I'm not a chicken fanatic. I'll never show birds. I doubt I'll ever have house chickens. I have a small backyard flock for eggs and meat (and fertilizer 
)
That said, I decided over the winter I needed chickens. I read. I studied breeds. I read some more. I settled on SLW as my first birds, decent egg production and size, I hope. I gobbled together a brooder out of scrap plywood, a 2x4, a c-clamp and a heat lamp. O ordered birds (from efowl, horror!)
While walking through TSC with a neighbor kid, she said she wanted chickens now, so I left her pick out 6 CornishX, with the understanding they were going to be dinner.
I fed them, I watered them. They grew. I built a smalll 4x8 coop, and when the SLW (15) came 6 weeks later, moved the CX outside with heat.
I fed and watered the new chicks and the meat birds. I started on my planned 7x8 final coop.
One chick died. Not a shock, it happens. A few weeks later one CX died. It happens. The chicks grew, they needed more space. I moved the meaties into the unfinished coop and put a tarp over it, since the roof wasn't done. Move the SLW into the 4x8.
Decide some EE would be cool, pick up 6 and put in brooder.
Time comes to butcher the 5 remaining meaties, which allows me to throw a roof, roosts and nest boxes on main coop.
By this time I can sex the SLW, so the 6 hens and one rooster to to main coop, remaining 6 roos stay in small one for meat.
By this time EE's are about 5 weeks, its in the 50's at night, so I throw them in the big coop too. There is some chasing, but they're chickens. They work it out.
Add an expandable run, and all is well
They're chickens. They do their chicken thing. I feed, I water. I throw them fruits and veggies for treats.
Very little work (besides the building) and very little trouble. Some may die, some may get taken be predators. It happens. I may not like it, but it does.
This ain't so bad.
)That said, I decided over the winter I needed chickens. I read. I studied breeds. I read some more. I settled on SLW as my first birds, decent egg production and size, I hope. I gobbled together a brooder out of scrap plywood, a 2x4, a c-clamp and a heat lamp. O ordered birds (from efowl, horror!)
While walking through TSC with a neighbor kid, she said she wanted chickens now, so I left her pick out 6 CornishX, with the understanding they were going to be dinner.
I fed them, I watered them. They grew. I built a smalll 4x8 coop, and when the SLW (15) came 6 weeks later, moved the CX outside with heat.
I fed and watered the new chicks and the meat birds. I started on my planned 7x8 final coop.
One chick died. Not a shock, it happens. A few weeks later one CX died. It happens. The chicks grew, they needed more space. I moved the meaties into the unfinished coop and put a tarp over it, since the roof wasn't done. Move the SLW into the 4x8.
Decide some EE would be cool, pick up 6 and put in brooder.
Time comes to butcher the 5 remaining meaties, which allows me to throw a roof, roosts and nest boxes on main coop.
By this time I can sex the SLW, so the 6 hens and one rooster to to main coop, remaining 6 roos stay in small one for meat.
By this time EE's are about 5 weeks, its in the 50's at night, so I throw them in the big coop too. There is some chasing, but they're chickens. They work it out.
Add an expandable run, and all is well
They're chickens. They do their chicken thing. I feed, I water. I throw them fruits and veggies for treats.
Very little work (besides the building) and very little trouble. Some may die, some may get taken be predators. It happens. I may not like it, but it does.
This ain't so bad.
