I'm very glad I found this forum. I moved from the city to the country 8 years ago. I'm retired and my wife and I love animals and we eat lots of eggs. I have an unoccupied dog pen which is 20' x 20'. I plan on making a frame using PVC and covering the pen with bird netting. I'll be building a 4' x 8' coop next to the pen and I hope to get 10 to 12 hens. I'm doing lots of reading about breeds and such right now. I'll probably be asking lots of questions and hopefully not make a nuisance of myself. Lol
Thanks for joining Scott, we look forward to your questions and watching your build once you start it.
Hi from New Jersey. I'm in pretty much the same boat as you. I'm just getting started and hope to learn from all the collective experience. People on these chicken websites are really terrific.
Hi ScottV, glad you're here! Don't know much about the weather in MS or what breed of chicken you're thinking about but the rule of thumb is 4 sq ft per bird inside and 10 sq ft outside. Now in CT with a lot of snow, my large fowl girls need all that space. Maybe not so much in MS and not with Silkies.... And plan big to avoid needing a second coop when you learn chicken math! Good luck!
I'm almost through with my coop. It's 8x8 with about 2 ft of it framed off with chicken wire for food and supply storage. I have four nest boxes with lids where i can collect the eggs from outside. I've got a sliding chicken door leading out to a 20x25 dog pen that I'm going to top with bird netting. I've got a rope leading to the outside of the coop where I can raise or lower their door without going inside. I've got 6 Rhode Island Reds and 6 Barred Rock chicks which are a week old now and in a brooder. I'll probably never collect enough eggs to pay for the coop but I'm not going into raising chickens as a means of income. It's going to be a hobby with fresh eggs as a reward.
Good starter choices! That's what I started with too. Very hardy for any kind of weather. Good foragers and excellent egg layers! Friendly breeds, big personalities.
