Anyone have a chicken coop?

acnuk · ‎03-10-2010

I am seriously thinking to get one and have 4 to 6 laying hens. My husband and I went on a coop to coop tour in our area and it was fascinating. I loved seeing all the different styles of coops and runs. Some of the chickens we saw were beautiful and the eggs were all different colors. I love that they eat weeds and chicken scraps. Does anybody here keep chickens, and what are your tips?

luckygirl322 · ‎03-11-2010

We have three hens: Mabel, Gracie and Nugget. We've been keeping chickens for two years now-they have been a joy, fresh eggs and laughs everyday. You will be astounded at their personalities as you get to know them.

Check out hencam.com-Terri is a real expert, and downthelane.net, lots of nice chicken people on there-the facebook page, too. Always willing to answer questions, and you will find lots of pertinent info for the novice backyard chicken keeper.

Good luck and happy hens!

acnuk · ‎03-10-2010

Thank you so much LuckyGirl! I will check out those sites. There is no comparison from fresh eggs to grocery store ones.

Starlight1_1 · ‎03-22-2014

Since I live in Brooklyn NY city I do not have or need a chicken coop. Thanks for the laughs

ballyk · ‎03-09-2010

We had two home made chicken coops and raised about 100 chickens a year. Its pretty time consuming and somewhat expensive but you know what you are eating. Definitely has a different taste.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

.....yup, right next to Daisy the cow.

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

Do you live in a urban or rural area? If urban, you are soooo ahead of the curve!!! Urban Animal Husbandry is becoming very, very popular. Mother Earth News did an article on chickens a while back....there's lots of literature out there about it. Remember...check with your city code...to see if & what limitations you have before purchasing the animals & equipment.

Cool that we see where our food comes from. Important lesson for everyone.

faeriemoon · ‎03-14-2010

My brother and sister-in-law decided to get chickens a couple of years ago. It's not my thing but they love the whole "grow your own eggs" experience. They had about 15 chickens, but last week a fox got in, so they're down three or four chickens. ${#emotions_dlg.sad}$

ValuSkr · ‎03-15-2014

Just wondering, are you raising them for eggs, meat, or both? Will you butcher them yourself? I couldn't handle that. And, they really eat chicken scraps? That seems rather odd, or even gross.

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

My brother has chickens. His chicken coop is near my property line, so when the chickens are out, they are free ranging on my property. The rooster and hens roam the property and the edge of the woods for several hours each day. My brother feeds them standard chicken feed/laying mash, but they also eat scraps we toss out, like peelings from potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, corncobs, coffee grounds, etc. My brother dusts the chickens to keep them lice free. While the chickens love to roam around in the garden during the summer and eat potato bugs, cabbage worms, and beetles, they also like to peck the cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. During the winter, my brother keeps a heat lamp burning in the chicken coop. My brother has had no problems with foxes or weasels, but has lost several hens to attacks from chicken hawks.