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Post by cowgirlup on May 14, 2013 13:51:23 GMT -7
I've finally made friends with the idea of having some chickens.
Part of the hold up was not wanting to have to care for another living thing while I'm working this much. Then there was the critter dilema, foxes, yotes, fisher cats, hawks, etc...
Also I couldn't decide where to put the coop since we basically have a long narrow strip of land between 2 hills with a stream and not a lot of open useable space.
So, I 'm finally ready to commit and more or less figured out where to put the coop. I was looking at coop plans today and saw some were elevated others on the ground with a floor. Any advantages to one or the other?
I thought that a ground level coop might be better with the cold weather we have. Or if an elevated coop is a good thing we could always put straw bales around the bottom in winter. Any thoughts or opinions?
Also, just how skittish are chickens in general? We have a small shooting range behind the barn/garage. I had thought about putting them in that general area but am leaning towards another spot. But that spot is only maybe 40 feet farther from the shooting area.
If we have a target practice day will they have little chicken heart attacks or just go on strike? Should we go and fire off a few rounds on occasion so they get used to it???
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Post by geron on May 14, 2013 14:28:45 GMT -7
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Post by cajunlady87 on May 14, 2013 18:41:21 GMT -7
My coop is elevated on stilts three feet off the ground. Of course that is specifically should my area flood again. My guess is that target practicing near their coop will rile them up and at the most they may not lay for a day or two. Then again you won't really know until you actually do it. My best advice to building their coop is using marine plywood for the flooring. After two years of weekly hosing out the flooring in mine it is holding up very well. Don't forget to install a roosting pole inside, that's their security blanket at night time. Hope this helps.  |
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Post by woodyz on May 14, 2013 21:09:50 GMT -7
A chicken coop generaly isn't like a rabbit coop where the rabbits live, eat, sleep. A coop is more like the bedroom, where the chickens will go to sleep an lay eggs.
Elevated coops allow you to fence in the underside and give the chickens somewhere to go besides the bedroom.
Even better when you can incorporate the area under a raised coop with additional enclosed space as a run.
SIze is tied to number of chickens, too many confined to the same area will lead to crowding, pecking, feather loss and unhappy chickens. On the other hand in cold weather a nice tight area where their body heat or a small light can keep them warm.
For a few chickens a coop is a roost and a nest box. The need to exercise some, be able to scratch in the dirt or straw.
When you have a run attached to the coop the chickens will go inside just be fore dark and go to the roost. Every chicken needs to have room on the roost, but they don't mind being bunched together either.
The layout of the coop would have the opening to the South or West, room under the roost to use a hoe or shovel to keep the poop cleaned up. (put it and the used straw in your compost pile.
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Post by Redneckidokie on May 14, 2013 23:35:28 GMT -7
While we are on chickens. How big of a pen would I need to keep say ten chickies? Not counting a roost box. |
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Post by dtucker on May 15, 2013 6:01:27 GMT -7
+1 What Woodyz said and what Cajunlady said about them being riled up a day or two they will not lay if upset or stressed.
I have had them before, we had Bantams and loved having chickens. I am going to probably be getting more this year.
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Post by woodyz on May 15, 2013 18:16:45 GMT -7
Most say 4 sq feet inside and 10 sq feet outside per chicken. Since we let ours free range I don't have rule I use.
My coop is 16x20 but I have rabbit hutches on the West wall, Quail cages on the other walls with openings out South and East to Quail runs 16x20 and North to a 16x20 run that just stays open where the chicken feeder/waterer are.
In the winter the chickens and ducks go inside and roost and in the summer they roost on top of "their" run.
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Post by woodyz on May 15, 2013 18:35:25 GMT -7
As to them not laying if they get frightened or upset that is true, but we also have a gun range close to the coop and once they get use to it they don't even react to shooting.
Same with the rabbits we have in pens and running loose, they get used to it and they don't care.
Quail and peasants the same.
But all will react to something they have not seen or heard before.
We also get conditioned, I love to hear the Quail, especially the Bob Whites, they all constantly make some noise that we get used to but if something bothers them their noises change and we go to see what it is.
The Quail will growl at each other when fed or when given some greens from the yard. They can be very vocal when we are around them. Not in a negative way, they are not afraid and will crowd to us not away. They know we are bringing a treat or going to dig worms for them. They will sit on my feet trying to be the first to get to the worms.
I got 5000 red wigglers 2 years ago and seeded them under the rabbit hutches and under the chicken feeders. We must have a gazillion now, all I have to do is dig a furrow near a feeder or water er with a hoe and several hundred get turned up. They only require a little water if it gets dry between rains, the rabbit and chicken poop and the feed they scratch out or spill gives them all the food they need.
The same in my compost bins, when I dig some dirt out the chickens and ducks come running because they know I will uncover worms.
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Post by Redneckidokie on May 15, 2013 23:27:23 GMT -7
Okay, I am chicken challenged. So Geron you are only having 4-6 birds in that house, right. How big will your pen be? Woody if your pen in 16x20, how many are you able to keep happy and healthy in that area? I will have to totally enclose my pen and house to keep them home from my neighbors and critters. I might let them out some when I am home, IF they are not wonderers.  Also how old before starting to lay, and what can you expect per chicken per week egg wise? Is it cost effective, or more of a hobby? Thanks all for some input. |
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Post by geron on May 16, 2013 4:20:55 GMT -7
Redneckidokie,
Right, 4-6 birds. Pen will be about 8x20. I'm working on a "dock" for a chicken tractor so I can move them around the yard "in safety." May let'em free range some.
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Post by cowgirlup on May 16, 2013 5:42:56 GMT -7
This has been really helpful. It sounds like I will need to make the outside run bigger than I thought. I'm not planning on a huge flock. I will let them out when I'm home during the day. I'm hoping to train them to come to me by shaking an aluminum cam with some pebbles in it when I give them treats or feed them. Hopefully that way if I need to gather them up mid day it won't be too hard. Are they a little less active in winter? Once there is a lot of snow on the ground there won't be anyplace for them to walk around the yard. Plus nothing to eat out there. So they will probably be confined to the coop and run for about 3 munths out of the year. Just 3 or 4 should be enough for our use. But then I didn't know if I should start with more in case some die off. How hard is it to add a bird to the flock? Of course Mr. "Weshouldgetsomechickens" is pretty quiet on the subject now that I'm ready to do it. It might be like getting something through congress to pull this off! LOL |
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Post by orly152 on May 16, 2013 8:44:06 GMT -7
Lots of great information here. Really like Geron's set up
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Post by woodyz on May 16, 2013 10:48:50 GMT -7
you should be OK with 10 in a 16x24 run/pen. Most chicken breeds will lay 300 eggs per year for 31/2 years then they will taper down. During the year season changes and a two week molt we slow them down. 10 birds will give you 10 eggs most days, 11 some 9 some. When they start to lay depends a lot on the breed. Most start in 3 to six months. survivalbunker.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=critters&action=display&thread=438 |
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Post by woodyz on May 16, 2013 11:03:46 GMT -7
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Post by insaneh on May 16, 2013 11:58:15 GMT -7
I was wondering the same thing for when I move. Chickens and maybe a goat or two.
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