Hello All, So I guess I put the chicken before the egg (or the egg before the chicken) because I've already posted a few questions in other areas of the forums. Thanks to everyone for the helpful responses! BYC has been a great resource for our recent chicken frenzy! Our pullets arrived from Ideal Poultry yesterday! 4 Barred Rocks, 4 EEs, and 2 Minorcas. Accompanied by their honor guard of 10 unspecified yellow cockrels. (Ideal threw them in the box to keep the girls warm.) Found a good home (or eventual stew pot) for 6 for the boys already. I wasn't really an animal kind of person, allergic to cats and never trusted dogs. When my wife first told me she wanted chickens over a year ago, my first response was not a supportive one. "Chickens? We live in the suburbs. We can't have chickens, the rooster would crow too loud. We'd have to have a rooster to make eggs, right?" On top of my unsupportiveness, I was ignorant in the ways of chickens. Well, she brought it up again in Dec, the same day her mother asked me to tear down some dog kennels on their property left by a previous owner. The kennels had 200' of fence, 2x4s, 4x4s, plywood, hinges, latches, etc. Light Bulb! I could build a chicken coop for free with all this stuff. Then I looked up my county ordiances about "farm animals". (We all know chickens don't have to strictly be farm animals.) Then I researched what it would tak to house and feed them, if they'd need heat, light, etc. What do they eat, will they fly over the fence, are they good with kids, etc. I went to the library and got books, found BYC and other websites, read and read and read....I was infected....the chicken bug had got me. So here we are. Building a recycled coop in our backyard. Baby chicks peeping their hearts out in a homemade brooder in the living room. The three older kids already discussing names. The toodler is just staring at them, really wanting to grab them and hold them tight...too tight. My wife slightly annoyed that I took my sweet time coming around, and that I'm telling her new facts about chickens that I'm constantly learning. Hello from South Carolina! Look forward to some eggs this summer! -Seven Better pics later
Welcome From Riverside CA. Those are cute chicks and I know your whole family are going to love having them around. They make the greatest pets.
Hi Steven! Let me first tell you, your chicks are adorable, and so happy to see you gave in! You won't be disappointed! from S. Florida! Its wonderful to have you join us! Enjoy them!
congrats!! and btw: you don't have to have a rooster to make eggs, just to make them so you can hatch them but anyways you will not regret this decision! chickens are the best pets EVER!!
