...but chickens are safer than a 20 year old boyfriend, cheaper than a sports car, and much more fun than a boob job (at least for me).
I'm not sure what got into me but sometime over the winter I decided I liked the idea of a couple of chickens. So I started reading & researching and of course looking at the adorable baby chicken pictures (which I don't recommend if you're "on the fence" about getting chickens because they're cuteness will absolutely do you in) and last month we decided to get 4. Being new to this I decided to get them from the local feed store rather than mail order (chicken in a box at the post office just seemed too strange), however you can't buy just 4 you have to get 6 so we did...and 2 brown ducklings because Larry couldn't resist.
Brought them home to their cute little brooder boxes - chicks in one, ducklings in the other and we were off and running. Little did I know that chickens are slightly addictive and when I went back to the feed store to pick up another pack of pine shavings for the brooders and they had different types of baby chicks...and ducks...(must fight the urge...couldn't baby chicks are my kryptonite) we brought home 6 more baby chicks and 2 yellow ducklings because I couldn't resist. They were only a week apart in age so introductions went very smoothly.
My guest room now had 2 much bigger brooder boxes - one with 12 chicks and one with 4 ducklings. They're growing like mad and I can't wait to get them out into their coop & run, but the weather here has been so unpredictable, warm in the morning, snow by noon, and then warm again 3 hours later, so we haven't moved them out there yet. To give them more room we actually did a makeshift partial wall sectioning about half of my big basement and moved them all downstairs giving them free reign and a lot of room to move. Everyone is thrilled by their big expansive new hay/straw covered environment & the ducks & chickens are getting along well with each other.
I thought we were good. Then I had to go and have a birthday and Larry brought me home 3 more baby chicks (Ameraucana) as a present. They're also in the basement, but as they are a good bit smaller than the others we have them housed in dog pen with the heat lamp and cardboard around the sides so they can all see each other but not get to each other. The cardboard was necessary as the new babies escaped out of the bars within 30 seconds of being put inside. And the bigger chicks were putting their heads in the pen eating out of the chicks food dish.
So here we are week 4 - 15 healthy chickens and 4 healthy ducklings richer - and so far enjoying every minute of it.
I've been reading some of the forum posts and they've been very helpful in answering some of the questions I've had. I look forward to being a part of your community.
I'm not sure what got into me but sometime over the winter I decided I liked the idea of a couple of chickens. So I started reading & researching and of course looking at the adorable baby chicken pictures (which I don't recommend if you're "on the fence" about getting chickens because they're cuteness will absolutely do you in) and last month we decided to get 4. Being new to this I decided to get them from the local feed store rather than mail order (chicken in a box at the post office just seemed too strange), however you can't buy just 4 you have to get 6 so we did...and 2 brown ducklings because Larry couldn't resist.
Brought them home to their cute little brooder boxes - chicks in one, ducklings in the other and we were off and running. Little did I know that chickens are slightly addictive and when I went back to the feed store to pick up another pack of pine shavings for the brooders and they had different types of baby chicks...and ducks...(must fight the urge...couldn't baby chicks are my kryptonite) we brought home 6 more baby chicks and 2 yellow ducklings because I couldn't resist. They were only a week apart in age so introductions went very smoothly.
My guest room now had 2 much bigger brooder boxes - one with 12 chicks and one with 4 ducklings. They're growing like mad and I can't wait to get them out into their coop & run, but the weather here has been so unpredictable, warm in the morning, snow by noon, and then warm again 3 hours later, so we haven't moved them out there yet. To give them more room we actually did a makeshift partial wall sectioning about half of my big basement and moved them all downstairs giving them free reign and a lot of room to move. Everyone is thrilled by their big expansive new hay/straw covered environment & the ducks & chickens are getting along well with each other.
I thought we were good. Then I had to go and have a birthday and Larry brought me home 3 more baby chicks (Ameraucana) as a present. They're also in the basement, but as they are a good bit smaller than the others we have them housed in dog pen with the heat lamp and cardboard around the sides so they can all see each other but not get to each other. The cardboard was necessary as the new babies escaped out of the bars within 30 seconds of being put inside. And the bigger chicks were putting their heads in the pen eating out of the chicks food dish.
So here we are week 4 - 15 healthy chickens and 4 healthy ducklings richer - and so far enjoying every minute of it.
I've been reading some of the forum posts and they've been very helpful in answering some of the questions I've had. I look forward to being a part of your community.
and Welcome To BYC!
