I might need a little help here

Question

My wife seems to come up with these great ideas that always end up in me doing a lot of work when there is an easier way to get the same end result.
She thinks she needs a chicken coop or house or whatever it takes to keep 7 or so chickens in .Why 7? Beats me but that seems to be the magic number. I know nothing about chickens except Col. Sanders seems to do a good job with them! I can build something for them to get in at night....if I know what they need to have.

Anybody know what I need to build? How to build it and how many eggs do chickens lay? Oh, and how often?
any thoughts or insight would be appreciated!

Can chickens fly?

addict3 · Answer

I'm so sorry I ignored you. Thanks to you and to praline also. I tried the first link and couldn't make it work but the youtube was good. 
I just didn't think chickens could be that much trouble or stink so much.lol
Please stay around. I collect marbles!

littlebit667 · Answer

well, pooh!  I was helping....shoot lesa gets all the credit!  gonna pick up my marbles and leave!  :)

praline23 · Answer

Chickens stink! My mom has some. My dad built a coop that is stationary. It is like those little barn shaped sheds that people park their lawnmowers in. The inside has a wire/walled off area so when you go in chickens aren't flying at you.  The side has shelves with cubby areas where they lay eggs. The back has a high window with a screen so it can be opened in the summer. There is a closable side door with a little ramp. Outside is a large area fenced off with chicken wire and has netting over to protect from hawks, eagles and other wild birds that will catch them. It's a nice area and so far nothing has gotten in and killed or injured any. Oh, she has a gate door that is outside so she can get into the fence area to clean, water and whatnot. We've let the chickens out to roam a couple times but they hang out around the fence line because that's what they know to be their safe area. You'll want to make sure it's ok with your township if you live in or near town to have chickens. I personally hate the little buggers because they stink and the 2 roosters (that mom was told would grow to be hens) cooonnstantly crow...and are mean. Chickens creep me out..I think it's their ugly legs...haha
Best of luck to you! I hope your wife knows what she's getting into and likes it because otherwise you'll probably end up with 1 stinky hobby on your hands!

dominosarah · Answer

WHICH brings me to another thought...THE LOON CAM!!  I will be right back with the site info.........

dominosarah · Answer

Lesa, stop trying to suck up here!!  lol

Here is a bit of trivia for all of you.  I was watching Minnesota Bound with Ron Shara and the star of the show Raven, the black lab tonight.  SOOOOO during the show the bit of trivia comes up and it is about chickens..Did you know that the longest recorded flight time of a chicken is 13 seconds?  Well now you all know this and will be able to sleep much better.  You can thank me later.

IBKleen · Answer

I can't wait for this to go viral. Can y'all see a video of addict running down a country road trying to catch his prize Angus....lmao

10356 · Answer

as you can see Addict3 I'm the sensible one :)))

Farmmmm living is the life for me~~ Land spreading out so far and wide~~ Keep Manhattan now give me that countryside !!! :))))

addict3 · Answer

Oh yeah, you guys are a riot!!

Thanks lesa! now that's the kinda info I was looking for. Useful informative help, not some of this smartalec Green Acres stuff! lol

Just for the record I was thinking about cows also,....and not necessarily Llamas, but Alpacas and maybe an Emu or two!!

No goats. they want to get on your vehicle!

And as for the rooster crowing.....dosen't everyone get up @ 5:oo Am?

10356 · Answer

I also em trying to talk gary into a chicken coop !! :)) They are relatively easy to build.. a small enclosure for outside that is fenced with chicken wire around and on top Yes they fly lol if this is called flying, and a small coop one you can fit in to, to collect eggs.. it needs to have boxes in it for each hen and some hay The boxes need to be the size of a chicken laying down.... 4 eggs a day ? for 1 chicken ? that is a good layer !! we would average about 2 to 3 eggs a day for the mature chickens. you do not need a rooster for them to lay unless you want fertile eggs I prefer them unfertilized myself :) They do take upkeep and need feed but they will also eat table scraps.. You can actually alter the taste of the eggs for what you feed them.. Never feed meat They will eat it but it makes the eggs taste bad.. anyway I wish you well with this endeavor I have the house for them It use to be my children's play house but now we use it to store bikes. It would be Perfect.. Nothing taste better then fresh eggs !! :)) lesa

dominosarah · Answer

Green Acres is the place for me, faaarmmm living is the life for me!!

Are we big helpers Addict?

IBKleen · Answer

I'm thinking "Chicken Man" could also use some cows to go along with the Rooster, goats, chickens and llamas.

vicki595 · Answer

Yes, goats!  And how about a couple of LLAMAS?

dominosarah · Answer

If you have neighbors that live close they will hate you when that dam rooster starts in at 5:00 a.m!!

I would get some goats to go along with the chickens!!  lmao

vicki595 · Answer

...husband #3      ROFLMFAO

IBKleen · Answer

Okay, I just found this post and after falling on the floor rolling around laughing, I am now able to respond. 

Back in the early 70's my family bought a farm and part of the deal was to continue to care for their 10 or 12 chickens. REALLY? We were a bunch of city slickers moving to the country and believe me---chickens were not our thing. My brother drives around with gloves and a shovel in his car and if he hits a squirrel or something on the road, he buries it. So he was keeping these chickens no matter what. They do fly and they don't do it well. They can't get lift off and they can't get distance so they take off and come in your direction you better be quick. They will fly right into you. They are not known for their intelligence.

I remember them escaping the coop pretty often and flying in all directions. My brother had to go and corral them He cared for them and feed them every day. I don't remember having eggs from them so I don't know what was up with that. I only stayed there a short time. I was scouting out husband #3 and had found me a pretty good prospect so I was distracted. 

In our recent move to where we are now we were looking at a piece of property way off the beaten path. Steve's first thought was that we would have chickens. I shot him right down. There is no way at my age I am going to retire and clean up chicken poop. No way! Just for the record---they poop on a average every 20 minutes. Seven chickens--pooping every twenty minutes. You do the math. 

And oh yeah, you will need a Rooster. So you've got 7 chickens all screaming and pooping and you've got a Rooster who will be your 5 am alarm clock for the rest of your days. All this for a Pecan Coconut cake? GOD love ya honey. You're a good man!!

Anyway, here is the link to the website that Steve was using to gather information on building coups and maintaining them:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops

Again, I wish you all the luck in the world. Let us know how it is going....lmao

vicki595 · Answer

Yes, they can fly but they won't fly away, unfortunately!

With 7 chickens, you'll have eggs everyday. Each chicken will lay around four eggs at a time.

So sweet of you to build a coop for your sweetie!

littlebit667 · Answer

this is fun check out youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJKwsCVv9vg

littlebit667 · Answer

A friend makes the coop movable so he can move it around his garden to fertilize it.  They can fly a little.  or take the lazy way out!

http://www.petsmart.com/family/index.jsp?s=D-PAD-Web+Only&categoryId=12284258&lmdn=Product+Type&fbc=1&f=PAD%2FType+1%2FChicken+Coops&fbn=Type+1|Chicken+Coops&pg=1&searchSort=TRUE&SR=sr3_9018793_go&gclid=CML0k8HC168CFWy-tgodHwsYCw

addict3 · Answer

She wants them for the eggs. She says I will never have to want for any baked sweets again. Seems like I've heard something like that before. Ha
7 birds would stink? Enough to nix this little chore?

I don't think she has considered the curtains yet, I think she is waiting so she will be able to coordinate the colors with the flooring and wall paint!

Do chickens fly?

dominosarah · Answer

So you want to build a hen house huh??  Do you want to eat the chickens or have them for eggs?  Do you realize these dam things stink?  Have you given any thought to what type of curtains for the windows?!!