coop progress

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Comment by Kristin on December 2, 2009 at 2:33pm

Chris- excellent point! I went to Rachel's class and I will say taking the PPG classes are a huge help with getting comfortable and ready to embark on your own poultry journey! Lynne the class is offered pretty regularly so if you miss it this time be sure to catch it next time! In my house I have one roommate and we have no problem eating all the chicken and quail eggs we get- and I was planning on giving/selling eggs to a few friends of mine who requested eggs if I had extras from my gals. (since I don't currently have any extras I'd say 2 hens can supply egg needs for 2 people just fine, unless you're super egg eaters. we bake and cook a lot with our eggs but never run out!) Chris another excellent point about the moulting...since I've only had my girls for 3 months I haven't yet experienced that. I got my gals from a guy on craigslist- he bought 8 hens and soon found out he had WAY too many eggs, so he sold 4 of his birds. He had a family of 4 if that helps.

Comment by Lynne Sczruba on December 2, 2009 at 1:28pm

Wow! Thanks for that info Chris. Sounds like 2 hens would be plenty for us but then maybe they'd be lonely? I'm not sure if I can make the class tomorrow as I'm busy setting up for my Monarch Garden Box booth at the Thieve's Market in Cave Creek this week-end. If I can get enough boxes built today ... maybe!

Comment by Chris Byers on December 2, 2009 at 10:52am

Lynne,
Depending on the breed and feed you will average about 2 eggs every 3 days per hen. They will have period during the year of closer to one a day and during moult will go to zero. So five hens will give about 24 eggs a week, give or take, depending on conditions and breed. PPG class on Dec. 3 if you have questions you would like answered.
http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/events/raising-chickens-in-your-11

Comment by Lynne Sczruba on December 2, 2009 at 9:04am

Very helpful information! Thank you Kristin! You and I think alike since I have a business building veggie boxes and kept conservation of materials in mind when designing them too. I will have to build a lower profile enclosure because of CCRs in our HOA. I have heard you need 4-5 chickens to have enough eggs for a family but its just two of us so I'm thinking 4 would be my max as well. Your Orpingtons remind me of the Rhode Island Reds I grew up with...love the color!

Comment by Kristin on December 2, 2009 at 9:01am

oops- I just realized I didn't answer all of your questions...from my two buff orpingtons I have got 2 eggs per day for the 3 months I've had them. (I also have 5 Coturnix female quail that are laying with more quail to come...and with a light on them I get an egg a day or at most an egg every other day from them) With the weather getting colder, this morning I only got one egg, but that doesn't mean that I won't have another waiting for me when I get home! I have been so pleased with the breed as I read they are so calm and friendly- and it's true! When I walk out my back door they call to me, and they run up to the coop door to see what goodies I am bringing them in the mornings. They are an absolute joy and I would recommend them to anyone. Even though I got the quail first, I think I like the chickens better because the quail are kind of flighty and nervous little creatures whereas my chickens are more friendly and interactive. Hope this info helps! Let me know if you have any more questions or would like to come by!

Comment by Kristin on December 2, 2009 at 8:53am

Hi Lynne! Of course I'd love to share! Anything to encourage new chicken ownership :) The coop is 6 feet from front to back and 8 feet side to side. I made it 6 feet tall in the back, and even though it shows above my fence in the back, I face an alley so it's not a big deal. I could have made it shorter in the back, but I'm a tall gal and I like to be able to just walk into the back door of the coop. The front is 4 feet tall. These dimensions were chosen to minimize waste of construction materials (8' 2 x 4s, 4' wide chicken wire, and the 2' scraps from the 6' sides were used to make the perch) I won't have it done in time for the tour de coops- not this coming one anyways...perhaps I will sign up for a future one if they have another :) If you and your husband would like to come by sometime and see the setup you're welcome to! I know my boyfriend was very concerned with it (and he doesn't even live with me!) but he is actually quite pleased with how it has all turned out. I think for 2 chickens the coop is oversized. I am actually thinking of getting 2 more (but 4 is my max) but they would all live together. I don't let them free range in my yard just yet because I just moved into my house and my yard is very much under construction, but I do plan on letting them free range (supervised-I have a dog and a pool with no fence so I'd have to be out there with them to watch) but currently they are more than happy with the space they have- I regularly add grass trimmings and other greens as treats and they have a wonderful time digging around and scratching in their coop.

Comment by Lynne Sczruba on December 2, 2009 at 8:19am

Hi Kristin, I am thinking of getting some chickens and am looking for the best way to house them. Do you keep them in this coop full time? Can you share the dimensions with me? Do you have just the 2 chickens and if so how many eggs do they provide on average? My husband is somewhat negative on this idea so I need to try to keep the chicken "footprint" in our yard at the minimal level but I still want the chickens to be healthy and happy. Thanks for any info you might share.