ChknTndr
Chirping
Guys & gals (& everything in between)-
I'm struggling over here! I'm new to the chicken (and duck) world and there is SO MUCH information out there! I am very thankful for that, but between all of my obligations I'm finding it hard to find the time to find what I need in all of it.
Our babies are about a week old now. We have 4 barred rock (3 female, 1 male we think), 4 assorted bantams (no clue on sex or breed), and 3 Pekin (we think) ducks (again, no clue on sex). We're trying to build separate houses for the chickens and ducks that will share a 20' x 40' run. There are SO many houses out there (DIY, for purchase, pre-owned) and I'm a bit overwhelmed. What I need from y'all is:
- When should we move the chicks from their brooder box to a coop?
- What size coop is needed to ethically accommodate up to 12 birds? (we already plan to add)
- Is 3-4 hens per nesting box accurate?
- Should we build smaller houses for the chicks and ducks to use until they're full-grown or just put them into the full-size coop when they've outgrown the brooder box?
- What size house is needed to ethically accommodate up to 6 ducks? (again, we plan on adding)
- Is it true that ducks don't need nesting boxes?
- What "must haves" are needed in the coop? What about toys or activities for the run? We plan on including a kiddie pool for the ducks that will (hopefully) be tall enough that the chickens can't get into, but don't know what other items we should include to prevent boredom.
- What are the best (and most frugal) materials to use? We don't mind spending the money, but we also want to get the most bang for our buck!
- Does anyone have experience building their own gravity feeders and/or gravity-style or automatic water supply?
- Any input on using a rain barrel as a water supply? We have well water, but thought rain water might be a more convenient supply.
I know there are a lot of websites and forums out there that cover this. But, I am really just overwhelmed by all of it. Looking to consolidate the information and also hear personal experiences. Or, if you have a recommendation to a book or website that consolidates this information that would be helpful, too! We don't mind trial and error, but we also like to work smarter, not harder! Thanks in advance for the help!
Jan
P.S. I've attached a plan of a design I came up with to accommodate the birds.
The coop is 7'x7' and the duck house is 5'x5'
I'm struggling over here! I'm new to the chicken (and duck) world and there is SO MUCH information out there! I am very thankful for that, but between all of my obligations I'm finding it hard to find the time to find what I need in all of it.
Our babies are about a week old now. We have 4 barred rock (3 female, 1 male we think), 4 assorted bantams (no clue on sex or breed), and 3 Pekin (we think) ducks (again, no clue on sex). We're trying to build separate houses for the chickens and ducks that will share a 20' x 40' run. There are SO many houses out there (DIY, for purchase, pre-owned) and I'm a bit overwhelmed. What I need from y'all is:
- When should we move the chicks from their brooder box to a coop?
- What size coop is needed to ethically accommodate up to 12 birds? (we already plan to add)
- Is 3-4 hens per nesting box accurate?
- Should we build smaller houses for the chicks and ducks to use until they're full-grown or just put them into the full-size coop when they've outgrown the brooder box?
- What size house is needed to ethically accommodate up to 6 ducks? (again, we plan on adding)
- Is it true that ducks don't need nesting boxes?
- What "must haves" are needed in the coop? What about toys or activities for the run? We plan on including a kiddie pool for the ducks that will (hopefully) be tall enough that the chickens can't get into, but don't know what other items we should include to prevent boredom.
- What are the best (and most frugal) materials to use? We don't mind spending the money, but we also want to get the most bang for our buck!
- Does anyone have experience building their own gravity feeders and/or gravity-style or automatic water supply?
- Any input on using a rain barrel as a water supply? We have well water, but thought rain water might be a more convenient supply.
I know there are a lot of websites and forums out there that cover this. But, I am really just overwhelmed by all of it. Looking to consolidate the information and also hear personal experiences. Or, if you have a recommendation to a book or website that consolidates this information that would be helpful, too! We don't mind trial and error, but we also like to work smarter, not harder! Thanks in advance for the help!
Jan
P.S. I've attached a plan of a design I came up with to accommodate the birds.
The coop is 7'x7' and the duck house is 5'x5'