Wow, so many posts, I finally got caught up.
Thanks Mumsy for educating all of us about the balloon chicken, so sorry you went through that. The silkies are cute little poof balls too.
Everyone else with all the chicks and duck pictures, those are great, I love seeing all the different breeds and it is so neat to see a chicken with baby ducklings.
Someone mentioned about using the trigger cups for watering the chickens. I learned that they eventually catch on, but in my case it wasn't until they were around 12 weeks old before they started getting the trigger to work properly. I was so frustrated with it that I gave up with the cups on a bucket and just made a waterer with the bucket flipped over into a pan. I left the cup waterer in the garden where they free range and they just started using it on their own. Maybe their beaks are too small when they are young to do the trigger? Or maybe they're not too bright when they are little? Anyway all of my almost 16 week old chicks use the cups now and I took out the other water bucket. Now I have six almost 5 week old chicks that need to learn how to use it too, they have their separate chick water dish right now.
Integration: My chicks are successfully in with the bigger chickens now. They still have a brooder they can go into at night and get away from the big chickens. I added a separate roost for them in the coop and they are using it at night now. At first the big girls would not let them, but they have used it the past 2 nights, so I should be able to move the brooder out of the coop soon. They have an area in the run with their food and water that only they can get to. Those big girls still enjoying chasing them. I let the little ones out to free range too and they do until the big girls decide to chase them back in the coop or run. I'm trying to just let them be chickens and so far no blood or feather loss.
Covered Feeder: LoanW, thanks for the covered feeder pictures and info. One of these days I may get around to making one. I'm glad it was also posted elsewhere so I can come back to it, if I ever have time. Crazy work week!