Thinking about chickens

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TerriG

TerriG

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Payson, Utah
We aren't big egg eaters (dh hates them), but the kids and I do like omelets and we use them for baking. I have been thinking about putting in a small coop once we have nice weather again. I want to build 2 10x12 sheds, one for the rabbitry and one for the butchering and processing. We were going to have an awning on the butchering shed for our 4-wheelers, but we won't be needing to store them there anymore. Since we were already planning on building it, I am thinking that it would be easy to turn it into a yard and small coop. It would only be about 10'x6' total (including the coop), but we only plan on having 3-5 hens. That would mean I would only need 2 nest boxes.

I am looking at a design that would be something like this: http://steamykitchen.com/20640-the-pala ... -coop.html

From what I've read, the chickens love to clean up after the rabbits. All that hay, seed, and feed that end up in the trays are gobbled up by the chickens. If that is true, what do I have to lose? Since we are raising the rabbits for meat, the chicken would just be another source of protein, either egg or meat.

What am I missing? btw, dh hates chickens, so I am still working on him. Funny enough, he is the one that originally brought it up.
 
I love that link! I've just been sticking young chickens in our rabbitry, and they do clean up after the rabbits! My rabbits sometimes generate more waste than they can eat, but we're raising more chickens to stick out there. Coop to follow soon... with a door into the rabbitry!
 
It's too early for me to think coherently so here are a few ideas.
Chickens do clean up after rabbits. Chicken poo isn't as nice neat and compact as rabbit. Where every you stick them, unless its a chicken tractor is going to lose all it's grass. Just think of an old mans head, the older he gets the less hair he has, same concept except there aren't chickens on the guys head.
If you want eggs but aren't necessarily in it for tons of them then start out small and I would suggest getting friendly birds. Can't think of any off the top of my groggy head.
I 'believe' chickens need about 2 - 3 sq ft per bird in the coop and I want to say something like 5 - 10 per in the run. Can't remember exactly, Backyardchickens.com is a good place with a lot of info.
You can either start out with pullets (young layers) or chicks and raise them yourself but with chicks you need a heat lamp this time of year. If you get pullets you'll also need artificial light to trick the chickens into thinking there is more daylight than what there really is.
If you get pullets don't expect them to immediately start laying for you. There is an adjustment period.
Chickens are very stress sensitive. They get stressed; they don't lay. They get sick there production is cut. They molt, production cut. Daylight leaves, production cut. Another chicken introduced, production cut. You get the point. Just expect it.
There are also some diseases that chickens and rabbits can give to each other, don't ask me what they are, don't remember.
Sorry, didn't look at the website you linked. If it has all this info just disregard.
Good luck.<br /><br />__________ Mon Jan 28, 2013 8:00 am __________<br /><br />P.S: Laying chickens don't have the same amount of meat as meat chickens. A chicken that is actively laying expends all of its energy on those eggs and becomes skinnier and skinnier. If you need to cull a chicken that is currently laying and you want meat that's fine, just don't expect meat like you'd find at the market.
 
Here's a page I made about the coop my hubby built last year. My rabbits also share the shed pictured now. I recommend barred rocks! They are laying an egg a day here in the dead of winter.
http://www.squidoo.com/easy-clean-chicken-coop
Maybe it will inspire you -- some things are less than similar to the palace coop, but since you mentioned sheds, it might be easy to build a coop in like we did. *shrug*
 
We have 14 Buff Orpington (great dual purpose bird) and our meat rabbits in hanging cages above them. The chickens do a great job cleaning up from the rabbits spilled grain/hay/poop, etc. The only thing I don't like is every time I go in the coop, I have to wear mud boots b/c otherwise I end up with lots of chicken poop on the bottoms of my shoes.
 
..Thats why I said to the poster get Bantums ...No need for a "Coop" and they will still get eggs and meat if they want meat too. :D
 
This is my daughter posting this, she's very big into chickens and is the expert at the local tractor supply.

Bantams are quite common for the racoons and possums to get. Many of those breeds don't lay very well because they are strictly ornamental, but if they have their heart set on bantams then Nankins are a good breed. They are amongst the oldest bantam breeds, a heritage breed, and they have no standard size counterpart. I think they are listed as either critical or threatened by the ALBC. They are known for being calm, very broody, and decent layers of small white eggs.

If they go for standard sized the I suggest wyandottes, new hampshires, orpingtons, or australorps for the hens and orpingtons or australorps for roosters. Everyone always talks about rhode island reds as being so great but I've never had good luck with them. For the kids RIR hens have virtually no personality and can be kinda dumb. And of course the RIR roos are known for being very nasty things. My wyandottes and new hampshires hens are very intelligent and personable. My NH hen julie follows me around and even guards me from the other hens!

Wyandotte roos are known to carry a mean gene, so far I only have a nice roo and breed nice roos from him. NH's are descended from RIR and the roos are often mean. Orpingtons and australorps (who are descended from orpingtons in australia and are cold/heat hardy) are both calm and sweet.

Even if you want to free range your birds you should still have an open coop, mainly some nestboxes that are covered and a spot for their feeder to keep dry, a mini pole-barn could be a great idea! Also if theres a hawk they have somewhere to hide. Chickens are so fun, and like yall said its a good way for kids to see where their food comes from. :chicken: :feedchicken:
 
-HRanchito":3agetn8l said:
Here's a page I made about the coop my hubby built last year. My rabbits also share the shed pictured now. I recommend barred rocks! They are laying an egg a day here in the dead of winter.
http://www.squidoo.com/easy-clean-chicken-coop
Maybe it will inspire you -- some things are less than similar to the palace coop, but since you mentioned sheds, it might be easy to build a coop in like we did. *shrug*
Click to expand...

I really like some of the things you did! I could combine ideas easily. So for your poop chute, is it under the roost? How often do you need to power wash everything down? I kinda like the wire bottom (more like rabbits).

No idea on breeds. Can't have a rooster. That is one rule that our city has. If one of the chicks end up a roo, he will be soup.

I don't want the chickens in the rabbitry. We use trays+pine shavings, so could we empty those into the chicken yard? Sounds gross.
 
Here is a pic of our coop, attached to our shed. The coop is 6' x 8', and we keep around a dozen chickens in it.

5748106510_1216d11f90_m.jpg


I second the suggestion of orpingtons. They are an excellent dual purpose bird- both good brown egg layers and a good meat bird. They are also generally sweet natured. Mine run to me when I go outside.

ETA: since this pic, we have painted the shed and coop a nice barn red. We have three nesting boxes that we can access from the back of the coop. We also free range the birds when the garden is done for the year.
 
I love my Australorps and Orpingtons. They are such mellow birds. :)

My understanding of "dual purpose" is that when the hens' laying tapers off they are butchered for the table... but I have never done it. :? Would they be suitable only as soup?
 
My dh keeps telling me how bad they stink. That they poop everywhere. That the coop and yard will be disgusting. True, or not?
 
They do poop everywhere- and as with any animal, they will have an odor. How intense depends on your husbandry practices.
 
How often will I need to clean? We do trays once or twice a week and scrub cages as needed (usually monthly). Will it be more than that?
 
If you have a deep litter system (1' of bedding material on ground) 1-2 times/year is all that's necessary. Spring and Fall I shovel out the bedding to compost, put new bedding in as necessary. I also disenfect the roosts, nests and anywhere they've pooped.
Others probably do it differently.
 
MamaSheepdog":11q2ri5o said:
I love my Australorps and Orpingtons. They are such mellow birds. :)

My understanding of "dual purpose" is that when the hens' laying tapers off they are butchered for the table... but I have never done it. :? Would they be suitable only as soup?
Click to expand...

That's my understanding too MSD. I tried this once. I thought a hen had stopped laying so I butchered it and was going to use it in a soup. It was my first time for processing a chicken so I was following step by step on the computer but everything was so different. I guess that may be because meat chickens are culled before they start laying and, well, these had laid. Turns out I was wrong and the chicken had a few yokes in her. I didn't even get to finish processing her. Chickens wreak when process. I figure I'll have someone else do it or show me how. (Plus the defeathering process takes f o r e v e r....they have lots of feathers.
 
They say dual purpose but I never butcher my girls. They are pets, plus by the time they pass on they usually are too tough for anything beyond stewing/soup. Plus the rumor that chickens just stop laying at 2 y/o is soooo NOT true!
 

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