A country girl at heart living in a small river town I have dreamt of raising chickens for years and this year it finally happened.
About six weeks ago I finally went and had a friend hatch me some chicks, But we figured out the rooster didn’t cooperate much, For we only had two chick that hatched and a week later they both died. So on to a farm supply store I picked my new chicks from ages two weeks to 4 weeks as good as the help could tell. I was so excited and had been reading up on articles and blogs to prepare myself for this awesome adventure finally coming true! I know it seems a little silly but since I was a kid I wanted to live on a farm with lots of animals, But I married a city boy and then the kids came and life but my dream never died! I’am a little bit country a little bit rock and roll as they say. So back to the chicks; I purchased ten chicks some Leghorns, Rhode Islands, Bantam and cute black ones I can’t remember what they were called! So I bought all the food, and containers for water and feed, pine shavings, cages, electrolytes, coop freshener, natural spray for mites and such, snack feed, and a heat lamp then brought my babies home and set them all up in my craft room due to the cold spell we were having which lasted forever! I lost one of my Bantams I think because it was too hot even though I was keeping it around 85-90 degrees. The rest were doing fine but then I had to move the older ones the Leghorns (3) to their own cages for they were growing fast plus more active and bossy! I spent a lot of time in with them due to all their scratching a flinging shavings into their water and feeders and because I just wanted to! I would hold them talk to them and even pet them through the cage, This crazy chick mom even decided to play the piano a couple times and they all would get real quiet and fall asleep!! Crazy huh?
I also would talk to them like I do my dogs and cat I thought it only natural I love them too right! I know, I know, I’m crazy their just chickens man!! But they’re MY CHICKENS!
So today was a BIG DAY today I was finally ready to move those chicks to their new coop for all was completed in the coop with electricity, ceiling fan, heat lamp, bedding, containers, flooring, windows, and fresh paint and decor outside along with fencing and netting to keep the predators out! We have a lot of hawks and eagles here being next to the Mississippi River! My son and granddaughter helped with the moving of the chicks and supplies and man was I excited!! Like a little kid in a candy store! I tried to contain it so everyone wouldn’t think I was too nuts!!
I will continue to study and ask questions and learn as I go down this path of the chicken mom and all it entails and I’m only in it for the eggs and fun exciting times plus the work that comes with and not to mention it keeps me more active!
Here is some pictures of the chickens new home.
I will tell you the coop was revamped from a tea -house then a shed and now the coop!
My son built the gate out of wood he salvaged from the flood in the river along with the metal on the bottom edge of coop and my other son and us built the inside boxes and ramp for the chickens also this past week I put the linoleum on the floor and painted the outside along with some touches and chicken wire along the bottom edge of fence run plus I made to roost areas out on the run so all in all I have had a lot of fun doing work daily and preparing for these little ones and don’t regret a bit of it! The Coop Is Done
So if you ever think about getting chickens I hope I inspired you and gave you a little of what to prepare for and any ideas. Am I crazy? Yes a little, crazy about animals and would have more if I could so I do what I can on this little urban homestead and love every minute of it a day long time coming and finally here was a success and a dream come true!
