Keeping Backyard Chickens - Part 1

Spring Chickens

Equipment


Moving into the Coop
Housing the chickens will depend on where you live. We have very cold snowy winters and thanks to the realities of Climate Change, we also experience extended days of hot/humid days of 90+ degrees. I wanted the coop to be predator proof so I decided to purchase one made by a local farmer, which cost me $600 (without roof shingles and unpainted). I added the shingles, stained the outside with weatherproof stain and, as we are now going on our 6th year, I'm so glad I did this.
The other consideration is not to overstuff your chicken coop with chickens. I had originally purchased 9 Rhode Island Reds and this coop was built for 6 chickens. It was a tight fit and I had to add another roost for them. Overcrowding a chicken coop is not healthy for the birds and can cause health problems. Since we live in a wooded area we have all kinds of wildlife (i.e. - hawks, coyote, fox, fisher cat, raccoon, possum, an occasional black bear) plus local dogs and cats. As all are potential predators, we fenced in a large section of woods surrounding the coop to given the chickens plenty of room to roam while also protecting them from most of these critters.


6 comments
Chickens! Great post with great photos. We want chickens, someday. Love your coup set up. :)
We love keeping chickens and it was great for the kids when they were little. We buy ours now from 4H kids at the fair. That way we eliminate the chick stage which is more work (but more fun too).
I agree! I also love the fact that chickens come in all shapes, sizes, colors and feathers. I love chickens with funny feathers and look like they are having a bad hair day.
I have friends who keep chickens, and I’ve done “chicken sitting” while they were out of town. What surprised me the most is how beautiful they are! The colors, and the glossy feathers. Good luck with your girls!
Thanks! There will be more pictures coming – they are a hoot to have!
I agree about having chickens with the kids. My daughter has cerebral palsy and her therapist decided to incorporate the chicks into her therapy sessions. My daughter is tactile defensive because most her her life when someone takes her hand its not to hold it but to poke her with a needle for an IV. So we try and find fun ways for Katie to use her hands – touching the chicks was one way to get her to allow us to guide her to use her hands.