We have a small utility barn on our property (8×8 I think). It looks like a barn, so we added a fence off the side, built nesting boxes and a roost, and that’s where our chickens will live.

Next year, we are getting some more. The ones that lay colored eggs.
Backyard Chickens’s last blog post..Dapper Doodle Dandy

I used an old shop connected to the big barn. We get as low as 65 below zero and I have never had to have heat. Just keep an eye on the rooster because he does not have the same ability to burrow their head in their feathers as hens do. If his comb gets froze too often it could get major frost bite and make him sterile.

The water is a pain but if you have a large plastic water dish, it takes a few minutes to thaw with hot water. I normally take out three hot water gallon jugs and thaw it in about 10 minutes.

I have several cats in the neighborhood and have not had a big problem. I have only lost one chicken to whet I suspect was a predator. I live in a very country and wooded area and as long as you close them up as night, it should not be a big problem.

I have a four foot fence so i have no problems with dogs but they could be a problem if you do not have the chickens fenced. Last years chickens mostly stayed in the fence. This years chickens fly out like crazy but i have not had any problems.

Since you are most likely in a similar climate as mine, I recommend the same thing I have, Barred Rocks. They are quite hardy and dual purpose so if you want to eat some, they are good size.

Brahma are also good but I have no first hand experience so I can not fully recommend them.

I have twenty three chickens right now. If the building is big enough, you should be able to clean it once a year as long as you use deep bedding. I use pine shavings which normally cost me about $35-40 a year. As far as feed, it cost me about $40-$50 a month for feed and a bag of scratch here and there. It is a little cheaper in the summer because they get to forage for their own food a lot.

Once you get rolling and start producing a good amount of eggs, much of the cost could be recouped through egg sales. I have broke close to even the last two months and supply myself, my mother in law, and my brother in laws family on top of selling.

The enjoyment I get from them would make me do it either way.

One warning, beware that with any animal, you may have to cull or kill one. I ended up culling and butchering 17 roosters from my spring bunch this year. The worse thing was I had to cull a chick who got a cut and the others were pecking it to death. If you can’t do it, make sure you know someone who can. It is better than watching an animal suffer.

You will move raising chickens and if you have kids, they will love it to. Read a good book but do not believe all you read. They scare you more than help sometimes. If you take care of the chickens, they are easy to keep safe and healthy.

One last thing, I do not have electricity in the barn, It is not a major issue and should not be a problem.

Good luck and please let me know if you get some!

I purchased a place at the end of Sept (’08) that has a stirdy coop/shed. It has been used for storage for many years and the property was in the possession of the original family (various members) up until I bought it. Anyway, I’m not sure when the last time was that it was used at a legitimate home for chickens but it’s got hen boxes, a flat fairly wide shelf and even little doors just the right size for chickens. There appears to have been electrical run out to the coop some years back, but it no longer does.

I’ve read that heat isn’t really required for chickens (other than to keep their water from freezing) due to problems of moisture collection in coops that aren’t well ventilated. I live in CO so I’m not sure that’d be an issue (though I wouldn’t rule it out).

Have you had this issue before?

BTW, I would probably be getting the Brahma breed since my research says it’s just about as hardy as you can get.

I, too, figured I’d get a rooster more for protection than breeding. I’m like you in that I pretty much want to collect eggs and have them as pets (babies aren’t out of the question though).

Have you had issues with predators during the daylight hours?

I live in an urban environment on a fairly large plot (over 13k sq ft). I’m worried the cats in the area will figure out they can catch a large meal in my backyard.

My comment/questions are totally disjointed, I realize. Having a hard time collecting my questions in an organized manner!

Also, after the intitial costs, do you incur much more than bedding and feed costs every month? I’ve heard different things: that it costs a mint even after you get the chickens and I’ve also heard chickens are an extremely affordable pet after purchase of all needed supplies…

Thanks for any info!

I have also been feeding them my excess milk when it comes close to sour. I bye organic raw milk and they love it.

Thanks for the comments and don;t forget to stop in on the 24th to enter my contest!