Living off the Land - My Chickens

I moved to the boonies of West Virginia, November 2018. One of my goals was to have a self-sufficient food source. April, 2022, with the help of a talented neighbor, my chicken coop began to appear. With the help of another talented young neighbor, I learned lots about chickens. The following are details of my venture and some general information about chickens:

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CHICKENS:

Chickens are easy and fun to keep as an alternate natural food source (meat and eggs), pest control, companionship, entertainment, fertilizer for a garden, source of income and bartering resource.

Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens: Chickens are inexpensive to initially purchase and raise. They are friendly, easy to manage and low maintenance. They reproduce quickly, don't need a lot of space and stay near the coop, and, pretty much take care of themselves.

One of the most popular misconceptions about chickens is that a Rooster is needed for chickens to lay eggs. Not so. Chickens will lay eggs without a Rooster. Usually, the only time a Rooster is needed is to expand the flock (baby chicks) but there are rare exceptions when an unfertilized egg develops an embryo (parthenogenesis). Another misconception is that a nest is needed for a chicken to lay eggs; many chicken breeds (do your research) will lay eggs anywhere, anytime and they don't need their "own personal nest"; they will share nesting boxes (est. 1 nest per 4-5 hens). So, unless you want to go egg hunting for your next omlet, keep them in a coop and penned in area.

Quiet Chickens: When you are raising chickens in your backyard in the suburbs or even in a small town, there is only one thing as important as egg quality when deciding what breed of chickens to raise – how much noise they make. Quiet chickens breeds do exist, and you do not have to sacrifice egg quality to raise them! If you do not want angry neighbors pounding on your door or stopping you in the driveway over the constant chatter of your beloved flock, invest in a breed known for its polite demeanor. Free-ranging breeds do not need “boredom busters” to keep the content, laying, and playing nice with one another. When allowed to roam at their leisure, the birds are both physically and mentally stimulated and simply don’t feel the need to carry on and make a bunch of racket. A free flock is also usually a healthier flock because they are adhering to their natural instincts and selecting big juicy bugs out of your yard to feast upon – and reducing your feed bill in the process. Noisy chickens in a run might have as much to do with the space and the environment as it does the breed. The general rule of thumb is the taller the coop and run, the happier (and quieter) the chickens will be.
Quiet Chickens – What Breeds to Choose in the Suburbs    [Article 3]
• Rhode Island Red (invest in heritage breeds instead of commercial breeds)
• Orpington (come in various colors like Black, Blue, White, and Buff (tan) and 2 sizes, regular(Large) and bantam)
• Java
• Bantam ("Banties")
• Wyandottes
• Cochins
• Brahmas (massive size, can grow to hit weights of up to 14 pounds)
• Speckled Sussex
• Australorps    [Article 2]
• Barred [Plymouth] Rock
• Mottled Java (currently on the Livestock Conservancy listing as in danger)
• Ameraucanas
• Salmon Faverolles
• Polish chicken
• Leghorn
• LESS ROOSTER CROWING: Silkies and Phoenixes

RAISING CHICKS:

Supplies:
• High-sided brooder container (a plastic tote/tub, for small flocks, or refrigerator boxes for larger batches)
• Brooding Heat Lamp that accepts up to 300-Watt medium base bulb (E26) with porcelain/ceramic socket.
• RED Brooder [heating] Lamp/Bulb (keeps chicks warm - red bulb hides injuries that attract chicks from pecking each other to death). Direct the heat lamp to one corner of the brooder box so the chicks can find a cooler area if they get too warm. To prevent damage, keep the heat lamp from contact with any surface; suspending the lamp over the brooder box is the best option. Look at some heat lamp alternatives.
• Thermometer (inexpensive - to monitor Brooder and coop temperatures)
• Chick Starter Growing Food (medicated with Amprolium to prevent coccidiosis in chicks 0-16 weeks old)
• Feeding Trough (designed to prevent food waste and contamination by chicks) - For adult chickens, consider a DYI feeder with a clear container and locking lid.
• Water Trough (designed to prevent drowning) - For adult chickens, consider a Galvanized Poultry Water Fountain with optional heater base to prevent ice.
• Pine Bedding/Shavings (can be purchased at local livestock store)
• Chick Grit or get canary gravel (to help with food digestion) - start feeding after 2 weeks if necessary. However, grit is NOT necessary if you only offer a crumble to the chicks. Grit is needed to break down the outer shell of seeds or whole grains that they may consume. The grains have already been ground to manufacture Crumbles.    [Grit Article 1]    [Grit Article 2]    [Grit-to-Food Ratio 1LB Grit to 30LBS Food or about 3.3% of grit]
Resources:    [Article 1]    [Article 2]
Chick Gender ID:    [Link 1]    [Link 2]    [Link 2]

HATCHERIES (Mail Order):
List
Cackle Hatchery - 417-532-4581 - Lebanon, MO 65536
Dunlap Hatchery - 208-459-9088 - Caldwell, ID 83606
Hoover's Hatchery - 641-323-6100 - Rudd, IA 50471
McMurray Hatchery - 515-832-3280 - Webster City, IA 50595
Meyer Hatchery - 419-945-2651 - Polk, OH 44866
Strombergs - 800-720-1134
Townline Hatchery - 888-685-0040 - Zeeland, MI 49464
Valley Hatchery - 800-652-7606

Ordering Options to consider:
Beak Trimming protect chicks from pecking one another, reducing injury and discouraging a "pecking order".
Coccidia Vaccine to prevent coccidiosis (see Chick Starter Growing Food above)
Mareks [disease] Vaccine prevents inflammation and tumors in the nerves, spinal column, and brain.

MY CHICKEN VENTURE:

My Coop:
Overall dimensions are 12' x 6'. 7' tall wall on the pen side and 8' tall wall on the other side to pitch the roof on one side for rain collection, via gutter and downspout, into a rain barrel.
Support and Flooring is a 2" x 4" platform frame about 2 feet off the ground supported by railroad tie posts on top of 6 concrete footers. Covering is 5/8" OSB coated with oil-based, external polyurethane then covered with 1/4" Hardie (cement) Board also coated with oil-based, external polyurethane. Additionally, a rubber mat is placed over the entire floor for added floor protection. The open area under the platform is covered with 1/4" metal screen (Hardware Cloth) bent 1' under #4 stone gravel to deter potential predators from digging.
Exterior is 5/16" T-111 and a metal roof.
Access and Venting: The "human door" has a built-in, screened awning window. 2 screened awning windows are installed; one on the opposite wall and the other on the wall to the right of the "human door" and above the nesting boxes. The windows and human door were salvaged from an old camping travel trailer (mini mobile home). The "chicken door" will be located on the pen-facing wall to the left of, and near, the "human door". The intent is to install an Automatic Chicken Coop Door so I don't have to remember to open or close the door in the morning or at night. Additional vents (small 4" x 8" louvered and screened) may be installed around the coop if needed to expel heat.
Nesting Boxes can be accessed from inside the coop and the outside (without entering the coop) to gather eggs and clean the nesting areas. The 10 boxes are separated by thin plywood walls. The boxes measure 12" square X 18" deep. It's been said that multiple chickens will use the same box. Only 5 boxes will be available to the chickens (to reduce cleaning) unless the need arises to open access to the others. Roll Aluminum Flashing (from Home Depot) was used to cover the lids to the nesting boxes. A roll of 6" wide rubber was positioned where the lids meet the outside wall to cover the hinges and prevent rain/water from dripping into the nesting boxes. An alternate flexible material solution is being researched because this rubber is already deteriorating from UV exposure.
2 Inside Roosting Poles is made of 2" x 4" lumber hung from the ceiling rafters to about 3' and 6' off the floor and about one foot away from any walls (and one another) to reduce chicken poop on the walls and other chickens. The roosting poles are positioned with the wide side of the 2" x 4" for the chickens to sit on.
Insulation is currently installed in ceiling only.
Electric is installed from another building. For use to run the Auto Chicken Door (with battery backup) and heat water in winter.
Lighting is accomplished with motion-activated portable solar lights inside (near the windows) and outside plus electric light when needed.

My Pen/Yard/Run:
I was told that chickens will lay eggs "anywhere" and, if they are free range, I would need to hunt for their eggs anywhere they roamed. So, I decided to pen them to a specific area of my choosing, 27 feet square (729 sq ft) with the coop built outside the pen to provide as much pen space as possible. Most chickens require 8-10 square feet of yard space so I have split the yard in half (to 365 sq ft) to allow half the yard to grow with chicken-beneficial grass and weeds (maintenance/food section below) while the chickens decimate the other half. The fence has an access gate near the coop door. It is an 8' tall fence supported by 10' studded, metal T-posts.

Watering of livestock or plants will be, primarily, accomplished from a rain barrel located outside the pen beside the coop. A hose is run from the barrel to a basic Float Valve (similar to that found in a toilet tank) attached to a plastic tub. When the water level drops, the float valve opens and automatically refills it.

Predator Proofing:
My fencing is 1/4" metal screen (23 gauge Hardware Cloth) from ground to top with 8 or more inches turned under at the base (on the outside) to deter potential ground predators from digging. I added an additional 2 feet of 23 gauge hardware cloth flat on the ground, secured by 6" galvanized landscape staples, around the entire perimeter of the chicken yard as an additional digging deterrence. I added additional 4-feet high, 14-gauge (1"x2" openings) fencing at the base of the yard fence and coop as additional protection against raccoon, opossum, skunk, fox, bobcat and fisher from chewing through fence and, hopefully, coyote and black bear as well. Fencing gauge 16 or heavier/less with openings no larger than 2" should keep out most common ground predators. I recently added solar predator deterrent lights. I cannot vouch for their effectiveness yet but there are positive reviews on Amazon. I like the ones shaped like an animal head thinking that alone could deter a threatening critter. An electric fence (solar type) is also being considered with Electric Poultry Netting instead of Polywire.

I have 5 [apple, pear and peach] fruit trees (young and no fruit yet) planted inside the chicken yard/run. I've been told that when the trees mature and grow fruit, chickens will roost in these trees but not eat at the fruit unless it falls to the ground. They will also provide shade for the flock. Chickens will damage the roots to these trees, during their foraging, so the trunks of the trees are protected by chicken fencing. The 8' tall fence should also deter deer from jumping over to protect my fruit trees and small (16 sq ft) raised garden, fenced off from chicken access, inside the pen.

Dense tree cover helps deter reptor attacks but since my yard is devoid of trees, alternate solutions are needed. A canopy of Poultry Netting, with a rope support/frame structure (I use colored Paracord), is used to protect the livestock from raptors and critters that manage to crawl up the fencing. The 8' T-Posts will support the canopy and give me plenty of head room to walk in the yard. Crow and Owl decoys (Owls - Crows), and hanging [reflective] CDs (alt video) have been suggested so I added them as well. Additionally, adding BLACK chickens to the flock has also been identified as a potential factor to deter flying predators so I purchased a few Black Australorps for that purpose.

My Chickens:
Rhode Island Reds (12) Hatching 5/22/23
Black Australorp (3) Hatching 5/22/23

My Timeline:
Coop construction started - March 2, 2022

Coop construction completed - March 21, 2023

Chicken Run/Yard completed - April 3, 2023

Chicks hatched - May 22, 2023

Chicks arrived - May 24, 2023

Six chicks (5 Rhode Island Reds and 1 Black Australorp) adopted by neighbors with new coop. - June 3, 2023

Chicks removed from Brooder Box with free access to the coop (including nesting boxes). One (Rhode Island Red) appears to be male (rooster) - June 6, 2023

Chicks introduced to chicken yard for about 45 minutes. Did not exit or re-enter voluntarily. Some of them caught and ate worms - June 13, 2023

Chicks released to the chicken run/yard (outside) - June 14, 2023

Rooster (Rhode Island Red) adopted by neighbor. I will get a hen (when old enough) in exchange - July 10, 2023

First Egg - November 2, 2023 - Brown, size a bit larger than a golf ball. Nesting Box 4.

ABOUT EGGS:

Washed (commercial) vs Unwashed Eggs: During the process of egg production, a nearly invisible natural coating on the shell, called the "bloom" or "cuticle", is applied as the last step in the process. This coating is the first line of defense in keeping air and bacteria out of the egg. Since eggshells are porous, that natural barrier is removed if the eggs are washed after being collected. The bloom helps to keep bacteria from entering into the egg white through the shell. It also helps to keep the egg fresher longer by restricting the movement of air through the pores in the eggshell.

Generally, eggs should not be washed until they are ready to be used/eaten. Mildly "dirty" eggs (from nest debris) can be wiped with a dry paper/cloth towel. Unwashed eggs last 7 times longer than washed/rinsed eggs. When washing, hold under warm running water [only]; they should never be soaked in a bowl or bucket of water. Washed eggs should be refrigerated promptly. Store bought eggs have been cleaned and the "bloom" has been removed, so they always need refrigeration after purchasing them. Rinse all eggs just before using them to remove any potential bacteria.

A freshly laid egg feels warm, because a hen’s body temperature is about 106ºF. As the warm egg cools to ambient temperature, an air space develops between the two shell membranes. If a fresh egg is placed into a bowl of water, it will sink. The older the egg, the larger its air space becomes. Eventually the air space gets big enough to float an [old] egg — a neat trick for determining how fresh an egg is.

When hens begin to lay eggs for the first time, the eggs will be small but will increase in size as the hen matures. The first [Rhode Island Red] egg I got was about the size of a golf ball. The next egg I got (from an Australorp) was a bit larger than the Rhode Island Red egg. The Rhode Island Red is a bit smaller bird than the Australorp so I'm going to take a guess the chicken size relates to egg size; probably an incorrect assumption but I'm going to stick with that for now.

CHICKEN MAINTENANCE:

Water:
The average chicken requires at least two cups (16oz) of water per day but read about the factors to consider. Excess consumption of soft water (usually from public or treated well water), instead of hard water, can contribute to calcium deficiency. Also, consider how to keep water from freezing during the winter. I have 2 sources of water; one inside the coop and the other outside the coop which auto-fills from my rain-collection setup. In the winter, I empty and disconnect the rain-collection setup and use the Water Heater on the water container inside the coop.

Food (should contain a minimum protein level of 16% - Most commercial egg-layer foods do.):
Weeds Chickens Love
Best Grasses for Chickens:    [Link 1]    [Link 2]

Adult chickens will consume about 4 to 6 ounces of feed per chicken per day. Multiplying the number of chickens X an average of 5 ounces per day should guesstimate the amount of feed I will need for my chickens per day. If I have 15 chickens, that will be 75 ounces (4.7 pounds) of feed per day. So 100 pounds of feed will last about 21 days (3 weeks). Monitoring this is important to avoid wasted feed that will attract unwanted critters or starving the chickens.

Chickens are like the pigs of the fowl world. They will eat most anything, including mice and small snakes. So table scraps, and careless small critters, can help to supplement the feed and may save money. Having a compost pile in (preferred), or very near, the chicken run will be beneficial to everyone, including unwanted critters. I contain my food in a dispenser in the coop so the birds eat when they want and the food isn't wasted or spread around to attract pests.

DIY Poultry Feed:
[Article 1]    [Article 2]    [Recipes]
[Video Recipe] = Whole Oats (30 lbs), Whole Corn (20 lbs), Black Oil Sunflower Seeds [BOSS] (20 lbs), Split Peas (10 lbs), Flax Seeds (5 lbs). This recipe could cost twice as much (or more) than commercial feed. See the Video Recipe UPDATE.

Feed Storage should be in a dry, sealed container. It will last 3-6 months, depending on how the feed was milled/processed, under ideal storage conditions.

Grit:
1LB/OZ Grit to 30LBS/OZS Food (30 to 1 formula)

Dewormer:
Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade) is a type of finely processed fossilized algae. It's one of the best and safest natural worming remedies for chickens. Mixing diatomaceous earth with chicken feed can be an excellent way to kill and prevent intestinal worms in chickens. The fossil remnant makes worms uncomfortable. It can also fight against various types of chicken worms. Diatomaceous earth is also one of the safest natural chicken dewormers because it doesn't have chemicals that can expose your chicks to harm or death. Mixing 2% (about 1.6 oz to 5 pounds of food) of this natural fossil remnant with chicken feed can help prevent many intestinal worms and protect birds against heavy worm infestations. Besides killing and preventing internal chicken worms, diatomaceous earth can also help deal with external parasites in chickens, including mites and lice but use sparingly as diatomaceous earth can be detrimental to the chicken respiratory system.

Calcium:
Most commercial egg-layer chicken food contains the minimum 4% calcium. If your food does not, add crushed Oyster or Egg shells to the feed/diet. The average hen will eat about 100 grams of feed with 4 percent total calcium per day. Two grams (0.07 OZ) of calcium per day is the recommended amount that can be added to chicken feed to reduce weak egg shells, poor bone development, stunted growth, premature aging and impaired reproductive performance. Too much calcium is not good either so it's vital to monitor the levels on a daily basis. Some of the health conditions caused by excess levels of calcium include kidney failure and hypocalcaemia causing loss of appetite, decreased level of activity and body weakness. If their droppings look pale, dark green, or even white, cut back on the calcium levels.

Dust Bath:
All chickens get clean by getting dirty. They don’t take traditional baths with water, but instead roll and flap around in the dirt. This helps to exfoliate their skin, shed old and loose feathers, and most importantly, to smother insects and parasites that may be living on them, like mites and lice; tiny parasites that rob the chickens of their health, and may even cause death. They are instinctively driven to take dust baths and they'll do it anywhere they can find loose soil.

Add wood ash (from a wood stove or camp fire) and/or any soil (without clay) to a small tub (low enough that chickens can easily climb in and out, but tall enough that it will contain the dust bath ingredients while your chickens bathe in it; a kiddie pool, shallow tubs, old tires, and sandboxes work as well). Food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) is also a consideration, to add to the mix, but do research about its affect on the bird's respiratory system; probably not a good ingrediate without proper research and control of its use.
Videos and Articles

Nesting Boxes and Coop Floor Cover:
Pine shavings work well for me but Straw is a good alternative. Nesting boxes have several inches while the coop floor starts with a thin layer covering on the floor, to absorbe moisture, then more is added as the shavings get soiled for my "deep litter" method.

Coop Cleaning (shallow vs deep litter):
I use the "deep litter" method to reduce cleanings to once every 6 months. At that time, I do a major cleaning of the coop and remove/replace the pine shavings.
[Video 1]

Summer Shade:
The average chicken requires a place to hide from direct summer sunlight with a good water source readily available. I use mesh garden tarps (for airflow and shade), and other shading techniques, to create shaded areas in the chicken yard plus the chickens are free to hide under the coop for shade, weather and predator protection.

Winter Warmth:
Many breeds of chickens are "cold hearty" and will survive in an enclosed [but ventillated] coop even during severe cold. They will huddle together to stay warm. The coop should still be ventillated but free of drafts. Generally, it is not a good idea to have an artificial heat source for adult chickens.