Question: I would like some ideas for an affordable chicken coop. I don't have the chickens yet either. I want just a small number because I don't know what I would do with all the eggs! Also, any advice on good chickens for a first timer? Thanks.
Answer: There is a yahoo group call Free Cycle (Sometimes called Re-Use It) where people list things they don't want and will give away if you come pick it up. Here is Missouri they are constantly listing lumber and sheds and the like. That makes building a coop pretty darn easy and cheap if your willing to put in the labor. Chickens will lay almost anywhere. I made my nest boxes out of old milk crates turned on their side with that white wire shelving with the lip cut to fit the bottom to keep the eggs from rolling out. Works great and they are the perfect size.
So what do you do with the eggs? Sell them! Or give them away to friends and neighbors. At $2.00 a carton at the store you will be the most popular person in the office. My best advice for a beginner is to start small, especially if you don't need alot of eggs to start. I started with ten chickens and it worked pretty good. I am up to 25 birds now, mostly because I have two teenage boys to feed. LOL. You will find that they will be very good entertainment in the evenings as you watch them strut around, and if you let them free range, you won't have any more problems with ticks in your yard.
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