Chickens, Welcome to The Family

Yup, that’s right.

#DIYDave thought it would be a great idea to gift the kid’s baby chicks for Easter.

Do you know anything about raising chickens?

I sure as hell don’t.

And neither does Dave.

Because we need one more thing (or six) to take care of.

And the dogs. Well, let’s just say Hunter would love to jump right into the brooder with them.

The Set-Up:

**See those six cuties huddled together? They were getting cold. Heat is essential to keep them alive.**

Brooder – Have you heard the term before?

Basically, it’s a heated structure used for raising young fowl. We chose to purchase a small plastic swimming pool, food and water dispensers, heat lamp and chicken wire. Then Dave built a perch for the light to rest on.

And no, we have not named the chickens yet. Waiting to see their personalities emerge.

Learning Curve

The day before purchasing these chicks I made a drive over to my friend Melissa’s house to pick her brain and ask her all the questions about raising chickens. She has a pretty awesome set-up at her house.

Don’t believe me? See for yourself.

Her chickens produce at least one egg a day.

See her brooder on the far right? Those chicks are still growing feathers.

Did you know chicks have to be kept inside for 5-7 weeks?

I didn’t either.

Chicks cannot regulate their body temperature until their feathers have completely come in.

So, for now, they will have a nice home in the storage room of our basement and #DIYDave has a month or so to build the coop and run.

The Coop & Run

The design. It’s a work in progress.

Must-Haves

Walk-In
Nesting Box on the outside
Pullout Trays that can be easily cleaned
Space for a storage container
Wire underground (stay away foxes)
Divider for introducing new chickens (to prevent disease and being pecked to death – yes, I’m serious)
Perches
Hanging Feeders

Here are a few of my favorite designs: