Raising Chickens???

Anyone here do it?

I had chickens when I was a kid, and now that we’re back in the country I’d like to get the boys into it (they’re interested).

Was thinking about building a small coop for egg layers inside of an existing shed, then have a wired/covered run outside. Something for 4-6 birds to supply us with eggs.

I also want to raise a batch or two of meat chickens. We have pasture that I could do one of those mobile enclosures (chicken tractor) where you move it every day or three.

What works for you guys? Any tips?

I think buckybadger may have recently started a small poultry operation at his property. Maybe he can help you with some tips.

We have kept 5 to 27 chickens at home for 6 years. I try to shoot for 12 which is way more then we need in the summer but just enough in the winter. We have had Olive Eggers and Australorps. The Australorps have been much better around people and egg production. We will be looking for chicks this spring again. Are Australorps are atleast 4 years old and still laying regularly. The gf and her family raise some meat chickens out at her brothers place. They butcher 50 to 100 a year. They use a mobile pen for the meat chickens.

Don’t drop your chewing gum in the chicken pen is my only advice.

My wife wanted the chickens, but I didn’t necessarily want them that bad.

We know how compromises go…

I was able to postpone her until this coming Spring rather than dealing with it this summer and spring while getting trees planted, rebuilding field accesses from flooding, and some fishing in. I just finished a coop build a few weeks ago that’s currently occupying too much shed space until Spring (or whenever she paints it). It’s 8’x5’ and around 2’ off the ground. It will have an 8’ x 14’ attached run with a covered roof, and another external door to an area they can access to pick bugs in an open area about 20×30 with poultry netting during the day. I think the plan is to get a dozen chickens this spring. She’s got her breeds she likes picked out. They will be laying hens.

Our area is quite predator heavy, so free range isn’t going to be much of an option. We have coyotes and fox, opossum, raccoons, eagles and hawks all visible almost daily. The Ruger 10/22 and the new .17 will probably be a regular part of the operation.

Just asked her, she said she wants barred rocks, buff orphingtons, some Americuanas, and black sex linked birds. I think she’s ordering them through “Cagle” hatchery?

Kids of all ages seem to like chickens. Sounds like you’re going to keep them in a run. We’re going to fence ours in next year as well. It can be fun watching them wander all over the yard but man they crap everywhere, and we’re tired of that.

If you get 4-6 chickens, in the summer months with long days you’ll often get 4-6 eggs a day. It’s a good problem to have but just be ready for it. They don’t need to be refrigerated right away unless they’re washed (we don’t wash ours until we’re about to use them). Have plenty of egg cartons and fridge space available. I’m not sure what the actual recommendations are but I think you can keep them in the fridge unwashed for months.

Do a little reading on lice and mites just so you’re at least aware of that stuff. And you’ll have to scoop out the coop, so have an area in mind on your land where you can dump that stuff.

@Dan do you have chickens?

Debating what the plan is for her run…I’m thinking sand in the run and pine shavings in the coop for cold season, but might try sand in the coop too for warm season? It just seems easier to deal with but I could be very wrong

We do pine shavings in the coop year round and just a dirt floor in the run, but unless it’s arctic cold they don’t spend a lot of time in the run. When the pine shavings get full of poop we scoop shovel it all out and lay fresh stuff down. The wife does have a heat lamp she turns on in the coop on the real cold days, helps keep their water from freezing too.

You mentioned predators too earlier bucky- that’ll be important to consider too B-Man. I don’t really have a worry in the world during the day. We lost one this year from a precision strike from a hawk and two last winter from some dogs that had wandered 2 miles from their home, but those cases were anomalies. Night time there are coons and coyotes everywhere. In 5 years we made one mistake and it cost us. OK I made the mistake, I was working a night shift, wife was gone and they were locked up, I went to grab eggs and a few got out and I didn’t have time to get them all back in before work, and 2 got slaughtered.

It’s ingrained in us to pretty much know what we’ll be doing at dark every day. Yesterday we knew we’d be at her parents for Christmas so we just didn’t leave the chickens out at all. Other times we’ve based when we’re leaving somewhere on making it home in time to lock them up at dark.

B-man wrote:

I also want to raise a batch or two of meat chickens.

Just don’t butcher them with new painter’s pants on. Don’t ask.

What breeds do you guys have?

I told the Mrs. no lamps or heat once they go out to the coop and run. I don’t want to deal with that. The most I’ll do is put a wind block up on their run.

Th extra eggs makes for good cheap dog food.

No lamps or heat will mean little to no eggs in the winter. Go to local feed store and get a bag of powdered lime. Put it in the coop where they sleep. They must crap non stop when they sleep and the ammonia smell gets overwhelming but the lime will eliminate most of it. It wont hurt the chickens even if the dummies do eat it. We had chickens for 6 years and gave them away not long ago to someone on here. Sure miss the fresh eggs but dont miss the smell. Your boys will have fun with them my now 6&7 year old girls loved them birds.

we have had chickens for about a decade now. We built a coop inside a barn similar to what you are planning on and it worked really well. our birds are free range and we have a timed door.

they now have a dedicated coop.

we layer hay in the winter.

we put lights on in the winter to keep them laying.

have about 15 along with 2 roosters who seem to get along

Do you guys who have chickens notice a drop in bugs/ticks in the yard? I’ve heard one of the benefits of chickens is they really crack down on the ticks.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

Do you guys who have chickens notice a drop in bugs/ticks in the yard? I’ve heard one of the benefits of chickens is they really crack down on the ticks.

I’ve heard that a lot. Thing is, we moved into our place in the fall of 2019 and got chickens over the winter, so I’ve never known bug season without them to compare. I do live near some deep woods and can say I’ve never really had much for ticks around the house.

just don=t name them

mike

mike mulhern wrote:

hat a lot. Thing is, we moved into our place in the fall of 2

A buddy adopted 2 nieces and a nephew after his SIL passed. He had a couple cows in the pasture, one of which he was getting ready to butcher. He was scared when the kids asked to name the cows. Played it cool, asked what they had in mind. First response was “T-Bone”. He knew things were good.

T-bone!

interesting thread. mom and dad let us get 4 chickens when we were little kids. they were free range and cant believe they stuck around.

best tasting chicken i ever ate. but it was a 1 and done venture!!!

Bump.

B-Man, did you guys ever go through with adding chickens to the homestead?

Naturally, I built my wife one using plans SHE found from this Third Coast Craftsman site which turned out pretty nice, and then she completely changed her mind and wanted one she could walk into. She sold the other one to her brother for the cost of materials and now have this one made up for her. Next up is some sort of run. I think she is picking up her birds the first week of March?

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When my Daughters were young I was at a buddies who had chickens. We decided to eat a couple.
Daughter watched us butcher them. She hasn’t ate chicken in 25 years.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

When my Daughters were young I was at a buddies who had chickens. We decided to eat a couple.
Daughter watched us butcher them. She hasn’t ate chicken in 25 years.

Mine are the type that’d help hold them down for the butchering.

At 2.5 years old, my oldest daughter sat in a goose blind behind the house with ear muffs waving a flag and angered the dogs when she’d go retrieve the geese that were shot. She was upset about the blood on one of her unicorn rainboots though. She’s lately taken to riding dirtbike (she turns 4 at the end of the month). Chickens and the “circle of life” will be right up her alley.

Sounds like my girls. They dont shy away from anything. Gotta always get 2 ducks from first flock so they each have a dead one to play with.

Bucky that is a SWEET!

I haven’t started building anything yet, I’m still on the fence if we’re going to do egg layers or meat birds. Originally I thought both would be fun but I’m going with one or the other for our first go-around.

I think about raising chickens maybe every other year and then I slap myself in the face really hard and come to my senses.

I grew up on a dairy farm along with having chickens for eggs and meat. I was exposed to enough sh!t (manure) to last several life times. And every several years I go to the state fair and visit the cattle barn. My radar is still sharp and I rarely even have to look at the ground to avoid stepping in sh!t.

Signed
Had Enough

B-Man did the chicken operation start up? The boys could handle that right between the maple syrup and the jig tying!

The post office called this afternoon that the wife and girls’ chicks arrived. Paid for 10 and of course they shipped 16. Sipping a beer watching a 4 year old and 1.5 year old play with chicks sure is entertaining!

Well I was informed yesterday that we are getting chickens.

I asked “when,” and Mom said in about 60 minutes

Sure as $hit Hank and her came home with 6 birds.

Ben and I dropped what we were doing and started building a coop.

We are going to put it inside the boys pole barn, then cut a little door through the tin and have a dog kennel for a run outside of the building.

We built it with all free material I’ve gotten off of job sites that were destined for the dumpster. The 2×4’s came from a train derailment that my company cleaned up and the 3/4″ plywood was used once as concrete forms and getting thrown out. The RV window came out of an old TV truck that was used for televising pipes.

I didn’t use any plans and just made it work with what I had on hand. Since it will be inside another building it doesn’t have to be pretty or have a real roof. I slapped a little paint and trim on the two sides that will be visible from inside the shed, but it’s a chicken coop. It kinda looks like a little kid built it because a little kid built a lot of it

I have a grand total of 8 hours and zero dollars into it. I still have to wire in a light and switch, and install skids to drag it into their pole barn.

The dog kennel she picked out is 4×8 or 4×10 and 6′ high with a cover and was less than $200. I’m probably going to look at getting something bigger though. Not sure what she spent on the chicks, feed, bedding, light, feeder and waterer, but assuming it wasn’t too bad.

Looking forward to fresh eggs this fall, and I think it will be a great experience for the boys. We had chickens when I was a kid and it was a pretty cool memory.

Here goes nothing…

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Make sure and put chicken wire over top of kennel coons will climb it. Probably wanna put a row around bottom as well they are dumb enough when young to stick their head through the fence for the neighbor cat.

Awesome! Keep us posted on the progress. Looks like he’s holding a Rhode Island Red there. Those things are known to pump out the eggs. Thankfully your wife doesn’t know my wife, as it sounds like their similar thought processes would lead to more work for both of us.

My girls just moved theirs to the coop (8 weeks old). The only real issue we have is a fight between my now 4 year old and almost 2 year old over who gets to feed the chickens scraps after supper before their baths. One escaped on the transfer from the garage brooder down the hill to the coop, and my younger daughter staggered right up to it and gave it a near suffocating bearhug.