Chickens Galore

This weekend we purchased a chicken coop that a friend of mine is no longer using. The 4x8 coop is came complete with a rooster named Roho. I was warned that he was mean and to not turn your back on him.

We also purchased a few new chickens. The first group we bought we about 4 weeks old and seem to be doing well in their new surroundings. The first group consist of 3 Americana or colored egg layers, 2 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Phoenix, 2 Golden and 2 that I cant remember the breed of.

Roho spent one night with us and the next morning we put him in a pet crate and took him to where we bought the chicks. The man took one look at him and said "I need him." I told him that I had no need for this rooster and he informed me that he would trade him for 6 straight run chicks. I said, "It's a deal." Now I have 6 more baby chicks.

So the total count so far is 6 original chickens from last year. 11 chicks of the first group and now 6 smaller straight run chicks. That is a total of 23 chickens.

I am thinking that we may have a few too many when these get bigger and I am considering letting a few go with the tractor that I sold to a friend at work. I think we have a while before we can place these chickens all together so I have plenty of time tow work on my coop. I have been thinking about how I want to place things on the inside to make for a efficient and easy to clean coop.

I have decided to place the laying boxes on the outside of the coop so you can collect eggs without going inside. The water and feed with be close to the door and the roosts with be place along the wall opposite of the door. I will cut a door in the side for ease of cleaning litter and above the roosts I will build a small brooder. That way all the chickens are all together and I will have to go into the house to check on the chicks but this is a very small amount of time in the year as to all the other stuff that will have to be attended to every day.

Wish me luck. I hope to post pictures soon of the progress.