Glad to have a fellow Georgian here!!! I am on my second year with my 13 Red Stars. I wanted to build a little attached brooder on the side of our Taj-Ma-Cluk, just big enough for 5, to see how it would work. The next thing I know, my husband and his friend bring home 10 baby chicks. After that we went to a local hatcher and bought 10 Black Stars and 10 Cinnamon babies. Then he wants a bigger Taj-Ma-Cluk#2, so his friend is doing the building of that. The 10 were 1-2 weeks old bought on April 29, and the 20 came home as day olds a few days later. Today is the 13th of July, and they are still in Large dog crates in my basement. We have a large chain link fence in the back yard, and I got some of the plastic fencing and step in posts and made them runs in the back yard. After they had integrated with each other, I put plastic fence up along the chain link fence with plastic cable ties and they are free ranging the back yard. I take them out every morning, with their food and waterers. I took the plastic container of the food/waterer and I drilled a hole and placed the nipple waterer in it. I then drilled a hole across where the screw in part is and I ran a cable tie thru that so it could be hung from top of crate. So, from little chicks they have been using the nipple waterers. As it starts to get dark, I have 30 Chickie Babies by the basement door raising a terrible ruckus. Wait too long and there is a riot!! I secure the stop on the screen door and they start marching in like a little army. I have had a few actually fly into which crate they sleep in. Even though they march in, it can be a circus trying to get them picked up and put in. Even though they are fine after being picked up, they are still spooked by the quick action of trying to catch them.
Oh, and last week, we heard this awful sound, like on of them was dying. It only happens a few times in the morning and is getting a little more defined every morning. Kind of like cock-a-doodle-do.
Will let all of you know what I find out on that.
Please pray that Taj-Ma-Cluk 2 is finished by the end of the weekend. I don't want to loose any more of my sanity!! I have little to start with!!!
Do you have a date for when your chicks will arrive? My best advice would be for you to check out our learning Center ~ 
