with a heat lamp. THEN my DH built the brooder from an old truck bed liner...built a top for it. Then he finally built the coop after they needed to be in it two weeks before. Then he moved the brooder into the run right before he got the coop and run finished.

NOW I want him to take the brooder out because I have eggs in the incubator.....and he is getting ready to leave Sunday to go out of town to work for about six weeks. So I may be looking for volenteers to help get the thing out!

But yeah, you think I believe I'll go get some chicks.....then you bring them home....then you scramble to find something, anything for a brooder....and you watch them grow and all the sudden you think...oh, I have to have a coop!!

At's the way it works......

 

[taprock]

Yup guineas and chicken totaling 34 birds that didn't have a coop and were way too big for the brooder. The plans to redo an old garage fell apart and my husband ended up spending two days putting together my current coop. I have yet to hear the end of that one!

 

[Ukyou]

I didn't have a coop yet, but I did have a brooder. Now I have a coop, but I think it is too small

 

[sotelomary]

I had 5 chicks in the bathroom in a cardboad box with chicken wire on top. They were there for 4 weeks. While they were there my husband and friend built the coop in 2 days. I was anxious to get them out of the bathroom so they went out at 4 weeks. They were fully feathered and we have very mild weather. They did fine.

While they were in the bathroom, I actually had 2 boxes. One always had fresh newspaper and chicken wire. So when it came time to clean, I just transfered the chicks to the clean box. Then I cleaned the old one. I also had a regular table lamp over them and it worked just fine. I cleaned their box every morning and evening but towards the end my husband kept complaining that they were starting to smell! lol. I didn't think so and of course that was the bathroom that he didn't even use!

 

[Chick Charm]

I have made three trips to the feed store this year and each time brought home more chicks. This is the first time ever I have had my coops built before getting my chicks. I even surprised myself.

 

[ButtersMama]

Have had chicks for 3 weeks. Coop pieces is all cut in the garage by Lowes..just took plans there and they cut everything. Very cold in MI right now. Think we may start building over the weekend.

 

[jenesis536]

Us! I found a brooder someone made and gave us for free off CL... picked it up on a Friday at lunch... Friday after work I got the feed, waterers, feeders, heat lamp, etc... Saturday morning I picked up 6 chicks. We spent the next 8 weeks building the coop so they could go out in it. Just remember, baby chickies are soooo tiney... they grow very fast and pretty soon that huge looking brooder will look 2" small and they will be begging to get out. If you get chicks, get your game on and get going on building something they can move to. It took way longer than we expected with work, life, 3 kids, etc... Things sounded so simple at first, but factor in the rest of your life and it could take longer.