Hey everyone, thank you so much for all the tips on my bedding. I have a nice pile of clean construction sand in my back lot that I used for a patio project that should last me quite some time and after that, it is easily accessible to me so that is what I am going with. I will also bed my brooder with the sand to raise my chicks. Today I figured out my brooder box, found a great feed/tack store here in town that carries everything I will need to feed and water my flock. The owner actually has her own chickens, twelve of them! So excited to find practically everything I need and can support a local business to boot. WIN/WIN!! She was so helpful too about keeping the hens cool, things they like to eat. I garden and grow lots of greens that need to be thinned throughout the season. She said her chickens LOVE kale and I grow kale, chard, spinach, lettuce, beets and bok choy. My girls are going to be so spoiled!
I also got my heat lamp but realize now it has a plastic housing so I will be taking it back tomorrow to get the ceramic one. We went to the other feed store in town and didn't find any starter mash, grit, scratch or anything else, but they did have a big tub of dried mealworms that I got for treats. I've never been to my local petsmart but we did go there and obviously they don't consider chickens as pets since there was nothing pertaining to poultry there at all.
I do have a question about a roost in the brooder box. Should I provide that right when I get the chicks or add it later? We will be getting chicks from Pratts (hopefully) on Monday the 7th. By the time we get them they will be about a week old. Should we have the roost installed right away or add it later? Another question I haven't read about. We will have a coop with nesting boxes, and the roost with bedding underneath. We will more than likely enclose them in the coop during the night for safety until we are assured of no predators. There will be an attached run that they will have access to all day when we are at work. We'll probably let them free-range in the yard every evening when we are home from work and during the day on weekends. Should I have food/water both in the run and in the coop? I know they won't eat at night, but I worry about water just because it's so dry here. I just don't want a total mess in the coop with the added water and food containers.
Twinklin, loving all your pictures of the transformation of your backyard and house! I also have oleanders along the entire one side of my property. They are not on irrigation but they get plenty of water from one of my gardens. I trim them regularly and keep them to about 10 ft. I had a Chihuahua for 12 years in my backyard and never had a problem with poison. The dried leaf bed will surely provide bug hunting!
City Farm, Wow! what a small world we live in! I own a business in the main part of town and know that photography shop extremely well. In fact, several years ago we met up with them at the old store and purchased a display cabinet from them then never made arrangements to pick it up! Tell them we are the ones who own the engraving store that was just up the side street from their location. We have since moved down the street a bit. I am, however, the president of our Main Street Assoc. and we would love nothing more than to see that prime space rented out!! I would love to come for a spot of tea and see your chickens!
Kristine
I also got my heat lamp but realize now it has a plastic housing so I will be taking it back tomorrow to get the ceramic one. We went to the other feed store in town and didn't find any starter mash, grit, scratch or anything else, but they did have a big tub of dried mealworms that I got for treats. I've never been to my local petsmart but we did go there and obviously they don't consider chickens as pets since there was nothing pertaining to poultry there at all.
I do have a question about a roost in the brooder box. Should I provide that right when I get the chicks or add it later? We will be getting chicks from Pratts (hopefully) on Monday the 7th. By the time we get them they will be about a week old. Should we have the roost installed right away or add it later? Another question I haven't read about. We will have a coop with nesting boxes, and the roost with bedding underneath. We will more than likely enclose them in the coop during the night for safety until we are assured of no predators. There will be an attached run that they will have access to all day when we are at work. We'll probably let them free-range in the yard every evening when we are home from work and during the day on weekends. Should I have food/water both in the run and in the coop? I know they won't eat at night, but I worry about water just because it's so dry here. I just don't want a total mess in the coop with the added water and food containers.
Twinklin, loving all your pictures of the transformation of your backyard and house! I also have oleanders along the entire one side of my property. They are not on irrigation but they get plenty of water from one of my gardens. I trim them regularly and keep them to about 10 ft. I had a Chihuahua for 12 years in my backyard and never had a problem with poison. The dried leaf bed will surely provide bug hunting!
City Farm, Wow! what a small world we live in! I own a business in the main part of town and know that photography shop extremely well. In fact, several years ago we met up with them at the old store and purchased a display cabinet from them then never made arrangements to pick it up! Tell them we are the ones who own the engraving store that was just up the side street from their location. We have since moved down the street a bit. I am, however, the president of our Main Street Assoc. and we would love nothing more than to see that prime space rented out!! I would love to come for a spot of tea and see your chickens!
Kristine
