Newbie chicken enthusiast, just saying hi.

Hello~ I've been lurking for a month, reading several threads every day, and still it seems I've barely scratched the surface of chickendom.

I got my first ever batch of chickens about 3 weeks ago as a source of chicken skins for my art projects, but after reading that it's possible to housetrain one I think I'd like to get an EE to keep as a proper pet~ They're so cute and fun to watch.


Here mine are out in the 'garden' area when the weather got nice the other day.
2 Australorps, 1 light brahma, 1 New Hampshire, and 3 I'm not too sure about. I was so scared I'd kill them all, but I haven't had any losses yet.



Oh, and they're secret chickens. >.>; I haven't mentioned them to my mom. Ideally, she won't notice anything unusual until the freezer is a bit more full than usual. I had already converted most of a shed overhang into a coop before learning chickens aren't technically allowed on our size property, despite having a large backyard on a lake(this seems like a good time to mention I pay half the rent/utilities and she wouldn't be getting stuck with any possible consequences of this project!). In addition to the coop and fenced garden area, there's also a pretty big unused shed dug into a hill that stays surprisingly warm with a heat lamp while they feather out.
In other words, an ideal location for the stealthy raising of a small flock. >D

The single EE might be a bit more of a challenge to keep under wraps, but I'm feeling pretty confident.

 

Those are cute too, if I can find any locally I wouldn't mind one. I live in a separate building from the house, so I don't have to worry about convincing my mom too much.

Thanks for the welcome~