So the day started out normal enough. I dropped Eaden off at gymnastics camp and then took Naia and Taven along with me to run some errands. I wanted to find a bird bath and maybe some more plants. So we went to the local hardware/feed store. I bought some plants, some herbs, a planting pot holder that will serve as a bird bath. Taven fell in love with some baby chicks and ducks that were on sale. We watched them FOREVER. Then we left.
We came home, unloaded the purchases, and went for a wagon ride.
Taven tried desperately to call over the horses.
Then we went back home. I cooked a bit, cleaned a bit, and pondered. What if we bought some chickens? I did a little research. I asked the husband. He said okay (so surprised with that one!), and so I said...okay. Our HOA does not allow chickens, but I really don't care too much for them. I'm one of those people that just does stuff. I don't think too much of the risks involved. You know, backpacking alone in Denali, quitting my well paying government job with health insurance to stay home, ....buying chickens. I don't regret my choices so far so I guess we'll just have to let this one play out. Live and learn.
Taven was screaming for me to get the chickens out of the box the entire way home and through the door. I quickly set something up in the living room for a bit. Please don't laugh at me or shudder at my stupidity. I quickly realized that the water and food like that was not going to work.
We set up a little nicer, cleaner, more permanent home in the garage. Then I learned to move the water and food to the middle of the pool so that Taven would stop playing with it.
And then I learned that he will do this. I already knew that though. Don't worry. I will not let him squeeze them to death.
My Dad will be building us a coop within the next couple of months (I need to tell him lol). Until then, or until it gets too hot, I guess they'll just stay in the garage mostly. It's about 90 degrees in there now I'm thinking. It's 80 degrees outside....Anyone have any advice? I need it all.
Oh, they're so cute!!! Congrats ;) That's so exciting!
ReplyDeleteOur chicks are in the garage, too. I haven't been able to move them out yet 'cause it's still freezing here. I don't think our chickens minded the heat too much (when we had it, what feels like a million years ago) as long as there was enough water for them and a shady place to hang out. They seem surprisingly resilient. :)
Our biggest concern has just been keeping them safe from raccoons, who can reach through chicken wire. We use hardware cloth in the open areas of their coop instead, so they can't reach in. I've heard it helps to keep a rooster with the hens but I reeeeeallly don't feel like dealing with a rooster, and I imagine my neighbors probably don't either ;)
PS - What kind of chickens did you get?
DeleteLookin forward to the growing-up pictures ;)
we got 2 white leghorns and 2 gold stars. I don't know much about them yet...we just kind of picked them out. I added a light to the pool for them at night. It wasn't 90 in the garage. They like it (the light). We will take them out in the grass tomorrow.
Deletejust did some more research. Yes I know I should have done this before I bought them! The gold star is a hybrid breed. It is bred so that males and females can be told apart by color. I guess hybrid breeds are not as good as heritage breeds....oh well.. I'll love them all the same :-)
DeleteYou know, I don't think there's good or bad breeds - I've heard great things about Red Stars (maybe they're kinda like gold stars?)...your cickens might just be awesome! Plus they're well loved ;)
DeleteHi! I can't wait to get Chickens too! Enjoy! xxx
ReplyDeleteOoooh, baby chicks are pretty irresistable, and fairly low maintenance (except for the building a coop part). They should be kept around 90 degrees or so in the beginning anyway, so your weather is perfect. We had to use heat lamps constantly with ours. Also, you'll need something with higher sides and/or covered with mesh pretty soon or your chicks will be free-ranging :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats and Enjoy!!
yeah I used that pool because it had a small slit in it. One chick squeezed through lol. But she was just waiting on the outside to get back in with the other chicks waiting and chirping by the slit from the inside. I'll figure something out...or they could jut crap all over the garage.
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