Didn't know it was this easy

[IamRainey]

I've been at this for 2 whole weeks so I'm sure I'm being an ass. You can laugh at me and scare me with stories of what's ahead of me if you want to. But, so far, it' been a joy and hardly any work at all.

I only have 3 girls and they're only 7-weeks old but they're thick as thieves and seem to be very happy together. When I can't see them easily it's because they've dug themselves a hole in the portion of the run that's under their coop and they're all laying it in together. They even poop together in 1 or 2 discrete piles under the top roost in their coop.

I love them and I can't imagine why I didn't do this when I first thought of it about 2 decades ago. Of course, back then I didn't have the cash for the up-front expenses but I just feel lucky that I have them now. They make me happy!

 

[chicks are life]

Don't jinx it!!!!!!!

Wait till they get sick or predators but other wise yes I agree its pretty easy!!!!!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Done right it really is that easy..... people tend to over complicate it or set out wth an approach that sets them up for issues from predation, illness, etc.

 

[Mrs. K]

Look, enjoy today, if you have bad luck, (and I have) just go out and get more. Do realize most are not long lived... it is better to love the flock than the individual birds. Just keep going on, I have enjoyed this hobby for years. Good times and bad.

 

[aart]

Sometimes it is such a simple joy.
Revel in the honeymoon!

 

[Eighty806]

I've been at this for 2 whole weeks so I'm sure I'm being an ass. You can laugh at me and scare me with stories of what's ahead of me if you want to. But, so far, it' been a joy and hardly any work at all.

I only have 3 girls and they're only 7-weeks old but they're thick as thieves and seem to be very happy together. When I can't see them easily it's because they've dug themselves a hole in the portion of the run that's under their coop and they're all laying it in together. They even poop together in 1 or 2 discrete piles under the top roost in their coop.

I love them and I can't imagine why I didn't do this when I first thought of it about 2 decades ago. Of course, back then I didn't have the cash for the up-front expenses but I just feel lucky that I have them now. They make me happy!

I agree, well, so far for me too it seems not that complicated. Certainly no walking my flock. We started our flock of 12 March of this year. My hubby and I are not handy so we bought the coop and let them free range during the day. A lot of Internet research to help with keeping them fed, watered and healthy. Unfortunately we did lose 4 to hawk attacks so more research on how to better protect the flock. I have to say, some methods may work for areas in the country that did not work for us. Or we came up with what we thought was a brilliant idea that turned out not to be. Back to more research, we just bought a 10x20 run we are constructing now to give the flock more space when we can't let them free range. Did I mention we have 2 desert tortoises that will RUN to compete with the flock when I feed them romaine lettuce and fruit? It's a fun display that we enjoy so much. I never thought of having chickens until one day in March when I walked in to the new Tractor Supply store to find out what kind of store it was. I'm so glad I did.

 

[IamRainey]

I agree, well, so far for me too it seems not that complicated. Certainly no walking my flock. We started our flock of 12 March of this year. My hubby and I are not handy so we bought the coop and let them free range during the day. A lot of Internet research to help with keeping them fed, watered and healthy. Unfortunately we did lose 4 to hawk attacks so more research on how to better protect the flock. I have to say, some methods may work for areas in the country that did not work for us. Or we came up with what we thought was a brilliant idea that turned out not to be. Back to more research, we just bought a 10x20 run we are constructing now to give the flock more space when we can't let them free range. Did I mention we have 2 desert tortoises that will RUN to compete with the flock when I feed them romaine lettuce and fruit? It's a fun display that we enjoy so much. I never thought of having chickens until one day in March when I walked in to the new Tractor Supply store to find out what kind of store it was. I'm so glad I did.

Does your husband have a blog with lots of pictures of your chickens? I read one from someone in AZ who also had tortoises. And I enjoyed it immensely.

The image of tortoises racing chickens is just toooooo funny!

No one in my family was up to building a coop either. But my husband generously said I could have one built. We have coyotes, hawks, raccoons and rats active in our vicinity. There may be even more potential predators than that. Who knows. So we started out with a really sturdy structure and a generous run with hardware cloth buried well into the ground.

I have a little envelope with the receipts for the materials. I haven't added it up. ...and I don't intend to. I'm just grateful to my husband for making it possible and grateful to the chickens for what they've added to my days! Not to mention how grateful I am to the carpenter who turned out to be a fantastic spirit I am now so happy to know.

My husband also enjoys the chickens now that they've arrived and settled in. We were both reminiscing this morning that it probably goes back decades ago to when we "fostered" the classroom ducks in our daughter's kindergarten class on long weekends and breaks. They were adorable and funny and we have warm spots in our hearts for them even now. BUT they turned our swimming pool a deep emerald green. And nothing is a more effective garden demolishing machine than a duck. So the chickens seem like ducks with more precise beaks and without the habit of doing their pooping in the pool.

Much happiness to you and your flock in AZ from SoCal!

 

[Eighty806]

Does your husband have a blog with lots of pictures of your chickens? I read one from someone in AZ who also had tortoises. And I enjoyed it immensely.

The image of tortoises racing chickens is just toooooo funny!

No one in my family was up to building a coop either. But my husband generously said I could have one built. We have coyotes, hawks, raccoons and rats active in our vicinity. There may be even more potential predators than that. Who knows. So we started out with a really sturdy structure and a generous run with hardware cloth buried well into the ground.

I have a little envelope with the receipts for the materials. I haven't added it up. ...and I don't intend to. I'm just grateful to my husband for making it possible and grateful to the chickens for what they've added to my days! Not to mention how grateful I am to the carpenter who turned out to be a fantastic spirit I am now so happy to know.

My husband also enjoys the chickens now that they've arrived and settled in. We were both reminiscing this morning that it probably goes back decades ago to when we "fostered" the classroom ducks in our daughter's kindergarten class on long weekends and breaks. They were adorable and funny and we have warm spots in our hearts for them even now. BUT they turned our swimming pool a deep emerald green. And nothing is a more effective garden demolishing machine than a duck. So the chickens seem like ducks with more precise beaks and without the habit of doing their pooping in the pool.

Much happiness to you and your flock in AZ from SoCal!

Good to hear from you. No, my husband is not the one with the blog.... A word of caution, don't start hatching eggs, it's so much fun and your house will be overrun with chicks. I failed the first 2 batches, only hatched 2 chicks out of 24 eggs and one survived. We called him/her number 1, it was the first to hatch. After analyzing all the things I did wrong, I bought another incubator and a humidity pump and tried again with 28 eggs. 17 of the 28 eggs were fertile, and 'eureka' all 17 hatched. Now we have to build a larger coop. We looked at Tuffshed yesterday. They will customize what we need, deliver and install for us, we probably go that route. I'm attaching a photo of number 1 sitting on my husband when he is in front of the computer and the new chicks to show you. The black color chicks are 3,4 days older than the lighter color chicks. Somehow I can't upload the tortoise and the chickens video, the file is too large

 

[IamRainey]

Good to hear from you. No, my husband is not the one with the blog.... A word of caution, don't start hatching eggs, it's so much fun and your house will be overrun with chicks. I failed the first 2 batches, only hatched 2 chicks out of 24 eggs and one survived. We called him/her number 1, it was the first to hatch. After analyzing all the things I did wrong, I bought another incubator and a humidity pump and tried again with 28 eggs. 17 of the 28 eggs were fertile, and 'eureka' all 17 hatched. Now we have to build a larger coop. We looked at Tuffshed yesterday. They will customize what we need, deliver and install for us, we probably go that route. I'm attaching a photo of number 1 sitting on my husband when he is in front of the computer and the new chicks to show you. The black color chicks are 3,4 days older than the lighter color chicks. Somehow I can't upload the tortoise and the chickens video, the file is too large
View attachment 1138567 View attachment 1138569

They're all great!

I already know about chicks. When I was a kid -- I'm talking more than 6 freakin' decades ago -- the Easter bunny used to bring me a box of baby chicks every year.

I can' really approve of giving live animals as a disposable present now. And they went to farms when they feathered out. But I do remember how unreasonably cuddly and adorable they were!

Glad you're mastering incubation but I hope you don't have to add too much more coop space!