Speakeasychicks
In the Brooder
- Jun 1, 2020
- 37
- 23
- 26
Hey everyone!
I'm new to this chicken thing, I got my first 6 chicks in March after the pandemic started and I couldn't find eggs at any stores for 3 days! My husband was not happy about our new pets, but my 4 kids were so excited he let me carry on. I walked in to tractor supply spouted off some breeds a friend told me were kid friendly and asked for everything I needed for baby chicks. Too bad I didn't know what straight run meant I bought 3 silkies, 1 cochin, and a polish top hat. A friend also gave me a blue silkie....fast forward and I ended up with 4 roosters which I can't have in the city.
I was hooked, started reading articles and books on chickens, researching breads, and reading everyone's chicken stories!
Being down to 2 silkie hens I decided I wanted more since I realized my girls Honey and Cha cha were only going to lay a small amount of small eggs. Not enough for my family of 6! I started calling everywhere to find certain breeds, I wanted a mixed flock, I even split an order from a hatchery with a friend. Fast forward...I now have 17 I'm addicted! 13 babies are in my house!!! My sons bedroom smells great
Blue andalusians, cochins, light brahma, mottled houdans, barred rock, easter egger, salmon favolle, blue laced red wyandotte, and an ameraucana, that I'm assuming is actually an easter egger I'm only keeping 12, I'm brooding 5 for a friend!
I bought a coup from wayfair with 2 nesting boxes, I added a 12 by 5 foot run and then created 6 more boxes in it. After reading about straw vs sand I decided sand for the run would be best for clean up , I attempted to put it in the boxes as well, my girls keep kicking it out I decided to just keep putting the straw and hay in the boxes and coup, but it gets mixed in with the sand and I use their poop in my compost. Every article says straw causes so many problems, but yet I feel majority of pictures I see have straw in boxes and areas of the coup. I'm curious to see other people's set ups and what you all prefer in your coup vs run. If i didn't put straw in the boxes what else would I use?
I'm new to this chicken thing, I got my first 6 chicks in March after the pandemic started and I couldn't find eggs at any stores for 3 days! My husband was not happy about our new pets, but my 4 kids were so excited he let me carry on. I walked in to tractor supply spouted off some breeds a friend told me were kid friendly and asked for everything I needed for baby chicks. Too bad I didn't know what straight run meant I bought 3 silkies, 1 cochin, and a polish top hat. A friend also gave me a blue silkie....fast forward and I ended up with 4 roosters which I can't have in the city.
I was hooked, started reading articles and books on chickens, researching breads, and reading everyone's chicken stories!
Being down to 2 silkie hens I decided I wanted more since I realized my girls Honey and Cha cha were only going to lay a small amount of small eggs. Not enough for my family of 6! I started calling everywhere to find certain breeds, I wanted a mixed flock, I even split an order from a hatchery with a friend. Fast forward...I now have 17 I'm addicted! 13 babies are in my house!!! My sons bedroom smells great
Blue andalusians, cochins, light brahma, mottled houdans, barred rock, easter egger, salmon favolle, blue laced red wyandotte, and an ameraucana, that I'm assuming is actually an easter egger I'm only keeping 12, I'm brooding 5 for a friend!
I bought a coup from wayfair with 2 nesting boxes, I added a 12 by 5 foot run and then created 6 more boxes in it. After reading about straw vs sand I decided sand for the run would be best for clean up , I attempted to put it in the boxes as well, my girls keep kicking it out I decided to just keep putting the straw and hay in the boxes and coup, but it gets mixed in with the sand and I use their poop in my compost. Every article says straw causes so many problems, but yet I feel majority of pictures I see have straw in boxes and areas of the coup. I'm curious to see other people's set ups and what you all prefer in your coup vs run. If i didn't put straw in the boxes what else would I use?