Chickens-lets start it

[protus]

dont have a major chicken thread so figured may as well.

Im wanting to start- guru's below is some concerns,ideas, and lay out ....help the chicken newbs of the world unite ;)

ok chicken gurus..

im looking to figure out what will work cheap.easy etc/

goal is to have 3-4 birds to start. We want them for eggs and in time meat .maybe get up to 8 birds. We work full time so i dont want to over do it .

space- I have a covered pole barn shed. under it is a 4 ft high fenced in corral more or less thats 16x16 iirc. This sits inside my fenced in yard (4ft high fence).There is power and water to this shed/pole barn/pen.

This gives the chicken area 2 things a roof and an area to roam more or less ( some upgrades like chicken wire the fence vs the livestock/goat fence thats there 2x3 inch sqaured stuff).

Now do i build the typical tractor set up with in this fenced pen or just build a "house" with some nesting boxes and let them roam inside the pen???


Issues i see( feel free to add) is my AO-
1- we have black bears- while not as common as last year..between aug-oct we had bears coming into our yard and over our fence 3-5 times - again they have not been back sense.
2- possums- very common ..i have one that loves to go under the house at times and rattle my plumbing pipes
3- coons- very common but not brave only seen one at night and he was a fatty. Mostly see their tracks on the back side of my land.
4- snakes- havent seen any yet but it is florida and i KNOW they are there
5- stay cats- there's been a few that like to try and hangout here at night when we bring the dog in
6- my own dog. Have no idea how she will interact/react to chickens- she loves trying to get tree rats (aussie shepherd)
7- climate- hot,humid,wet. The pole bar area is all dirt and stays dry , but may get heavy winds during storms. but stays dry 90% of teh time. temps range from high 90's in summer ( heat indexs of 100++= to lows of 20;s in winter)
8- area- in general it would be considered "county" semi rural. i cant blast the stay cats or critters at random due to this and my land size ( under 2 acres )



when i take some pics today of stuff ill try and get some of the "pen" area.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

1- we have black bears- while not as common as last year..between aug-oct we had bears coming into our yard and over our fence 3-5 times - again they have not been back sense.

*Do the bears not hibernate there? I would look for them to be back and hungry soon.

2- possums- very common ..i have one that loves to go under the house at times and rattle my plumbing pipes
3- coons- very common but not brave only seen one at night and he was a fatty. Mostly see their tracks on the back side of my land.
4- snakes- havent seen any yet but it is florida and i KNOW they are there
5- stay cats- there's been a few that like to try and hangout here at night when we bring the dog in
6- my own dog. Have no idea how she will interact/react to chickens- she loves trying to get tree rats (aussie shepherd)

*We try and make our sleeping/nesting areas secure as possible. We run the wire fencing 6-8 in under the ground by digging a trench then backfilling with gravel to at least slow down critters from digging under like dogs and skunks. We try and give them a pole roost that is difficult for other critters to climb and get to them. Now when they roam well not much you can do. There is always a fine balance to having predators (especially pets) and prey. Count on losses

7- climate- hot,humid,wet. The pole bar area is all dirt and stays dry , but may get heavy winds during storms. but stays dry 90% of teh time. temps range from high 90's in summer ( heat indexs of 100++= to lows of 20;s in winter)

*Chickens will adapt and you might lose some every so often, misters can be used if it's hot and dry but not sure bout hot n humid

8- area- in general it would be considered "county" semi rural. i cant blast the stay cats or critters at random due to this and my land size ( under 2 acres )

*Adult Scoped/Lasered Air Rifle


I can't really speak on breeds etc as we just had chickens, like all kinds of whatevers were available I guess, probably the cheapest thing on the market or what got traded for during crop harvest for melons, cantaloupe and peanuts.

[dilli]

as lovely as the idea of free range is.. for most people and most situations it is not worth the issues associated with it. I am all for the semi free ranged chickens.. a secure hut with a secure run where they can get sun, bugs, treats etc.. that pretty much eliminates other issues...like bears, dogs, coons, possums, hawks snakes, etc..

[protus]

as lovely as the idea of free range is.. for most people and most situations it is not worth the issues associated with it. I am all for the semi free ranged chickens.. a secure hut with a secure run where they can get sun, bugs, treats etc.. that pretty much eliminates other issues...like bears, dogs, coons, possums, hawks snakes, etc..

well if it eats other animals my AO has an abundance of it lol.
lets see all that have been listed plus owls ,hawks,eagles lol im doomed. lol

picture of the pen/shed deal where id like to build it,.



MIO. bears dont really hibernate down here...only thing i can think of is mating season or someone took him out during hunting season.but for a month or more we had issues..everything else seems to calm..

[motesjm]

A few comments:

Theres not really much difference in effort for 8 chickens as opposed to 4 chickens if you have the room for them.

The structure you have should work great. No need to change the fencing material on the bottom, but you may need to add some chicken wire fence where the existing fence leaves off. Keep the small chicks corralled until they are too big to fit through those holes. You'll want to build a smaller structure under that roof for nesting and sleeping quarters. That doesn't have to be fancy at all - a few pallets and a little plywood will do the trick. They mainly just want something to perch on.

Most good homestead breeds like RIR, Dominickers, ect are hardy animals. Just make sure they have plenty of food and water. They should take the heat just fine as long as they are in the shade.

Possums, coons and cats - If they are on your property they will be a problem you will have to deal with sooner or later. Hopefully your dog will be of some assistance with these critters. The air rifle is a good idea, so are live traps. I'd recommend foot traps if not for your dog. Increasing the height of the fence will help as well.

I don't *think* you will have a problem with hawks in that set up. From what I have observed with my own chicken casualties is hawks don't want to fly down under a covered area for a kill. They would much prefer a quick dive and kill in the open.

I don't know much about the black bears, they are scarce here. But my guess is if a big bear wanders up and decides to have your chickens then the chicken wire fencing isnt going to do much to stop him.

Chicken snakes will eat the eggs and maybe small chicks, but will not mess with your full size hens. Just watch where you put your hand when you reach in the nest box.

We have an aussie and he's great around the chickens. He did kill a few when he was a puppy by playing with them too rough, but after he got to be about 18 months or so hes calmed down and doesn't pay the chickens any mind.

In summary - chickens are easy, sans the predators. If you can get that part licked then it should be smooth sailing.

[SeldomSeenSlim]

motesjim's advice is pretty much the same as mine.

If you're buying chicks, get an even dozen. In 3-4 months if you don't want so many, just a eat a few. There isn't any more work involved until you start getting into several dozen chickens. Then things like washing eggs get time consuming.

Going around the base of the chain link with 2' chicken wire will help keep digging critters out. Fold it in an "L" and put 12"-18" buried out from the fence. Most animals will go right to where the fence hits the ground and start digging. If they hit wire they don't think to back up a foot and try again. The chicken wire will also help catch snakes. Might also consider walling in one side to provide a wind break. And maybe some shade cloth. All depends on your weather.

I use shock collars on my dogs. But they're hunting dogs. Best to just keep them separated.

Bears will eat chickens, but they'll also eat chicken feed. So will all sorts of other things. Best to store it in trash cans with a tight lid instead of just in feed sacks.

That building is 90% of the way there. I'd just finish it up and use that instead of building something else.

[Freebirde]

I don't have chickens (yet), but I have a book called "Chicken Tractor" http://www.goodearthpublications.com/ that I use for a reference. Try your local library, they may have a copy or can get one on inter library loan. The partly buried chicken wire will help keep the diggers out, but you also might consider some electric fencing to keep out the climbers. Two lines, +/- 3 inches out on the outside, one about nose high of a bear and the other near the top. You will need to secure your feed from rodents, tree rats, deer, 'possums, and bears. As far as snakes, the only thing that I can think of that preys on snakes that won't usually prey on chickens are peacocks.

[goatlady]

Your setup looks readily usable with a few modifications like a secure coop to lock them up at night in with their roosts there. Also those hens will have absolutely nothing to scratch on and eat in that dirt! No grass, no bugs, nada! Maybe figure on tossing a flake of alfalfa in there once in week or so and/or thinnings and scraps from your garden - the greens really give the egg yolks that farmer orange coloration!

[protus]

Your setup looks readily usable with a few modifications like a secure coop to lock them up at night in with their roosts there. Also those hens will have absolutely nothing to scratch on and eat in that dirt! No grass, no bugs, nada! Maybe figure on tossing a flake of alfalfa in there once in week or so and/or thinnings and scraps from your garden - the greens really give the egg yolks that farmer orange coloration!

right now we have some piles of grass and hickory nuts,twigs etc. ive been storing wood and "sticks" for fire under there. i figure if im to let them "roam" in the pen ill toss in some sort of wood pellet,pine straw,grass seed something to give it cover.


right now im trying to figure the best/easiest coop to build for them to nest/rest in.

i figure to raise it off the dirt a tad with blocks,see if i can find some pallets for the sides. ive got some lattice in the shed that with some wire could act like a floor.
for nest boxes couldnt i use buckets or milk crates or the such vs boxes...again i guess design will play a part in that.?????

[SeldomSeenSlim]

I'd go with a solid floor out of OSB or plywood with a few inches of sawdust instead of the lattice/wire. That was my first coop. 4'x4'x8' out of OSB with a shed roof. I had nesting boxes (cheap cat litter boxes) in there but they just ignored them and layed in a corner in the sawdust. I put one large door on the 8' side for easy access for me and then a small chicken door and ramp on an end so they could get to their "yard". Food and water hung underneath. Worked well for a small amount of chickens.

I'm a big fan of the deep litter setup. Helps keep things clean and does wonders for the garden.

[protus]

will the 4ft height of the pen be good enough for their "yard" or do i need to raise it.
the 2x4 lattice set up is already on site,,figured to use what i had to save cost.
incorporating existing frame work etc is what im trying to do....

[1Admin]

Pic of the shed area looks good overall. Higher fencing- they will make short "flights". Secure it really well including the bottom as dogs, coons, etc. will dig to get at them.

Bug Zapper hung up out there with the bottom taken off- decreases bugs in the yard, increases protein for the hens.

You don't need and probably don't want a rooster. Get used to hens first. Roosters are "jackies" and that's been the name of our last 2-3 of them. You won't be able to replenish without a rooster, but give it time, you'll get there soon enough.

Start slow, small amount of hens and no roosters. Build up and add a rooster as you need to.

[protus]

yeah,,we were gonna hold off on the rooster till we get the hens figured out lol.
bugs..the back of the shed is pretty wore out its spider heaven and all the good that comes from a run down out building..bug zapper idea is pretty good thx.

im just trying to think of the quickest easiest way to build this thing. last night we were even talking just wire in the whole thing,,use the door in the back as "our" entry way and just build a raised platform to hold some nest boxes and a roost bar...

double wire will go around the "gate" thats green in the picture and the sides have 1 1/2 x 2 heavy gauge stuff .
fyi all 3 sides(cept the gate side) are cinder blocked at the dirt. i was gonna run some 2x8 or ply on top of it to keep anything from prying under the wire between the block.
so the outter pen is pretty much set..its just figuring the coop/house for them at night i think lol.


can we mix bird ages for example 4 young adults and 4 chicks??? figure this way we can have older ones to produce or be produced(aka fried or grilled lol ) and the younger ones to grow into it. kinda like food rotation on a bird scale.....

[Bama]

I would also suggest sealing or covering the floor of your coop house for eaiser clean out and to keep your floor from absorbing urine. I tacked some lanoleium pieces to my floor. I use the deep litter method . If you stir the deep litter ever so often when its time to change it the shavings will be ready for the compost pile. I use a hoe to scrape the old litter off of the lanoleium.

[motesjm]

Don't mix the ages unless you can keep them separated until the smaller ones can defend themselves or evade the bigger birds. They can be very aggressive.