Well, I'm sitting here watching a huge snow storm in progress. I've lurked around BYC for a few months and have finally joined. So I know alot more of you by name than you know me.
We got our very first 15 chicks Feb 20th from Meyers Hatchery and raised them in a large dog kennel that I separated the top from the bottom, and placed end to end in my office. Wow...talk about a mess! didn't know such little bodies could put out so much poop, and smell so, well, yucky. But you know, it was fun, and an education. we got to know them well, and they got very used to us, picking them up and petting them.
We finally moved them outside to a small section of our small barn, April 4th while we build the coop. It has been a work in progress for several months. We built an approx. 1/2 acre enclosure that is to be shared with a couple of goats, eventually. The fence is 10' high chain link with 2' of it swooping outward on the ground and covered with rocks to, hopefully keep out ground type predators. We've got lots of trees and large rock outcroppings in the pen, so it's not your regular pen. We don't have any really flat ground, so we adapt.
Since I'm a city girl trying to do the country thing, and this is all brand new, I'm really concerned about the girls, and George (our cockrel) getting too cold in the barn. It's supposed to get really cold tonight...got 2 heat lamps on them, and gave them a warm mash this morning. The threads about their hardiness etc. have been really reassuring. This forum has been a huge help to us as we start this new adventure.
Thanks folks.
We got our very first 15 chicks Feb 20th from Meyers Hatchery and raised them in a large dog kennel that I separated the top from the bottom, and placed end to end in my office. Wow...talk about a mess! didn't know such little bodies could put out so much poop, and smell so, well, yucky. But you know, it was fun, and an education. we got to know them well, and they got very used to us, picking them up and petting them.
We finally moved them outside to a small section of our small barn, April 4th while we build the coop. It has been a work in progress for several months. We built an approx. 1/2 acre enclosure that is to be shared with a couple of goats, eventually. The fence is 10' high chain link with 2' of it swooping outward on the ground and covered with rocks to, hopefully keep out ground type predators. We've got lots of trees and large rock outcroppings in the pen, so it's not your regular pen. We don't have any really flat ground, so we adapt.
Since I'm a city girl trying to do the country thing, and this is all brand new, I'm really concerned about the girls, and George (our cockrel) getting too cold in the barn. It's supposed to get really cold tonight...got 2 heat lamps on them, and gave them a warm mash this morning. The threads about their hardiness etc. have been really reassuring. This forum has been a huge help to us as we start this new adventure.
Thanks folks.
