Build Chicken Run Plans
Donna asks…
So, I'm having a chicken dilemma...?
I have a friend who works at one of the local farm stores. They're having a chick sale, as they do every year. My friend is telling me stories about how people are coming in and buying chicks based on 'cuteness' value, and that most of those chicks aren't going to live into adulthood because of the quality of care they're bound to get.
It may sound childish, but this just kills me. I feel sorry for those chicks, and I really want to buy some of my own.
I've raised chickens before from chicks--quite successfully. I have all that I need to set up and start, with the exception of a chicken coop. They won't need that until adulthood, and I've found some easy plans so that's not the problem here.
My main issue with chickens is once they're adults, they like to wander the yard. It's impossible for me to build a coop to satisfy them daily, so they'd have to be out during the day and cooped up at night. Not a problem--but I've had problems in the past with hawks getting them, even during the day.
I guess that's my dilemma--I want to sort of 'save' these chickens (they'd be egg-layers) but I'm also worried it would be selfish, as they'd run the risk of something happening to them during the daytime hours.
What do you think? Sorry it's so long.
The coop I'm building would be fine at night; I meant during the day.
The last time I bought chickens from this store, they sold black australorps, brown leghorns, and rhode island reds I believe. I'm not sure what they're selling now.
I personally liked the leghorns...I haven't found much on the internet about their personalities, but mine were always docile and friendly. The reds are my least favorite, they were always the most aggressive.
Building Chicken Coops answers:
By impossible to build a coop do you mean not large enough?
We currently have 28 chickens again and once they are use to the coop they would rather be there.
Of course we do let them out during the day while we are home and eventually they migrate back to the coop.
Its like owning small dogs in you have to be out there watching to make sure they arent snatched up.
As for the choosing byt cute factor...it is just exactly what they do to dogs but chicks are cheaper around easter its gets REALLY bad for chickens, rats, mice, rabbits, hedgehogs ect.
They actually had to make it illegal in TX to dye chickens easter colors! People consider them disposable because they are cheap because they can reproduce so frequently all of those animals can (not sure about hedgehogs) no it shouldnt happen but its a sad truth about this time of the year and the livestock industry.
Half those ppl didnt study what they were in for imagine if they had gotten a high maintenance chicken breed! Nightmare.
As for you if you want to get one i do recomend a coop with wiring overhead and a large area penned in for them to play around and keep themselves entertained.
Make sure you get chicken breeds that do well in captivity this is VERY important or else you wll have an agressive bird....read some info in a chicken book if those guys cant even tell you what those birds are assume they are buff orpingtons or broilers if they mention broiler dont get it!
We had rescued several broilers most of which died in the first 2 days they arrived only one is still alive and he has splayed legs and has alot of health problems. These birds came from a 4h club my father got them all for free from them.
Buff orpingtons are clever little birds we have some i dont honestly prefer them over my plymoths and doms or even my J giants but they are sweet and they do fine in the coop playing in the open area with the secure wired fence all around.
Jenny asks…
Chicken advice from the pros please 
?
I have a 8 (ish) week old cockrel and am getting 2 or 3 ex battery hens to keep him company (and hopefully get me some eggs!).
We are building a bigger hen house and run as I plan to get more hens in a couple of months and an concerned about fighting.
I plan to put the existing hens and the new hens in the new house and run at the same time so it is new to all of them. Will this minimise any really bad fighting?? Or will it make no difference?
Thanks in advance
Building Chicken Coops answers:
With any addition to a flock of chickens, they'll pretty much always be a struggle initially to establish the pecking order. A cockerel will however help keep the peace and keep the girls in check so this process should settle relatively quickly.
You have to understand while in human nature this appears cruel, it's a natural process for chickens to go through and it lets them know where they rank in the pecking order.
To minimise the disturbance, ensure there's more than one place for them to feed and drink so the lower ranking hens, if they get chased away from the feed, can still run off to another feeder and not be denied food or water. A big enough run will allow the lower ranking hens to flee any bullying and not be cornered so it sounds like you're doing the right thing.
It's extremely rare that any injury or death occurs as a result of establishing a pecking order so don't worry too much. However if in this rare event should a hen be injured, it's recommended an anti-pecking ring / bumper bit be attached to the attacker for a short period.
Whenever I introduce new hens to a flock, I keep the new additions separate for a few days within the same pen but in a temporary coop to allow all hens become accustomed to one another. It doesn't really prevent any initial bullying but does ease the integration a little.
Hope this helps!
Robert asks…
Is this a good plan to lose fat and retain/build muscle?
So I'm a guy and 20 years old. I weigh 189lbs with about 16% body fat. I'd like to get down to 170 or so, but I want to lose that weight from fat.
I eat VERY healthy and in 5-6 small meals a day. 2 of the meals are whey protein shakes made with milk though.
Meals are the same everyday:
Breakfast - Bowl of Special K with a cup of soy milk, a cup of yogurt, and a banana or grapes
Snack - Whey protein powder + cup of soy milk
Lunch - Salad(lettuce, a FEW croutons, tomatoes, and olives) + Chicken sandwich + 1/2 cup of rice
Snack - Whey protein powder + cup of soy milk
Dinner - Some kind of meat + same salad from lunch or 1/2 cup of rice
Also, I don't eat within 3 hours of going to bed and I completely cut out soda, caffeine, junk foods, and sweeteners. Will this plan help me lose the last handful of fat on me?
Thanks!
Here's my workout plan:
Monday/Wednesday/Friday - Run 4 miles first thing in the morning before breakfast
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday - Do elliptical first thing in the morning for 30 mins and do sets of 50 pushups throughout the day adding up to about 300 pushups a day + 15 minute ab workout at night
Sunday - Rest
I'm not really fat. I can see the bulge of my top 4 abs, but those last 2 at the bottom are covered completely by this tiny pocket of fat. Also I have man boobs lol. I was hoping all those pushups would fix that? I just recently lost 20lbs by the way. I'm trying to get back into the habit. Does this plan sound good?
Building Chicken Coops answers:
Whatever happened to boiled or steamed vegetables & RAW fruit & veggies - like oranges, apples, pears, plums, avocado's, tangerine's, grapefruit, grapes, cantaloupe, honey dew, watermelon, celery sticks, carrot sticks, raw broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Mix & match to vary your snack times. That whey protein powder is no substitute for good old wholesome food.
The rest of your routine is fine. Just stick to it. If you give up too soon, you will never realize what you could have accomplished.
Ruth asks…
Lose Weight during the Summer?
Okay so generally my weight is pretty okay but this year during school i gained about ten pounds. I'm 5ft and i weight about 110. I want to lose wieght so i was planning on running/walking for an hour a day during the summer. I would also change my diet:
Breakfast: Special K Cereal
Lunch: Turkey Sandwhich
Dinner: Rice with Chicken, Beef, or fish.
Throughout the day i would eat celery, carrots, apples etc as snacks.
Would this help me lose weight and build muscle because i want to build muscle also?
Building Chicken Coops answers:
Hey, now you should always see a physician or nutritionist before taking anyone's advice or making a big change in your lifestyle. You have to make sure you aren't doing any harm to your body.
The exercise idea sounds great. You're not hugely over-weight so you don't have to do intense workouts. I suggest you always do some cardio, swimming or other exercises that are fun and include core and upper body movement too.
To build muscle you'll want to definately do more than just running, just lifting some weights at the gym can help. =)
Now, i hope that's not all your eating every day for two months, haha =P . Special K cereal is a filler and not that bad for a cereal but it also has lots of sugar. Try eating protein and good carbs to start off your metabolism right. Try one slice whole wheat toast with a bit of peanut butter, or an egg.
If you want to lose weight stay away from bread or don't eat much of it. Some breads in the grocery store can have 150 calories per slice. Which makes your sandwich have 300 calories in bread alone. Try some turkey and veggie wraps instead.
Fish is VERY great in a diet. Lots of vitamins and minerals and heathly fats. Don't over eat it though, instead take a fish oil supplement. It's good to put healthy fat into your body. Like olive oil to cook for your food.
Whatever you do, stay away from red meat. Yes it has iron but is very unhealthy because its strongly acidic. But if you want it once in a while don't eat more than 2 oz.
DRINK DRINK DRINK water . =) It is so good to detox the body and helps your breath, skin and organs .
The best vegetables to eat are broccoli, spinach and carrots.
The best fruit are oranges, berries and tomatoes.
Sorry its really long but i hope it'll help you. Its the plan i'm on and it really works for me. I've lost 3 pounds so far. But i just have three more tips/secrets of mine:
1) Don't eat anything that comes in a box
2) Get lots of rest at night.
3) DO NOT, eat anything after 9:30 pm. When you eat right before bed (especially fatty food) when you sleep, you store all the sugar and fat because you're metabolism slows down. If you must eat a late night snack. I suggest you only eat a single apple or a hand full of grapes.
Hope this works for you =)
Susan asks…
Running to lose weight, and build up time.?
I plan to join the Marine Corps in a little over 2 months when i finish this semester. My recruiter told me I am 15 pounds overweight. I am 6'2" and my required weight it 215, I am at 230 Now.
I am required to do a 1.5 mile run in 13:30.
Now about myself, I was a graphic Designer, I did little to no exercise before coming up to school.
My recruiter told me to start running/sprinting/Jogging 8 miles a day, 4 in the morning, 4 at night.
for intervales, I am overweight, and can't do much. As of now I do, 1/8 a mile heavy sprinting, then 1/8 jogging. and Keep doing this eventually winding down to 1/8 jogging, 1/8 walking.
My goal is to hit 1 1/2 mile in under 10 min.
I am 18, and I always follow a stretch guide given to me from my recruiter. my diet consist of a apple or 2 for breakfast, for snacks when I am hungry is half a stick of celery and a tablespoon of peanut butter. For Lunch/Dinner I generally stick with chicken salads, with balsamic Vinegar, or no dressing at all. Oh and water, nothing but water at least a gallon 1/2 a day.
My Goal weight is 200 by december. Possible? or No? These are the guidelines my recruiter gave me. Is this dangerous for me? Oh, and I swim 500 meters 2 times a week instead of run.
I am also doing other types of training though the week, not so much weight training. But pullups/situps/pushups galore...
I've been doing this for a few days already, and personally, I feel great after, no complaints at all, no soreness, i never feel strained. Just maybe a little winded.
Building Chicken Coops answers:
I would eat a bit more than that... Though you are trying to loose weight, you still need to fuel your body. My recruiter had me try a diet for a week but I was so stripped of energy that I could hardly perform at the gym. I have actually had better success in getting within weight standards by sticking to my normal diet - lean meats, veggies, sensible portions, plenty of water. Also, my recruiter told me today that in order to get your body to burn fat, you need to do your cardio (in my case running) for AT LEAST 20 minutes. Good luck, I still have 10lbs to go before December as well!
Joseph asks…
Can Rabbits and Chickens live together?
I have four small Bantams, and 2 Rabbits. At the moment they live separately, But if we moved we would be planning to build a large run where they could all have room. The Rabbits are quite old, but only a year or so ago they lived in full run of the garden and warded off cats bigger than my dog without even a scratch, the chickens are probably Only about 25 Cm tall maximum, all hens, although if possible we might look at getting a few more (Still small Bantams) and 2 more rabbits, maybe even a cockerel. The run would be quite large, with separate sleeping quarters and an egg box for the hens that the rabbits could not reach.
Building Chicken Coops answers:
Rabbits and chickens can live together just fine in a garden environment; both me and a close friends have chickens and rabbits. I used to have three standard sized chickens and one rabbits that would share the garden with no problems; and my friend had two rabbits and three bantam chickens (one rooster) and there was never any problems there either.
In a confined environment I wouldn't be quite so confident, there would have to be adequate room so that your chickens and rabbits could keep away (and run away!) from each other if needed. You would also have to introduce them to each other beforehand. Give the rabbit plastic tubes or hides for them to go in, and the bantams perches / roosts where they can get away from the rabbits for a bit. Also, the egg boxes would have to be high off the ground so that the rabbits couldn't get into them!!
I'm not sure it'd be such a good idea, having rabbits and chicken roaming the garden at the same time is very different to having them confined together. However if you did house them together I'd recommend you watch them carefully for at least two hours, be around in close proximity for a whole day if possible. Be sure to monitor their behaviour and interactions. You will also need to try and develop a way to separate their food, although in all honesty none of my animals have become sick from nibbling a bit of the other's food!
Hope this helps, good luck
Richard asks…
baby chick coop?
hi i got a chick off someone and he/she has been in my backyard for about 2 weeks so far. I was wondering, is it necessary to give it a coop, it seems to like to hide in the bushes, and at night it hides on the top of the same one every time. we have food and water next to it. I was thinking about building a coop but it has to be small. I've searched for plans to build one but they are all so big, usually for more than one chicken, I just want one for one chicken. also, does it NEED to have a run because our backyard is fenced in, and i think it's going to be running around the yard a lot anyway, I don't plan on locking the chick in the coop ever.
thanks
oh and I know it should have a friend but i don't think i could get another one unless the chick grows up to be a hen and has another and I think my parents only want one in their backyard >.>
Building Chicken Coops answers:
If your backyard is fenced the chicken probably won't be harmed by predators and a good shelter might be a old mailbox or something similar so they can escape the rain etc. Also you may want to stuff it with hay. When the chick starts laying eggs if it is a girl you will want an area for her to do this otherwise she might start eating her eggs because they are scattered through the yard.
