Hello! I enjoyed raising the fuzzy little chicks. It did turn out to be a lot of work, but I am happy to say I did not loose any. That would have broke my heart. My daughter sent me a picture of the first egg. It came from the Sapphire Jewel. I was as excited about it as she was! I think soon my son will be sending me pictures of eggs too.
Unfortunately prefab coops are a trap many fall into when starting out, they are sadly overpriced, too small and poorly ventilated. On the bright side they do work great if you need to separate birds for any reason which is invaluable to have around. Hopefully you can find a good used shed like someone suggested
I understand. We hear that a lot. In the long run you will be happy to have replaced it. People, unfortunately, are deceived by the manufacturers claim of the amount of chickens it holds. So much of your flock's health and welfare depends on appropriate space and ventilation. I would go for more than minimum recommended space in the coop if you are in an area where it gets very cold or is often wet. If you live in a hot climate the space in your run should be larger than minimum.
