R&R FARMS QUEST INTO CHICKENDOM.......THE BIGINNING.

[coaldigger]

We have officially started our family quest into raising chickens as a way to get ourselves more involved in our family and alittle less involved in ourselves. It has only been 4.5 weeks since our journey started and it had to start by my subtle hints of wanting "a couple" chickens for egg purposes. My hints were mostly falling on deaf ears as my wife was born and raised in the city and had no farm life ties at all. I was finding that my kids were so self involved with tv ,games and otherwise, in my opinion, non life lesson learning way of spending of their free time that I knew I had to up the stakes. I found while on a shopping trip to Farm and Home that they were starting to get shipments for this years chick sale. I quickly knew what I needed to do, so on the following Saturday afternoon I talked my wife and kids into going to town and after buttering them up with a mall trip and some "good food" I asked if they minded me stopping by the farm store to pick some things up. When we got there I told they youngest that I wanted her to come in so I could show her something really cool. My son, not wanting to miss out on anything decided to tag along as did my wife. I discretely led them in the general direction of the cheeps that were coming from the brooders, I knew my daughter would hear them and .........she said " dad.....listen.....you hear that" " what is that" and she took of running.....we found her at the chicks already with some in her arms and the rest is like they say......History. They all instantly fell in love with all the chicks....all of them.
So I thought I might start a thread from the beginning and make an account of all our Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations and share with my fellow chicken/bird and otherwise friends.
Please be kind with my grammar, bad pictures and terrible memory. I am not good at this, but thought id give it a shot.

so far we have
7 silkie chicks
2 Light Brahma chicks
2 straight run Bantams..????
2 GLW chicks
and 1 SLW chick...
We had one SLW die with a day or two and have two silkie chicks with curley toe.






Farm and Home.......Day 1

 

[coaldigger]

Our first chick purchase. Day 1

 

[coaldigger]

Later that weekend. Trip to Peoria Illinois. 2 hr. drive for our Silkies.

 

[coaldigger]

what what chicken but.
Third week....not many pics....but busy, busy and they are growing and developing some cute personalities.

 

[coaldigger]

week four. Staring the shed/coop conversion and run addition.....ugh. At times I was wondering what I got myself into.

8x12 shed addition mosly cleaned out.has concrete block floor, but I am framing outer wall for a raised floor and building entry wall 2' inside of entry doors for coop material storage. will be adding nesting boxes to the left, chicken door at the back and roosting area to the right. will likely have shaving straw floorinterior will be finished and electric installed.... beginning of the outside run area. I had originally tilled in the fall in preparation for daughters flower and veggie garden but decided to re-purpose.....she doesn't mind. re-tilled and not sure if I should reseed or leave as a dirt floor. Run will be topped with tin sheeting roof as this is faciong south with no cover from the west and the sun is brutal right here. on the west side I am putting 1' poultry wire mesh with 1/2' hardware cloth overlapping bottom portion.3.5' up and 1.5' down. with bird netting to cover that for some shade. the rest will be same without shade cloth.

kids at week four and getting big.
first day outside for any period of time.

 

[iwiw60]

Nice size run for sure! Best of luck...loved seeing the pics of your chickies!!

 

[coaldigger]

thank you iwiw60, It seems like I cant get it done fast enough.
This site has been amazing for me. I get my courage and inspiration from all of you.

 

[iwiw60]

Hey, I'm just as big a "newbie" as you are...trust me! What I've learned about raising chickens I've learned from here, plain and simple! On your run...do you have predators where you live? If so, be sure to use something stronger than chicken wire. Me, I live in a rural area here in Central Oregon, and we have racoon, fox, coyote, and worst of all...hawks. I'm going to use 1/2" hardware cloth...it'll go about 6-8" down in the ground and bend "outwards" about 12" from the run walls so the little suckers can't get in and get my chickens. Wishing you well, and Happy Easter!