Bay Area BYCers!

[bel]

A very sweet picture, those are some calm chicks, your granddaughter is adorable.

 

[PetRock]

Quote:
YEAH!!!! I'm busy looking on Craig's list for something I can use to make a bigger brooder. What we used last year is only good for 3-4 chicks.

 

[cherylcohen]

Quote:
YEAH!!!! I'm busy looking on Craig's list for something I can use to make a bigger brooder. What we used last year is only good for 3-4 chicks.

rabbit hutches work great

 

[PetRock]

What a precious pic, Dawn! Thank you for sharing it with us! It was great to start the day with a darling kid/chick pic. It made me smile!

 

[annaraven]

Quote:
OMG She's so incredibly adorable with those chicks! Thank you for the pic!

 

[bel]

Hope everyone is doing well, be careful about the colds going around, my son was out of school all week last week with a cough and it turns out half the class was out sick that week.

Its been very nice weather and the Cayuga ducklings have been going outside for the day in a pen. The WH and 2 runners are also outside but free rangeing with the chickens (though the chickens seem to be in charge, the ducks avoid them) I filled up the tray from an XL guinea pig cage with water and the bigger ducks are bathing in it, its pretty funny to watch.

 

[bel]

For brooding I use a guinea pig cage, biggest size then wrap the sides with plastic canvas half way up so no one sticks their head out, and the cats leave them alone, it works pretty well. If its cold inside I put relective foil insulation on the back and sides as well to maintain heat but even cardboard works.

 

[jeremy]

I'm building an a-frame style outdoor brooder for this year's chicks.

No babies in the house for me! No pine dust all over everything, no smelly baby poo in the bedroom and no red heat lamp that keeps me up all night!

I'm really excited about having the little ones outside from day one, I have hopes that it will increase vigor by having the chicks on the ground from the very beginning.

 

[PetRock]

I found a couple possibilities on craigslist today. One is a big cage on a stand with wheels but it is $150 and is in Petaluma. The other is a large wood and chicken wire "coop" that is only $50 and is in Alameda. Both would be a drive for us and our van has two bald tires so don't know if it is even smart to drive it that far. Sent the links to DH and I'm waiting to see what he says. Maybe he will just make me a new wood one. What do you think about them?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/grd/2172330876.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/grd/2171821786.html

 

[PetRock]

Last year was our first year with chickens and chicks but except for the dust, we loved having them in the house for the first 5 or 6 weeks. It just got to be old when it drug on past 10 weeks because the coop/run weren't finished. We got our first group of chicks in March then my DH had hand surgery done in April. He wasn't even able to begin working on the coop until June and then was only able to use his left hand as a prop. We used our homemade, tall swing set frame to build the run and attached a raised coop to one side. It is not pretty, yet, but functional. I am hoping to talk DH into expanding both this spring to allow room for a few additions. Love that chicken math!