Wow, I am so glad I found this site. I am brand new to all things chicken. With these weird times we are living in it occurred to me that it might be good food insurance to raise chickens for eggs. We eat a lot of eggs. I did a lot of research on line, bought Robert Plamondon's book "Success with Baby Chickens", followed his advice and direction for my brooder, ordered 25 chicks from McMurrays Hatchery, received 28. Two deid the first week but almost six weeks later I still have 26 of the cutest , sweetest fastest growing chicks to could hope for. I was worried about what type of chickens to order, I stressed over it for weeks. We get hot in the summer but not quite as hot as Phoenix, AZ but we get cold in the winter, many nights in the 20's. a few in the 10's, most winter nights in the 30's even now. Lots of wind. I finally got 15 Americanas, 3 black Jersey Giants because my husband liked the name, 3 leghorns, 4 buff sussex. McMurray also sent a surprise chick which, after looking through this web site is a cuckoo maran-very cool.
I moved my girls and a few guys outside Friday because they were starting to pick each others tail. They have a 10' X 20" run-very secure with a 4' X 4' coop (I was only suppose to have 10 hens). They are 5.5 weeks old. I suddenly find when I go out to check on the girls for just a minute I end up staying 45 they are so much fun to watch and really quite relaxing.
My husband and I have 1 grown son, three horses that I dearly love, 2 border collies- the smartest dogs in the world, 1 pomerianian - the most precious dog in the world, 1 mutt, 2 cats and now 26 chicks.
Thanks in advance for everyone's help and advice!!!!
I moved my girls and a few guys outside Friday because they were starting to pick each others tail. They have a 10' X 20" run-very secure with a 4' X 4' coop (I was only suppose to have 10 hens). They are 5.5 weeks old. I suddenly find when I go out to check on the girls for just a minute I end up staying 45 they are so much fun to watch and really quite relaxing.
My husband and I have 1 grown son, three horses that I dearly love, 2 border collies- the smartest dogs in the world, 1 pomerianian - the most precious dog in the world, 1 mutt, 2 cats and now 26 chicks.
Thanks in advance for everyone's help and advice!!!!
