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Hello From MS

1K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  7chicks 
#1 ·
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
 
#7 ·
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!
 
#8 ·
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.
 
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