Black Acres: The chickens that saved me

[blackacres]

maybe this thread will get as big as yours!

Oh, my! That would be a lovely accomplishment.

 

[blackacres]

This is how mine started. It does help to include photos of yourself as a youth with chickens. Just saying.

I’ve been looking and have not been able to find any. I did, however, find this baby picture that clearly shows chicken keeping was my destiny!

 

[blackacres]

Cant wait to hear more!

Welcome!

 

[6BeachChicks]

Welcome!

Well, I love a good story.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

I’ve been looking and have not been able to find any. I did, however, find this baby picture that clearly shows chicken keeping was my destiny!
View attachment 2934596

Perfect shirt!

 

[The-White-Elephant]

Well, I love a good story.

Me too!

 

[Tonyroo]

You can learn to build them a coop if your husband won't. Just requires a design, some cutting tools, materials and screws or nails.

There's also threads about building a coop. So you should have most of the information required to build it.

Just a suggestion.

 

[blackacres]

Part 3

What breeds did I bring home?
One Dark Brahma
One Silver Laced Wyandotte
One Dark Blue Laced Wyandotte
One Cream Legbar
One Barred Rock
One Lavender Orpington
One satin smooth silkie
Two white Silkies

I started with a mixed flock so I would have a variety and hopefully figure out which breeds I really enjoyed the most. The Silkies I got simply because I love them.

So at this point, I’ve had my babies in the tote for about 2 weeks, meaning they are 6 weeks old. They were growing SO quickly and I needed to get them more space and a way to spend some time outside, protected, during the day. I had an old play pen that seemed would be suitable for giving them more room than the tote so I set that up for them.

But I still needed something outside. This was on a Sunday and my husband was leaving on a work trip the next morning and would gone all week. He, begrudgingly, built me a 4ftx8ft enclosure for them to be outdoors a few hours a day. Oh, the freedom they must have felt the first time I took them out. The pecked at the grass, took their fist dust baths, and basked in the warmth of the sun. I’d place it right outside my office window so I could keep an eye on them the whole time they were out and when the sun moved and left them no shade, I’d go out and drag the enclosure back into the shade.

Every morning I would clean the play pen and place fresh feed and water. Then every afternoon, I would scoop up each bird, one by one, and place them in the tote; carry the tote out to the yard and then retrieve each bird again and place them in the enclosure. I also drug their food, water, and heat plate back and forth from the play pen to the outdoor enclosure. Then around 4pm, I’d repeat the process in reverse and settle them all in for the night. They grew at a very fast rate in the week my husband was gone. When he returned home, he declared that we had to figure out a coop ASAP. That was music to my ears! And so the coop search began.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

Part 3

What breeds did I bring home?
One Dark Brahma
One Silver Laced Wyandotte
One Dark Blue Laced Wyandotte
One Cream Legbar
One Barred Rock
One Lavender Orpington
One satin smooth silkie
Two white Silkies

I started with a mixed flock so I would have a variety and hopefully figure out which breeds I really enjoyed the most. The Silkies I got simply because I love them.

So at this point, I’ve had my babies in the tote for about 2 weeks, meaning they are 6 weeks old. They were growing SO quickly and I needed to get them more space and a way to spend some time outside, protected, during the day. I had an old play pen that seemed would be suitable for giving them more room than the tote so I set that up for them.
View attachment 2934613

But I still needed something outside. This was on a Sunday and my husband was leaving on a work trip the next morning and would gone all week. He, begrudgingly, built me a 4ftx8ft enclosure for them to be outdoors a few hours a day. Oh, the freedom they must have felt the first time I took them out. The pecked at the grass, took their fist dust baths, and basked in the warmth of the sun. I’d place it right outside my office window so I could keep an eye on them the whole time they were out and when the sun moved and left them no shade, I’d go out and drag the enclosure back into the shade.
View attachment 2934616

Every morning I would clean the play pen and place fresh feed and water. Then every afternoon, I would scoop up each bird, one by one, and place them in the tote; carry the tote out to the yard and then retrieve each bird again and place them in the enclosure. I also drug their food, water, and heat plate back and forth from the play pen to the outdoor enclosure. Then around 4pm, I’d repeat the process in reverse and settle them all in for the night. They grew at a very fast rate in the week my husband was gone. When he returned home, he declared that we had to figure out a coop ASAP. That was music to my ears! And so the coop search began.

I do hope the coop turns out good! Like @Tonyroo said, it’s not very hard to build one

 

[TheCluckyClucker2]

I am watching! You are a very good writer!