New Here, and New to Chickens

HI! My name is Nova. I am from Michigan. I just started raising chickens this year. I got my first chickens, Silkies, 3 buff and 2 black in April. I built a small coop out of a dog house that I got from TSC remnant lumber that I got from the re-source store and a rotozip tool, since I didn't have a saw. Very fun. I got silkies because my boys, 5 and 2 wanted chickens since the neighbors had them, and silkies were the suggested breed. Next thing I knew I have 2 leghorns. My puggle took one of them out. Rotten dog. I have since then chicken wire the whole bottom edge of the kids/dogs part of the yard, so my rotten girl can't get out by digging under the fence. HA! Take that Miss Ruby! Well, I wasn't happy with just 6 chickens... SO yup, I got 4 more. 2 silverlaced and 2 gold laced wyandottes. The bad heat took one of the silver laced. We had 90 percent humidity and 88 degree weather at 8 am, and she didn't take it so well... Brought her in the house, and cooled her off gave her lots of water, but she still ended up passing... So now I have 9 chickens. Was I happy? Apparently not, because now I am addicted and got 7 more (free) babies. Had to build them a quick make shift housing unit... Try a huge plastic tote, I think is like 60 gallon or something, then two smaller plastic tote put one inside the other to create a hidey hole, and put that inside the big tote, the big tote on its side, on top of a heavy wooden box, an expanse of chicken wire around it, and then plastic poulty net to make a cover for the entry area, and then at night time, I wrap the whole outside around with a peice of fence that I stake, then open back up for their outside run area. Yeah, cheap and creative, and thank goodness they are small yet, all between 5-8 weeks. But NOW I have 16 chickens. Looks like 10 of them are hens for certain. I am pretty sure 4 of my silkies are roosters, and one of the cochin bantams I am thinking is a rooster too. Only 1 Silkie hen. Bummer. I am going to get another hen or two. Can't have my Silkie rooster fighting over one hen. She might get a big head.
So now I am in the process of starting a full-sized coop that I can put all 16 birds in. Did I mention I want more? So many breeds... Who knew?

 

WOW! That was quick! Thanks for all the welcome. I have been visiting this site for a few weeks and finally decided that I just had to join.