[lewsley86]

hi guys and girls before i get my chickens, I thought I would get some opinions on what Ive done so far,  I still need to put a perch in the coupe and  some logs and a bust bath in the run to give them something to do, any more ideas???. This is all new to me so any advise would be great thanks Ben

[Roughlee Handled]

Looks a great.  The only thing I would say is as it is made of wood you will have a problem with red mite. Everyone with wooden coops gets it you just have to keep an eye out for it. You can help reduce the amount of mites you get by making the  perches easily removable and remove them on at least a weekly bias and look for mites. Fill all the gaps in your coop with painters chalk and paint you coop with paraffin the richyrich7 way.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=8190.msg99809#msg99809

[lewsley86]

hi Roughlee  i had read on here somewhere that sealing the joints with decorators caulk was a good idea so i did that before i painted it .  i will have to try the paraffin idea on one of the outside panels first to make sure it doesn't bring the paint off   :blink:  its a creosote substitute so not sure what effect it may have on it.   


also has anybody had any dealings with http://thechickengarden.com/ i think its the closest one Ive found to crewe so far, i have mailed them and they have said they have some 10 week old hybrids in at the moment  amber , brown and gold link i think she said  and that i can go down and have a look 

[Roughlee Handled]

You may be aware but hybrids are only productive for 2 ish years.  (a chicken is born with all the eggs it will ever lay) A hybrid lays more eggs over a shorter time period, where as a pure breed will lay less over a longer period. 
I did not know this.
Not trying to put you off. 
If they are 10 weeks old they will have another 9 weeks ish before they start to lay.
POL (Point Of Lay) is 16 -19 weeks ish.

[joyfull]

Some of mine didn't lay untill they were 23 weeks!!! seemed more like years