Chickens on Order

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Thank you for the answer, Ocap. I'm planning to have a fence put in and that helps me to plan a bit. I know it will be a risk no to fence over the cliff, but I like not having a fence ALL the way around.
 
The City approved my Chicken License Application! Everything is a go! Chickens due to arrive next Thursday!
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My chicks are probably hatching right now.... so excited. I'll pick them up in about 24 hours!
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Hello and welcome....so glad you joined BYC

Congrats on your approved permit, your new coop and your chick order. Those are some nice breeds you have ordered.

Best wishes to you that they arrive safe and sound :) Cant wait to see pics
 
So is it normal as a new chicken mom to be going in to look at them in the brooder every 10 minutes and wonder if they are ok? I think they were cold, so I lowered the light and covered most of the brooder to keep the heat in.

They did eat and drink right away when we got home, so they might just be sleepy now but they seem to be playing the opposite of king of the hill. They were trying to play Queen Under the Hill and each one is fighting to get to the bottom of the chick pile.
 
So I just wanted to capture some of the things I've learned in my 7 weeks with chickens.
  • If there's a 95% chance my chicks are all hens, I've got the 5% rooster
  • The rooster is going to end up being the one with the most feminine name
  • Make things as easy as possible. Chickens can be pretty self reliant and if they can get in and out and to things by themselves, eventually they will.
  • So far, they are not interested in jumping off my 5 foot cliff wall. As the guy at the chicken store told me, they are not terribly adventurous and fear being separated from the others.
  • Although my 7 year old Chihuahua is a TERRIBLE herder, he is wonderful with the chickens. He likes their company and sadly their poop. He follows them around like they're little treat dispensers but doesn't try to hurt them at all.
  • They seem to think he's a strange 4 legged flock member who sleeps elsewhere.
  • Rain barrels to add to the whole conservation effort can be a seriously flawed idea. First off, make sure the gutter is secure or it's like turning a fire hose on the chickens. Chickens do not like this.
  • Second with the rain barrel, have a good plan for the overflow. A roof of water fills that thing REALLY Fast. See the prior point about chickens not caring for the flood. Also, when the barrel is full, I don't need the water, but if it rains again and I haven't used the water, it needs some place to go.
  • Third, make sure the rain barrel is high enough to allow gravity to help drain it.
  • Put the chickens to bed for a few nights, then let them have a night out on the ground. They figured out the next night how to put themselves to bed.
  • I love chickens and drinking my morning coffee or drinking an evening glass of wine and watching them is the perfect start and end to my days.
 
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