Kat’s Journey into Chicken Keeping

[LaFemmeKatia]

So today I did a thing.
I built a small covered run inside the big run, and attached it onto my four week old chicks’ crate.
Now they have more freedom and lots of space to scratch and play.
My big girls don’t know what to make of their new tenants, but hopefully they will become accustomed to the new kids this way.

It’s not very fancy, as I’m not very proficient at building things, but hey, it works!
I now have 13 chickens.

 

[cavemanrich]

Glad to see you got your thread started. Keep updating with new pix, as the chicks grow. I see your guardian in the first pix in background. I have 3 myself, and multiple feral rescue cats. None bother my chickens,,,,

WISHING YOU BEST...............................

 

[Momma-Hen-Misti]

I'm still new to this chicken business but I think this looks great! Clever idea.

 

[Galeann]

Looks similar to the set up I created to introduce my 10 week old chicks to the older chickens. Like you typed, "Not fancy. But it works." I hope your integration will progress as smoothly as mine has so far.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Glad to see you got your thread started. Keep updating with new pix, as the chicks grow. I see your guardian in the first pix in background. I have 3 myself, and multiple feral rescue cats. None bother my chickens,,,,

WISHING YOU BEST...............................

Yes, thanks to advice from my fellow BYC peeps. (@drstratton) .
I want to post some early pictures and stories going back to the beginning, but I can’t do it all at once or I would be writing the Great American Novel.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

My Journey into chicken keeping began back on May 14 of this year (2020), when I went to TSC to buy food for my pets ( 3 boxer dogs, 1 cat, and 4 Muscovy ducks).
The store had three bins filled with fluffy adorable tiny chicks. Of course I had to look. I always entertained the fantasy of having a flock of chickens of my own. It just didn’t seem practical with working 12 hour shifts (I’m an RN), and everything else I was doing.
But I’m retired now. Three years ago my husband, Mike, and I pulled up stakes and moved from Pennsylvania to the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina. Last summer we bought five acres (of mostly woods) and put a mobile home on it. And a big shed.
And bought a few ducks for our pond. (That is a whole other chapter.)
So back to May 14. There I stood at TSC, my cart filled with pet food. And I did it. I bought four Buff Orpington chicks, a heat lamp, and chick food.
AND, I joined BYC! I confess I had been lurking here for longer than I can remember.

As you can see, only one of them is actually a Buff Orpington. But I was clueless. The store clerk said they were.
That chick and one other survived. I lost two the next morning.


Two survived, the BO, and one that grew up to be a Leghorn.

I was upset, but a week later, I went back to TSC. They replaced the two that died ( did you know they do that?)
I got two Welsummer chicks.

And my adventure into chicken keeping had begun.

 

[drstratton]

Yes, thanks to advice from my fellow BYC peeps. (@drstratton) .
I want to post some early pictures and stories going back to the beginning, but I can’t do it all at once or I would be writing the Great American Novel.

I'm so glad you started a thread! I'm looking forward to reading about your adventures!

 

[drstratton]

So today I did a thing.
I built a small covered run inside the big run, and attached it onto my four week old chicks’ crate.
Now they have more freedom and lots of space to scratch and play.
My big girls don’t know what to make of their new tenants, but hopefully they will become accustomed to the new kids this way.
View attachment 2310685View attachment 2310686View attachment 2310687View attachment 2310688
It’s not very fancy, as I’m not very proficient at building things, but hey, it works!
I now have 13 chickens.

My introduction pen for my new chicks was less fancy than this...yours looks great!

 

[drstratton]

My Journey into chicken keeping began back on May 14 of this year when I went to TSC to buy food for my pets ( 3 boxer dogs, 1 cat, and 4 Muscovy ducks).
The store had three bins filled with fluffy adorable tiny chicks. Of course I had to look. I always entertained the fantasy of having a flock of chickens of my own. It just didn’t seem practical with working 12 hour shifts (I’m an RN), and everything else I was doing.
But I’m retired now. Three years ago my husband, Mike, and I pulled up stakes and moved from Pennsylvania to the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina. Last summer we bought five acres (of mostly woods) and put a mobile home on it. And a big shed.
And bought a few ducks for our pond. (That is a whole other chapter.)
So back to May 14. There I stood at TSC, my cart filled with pet food. And I did it. I bought four Buff Orpington chicks, a heat lamp, and chick food.
AND, I joined BYC! I confess I had been lurking here for longer than I can remember.
View attachment 2311195
As you can see, only one of them is actually a Buff Orpington. But I was clueless. The store clerk said they were.
That chick and one other survived. I lost two the next morning.


Two survived, the BO, and one that grew up to be a Leghorn.
View attachment 2311197

I was upset, but a week later, I went back to TSC. They replaced the two that died ( did you know they do that?)
I got two Welsummer chicks.
View attachment 2311198
And my adventure into chicken keeping had begun.
View attachment 2311206

I love baby pictures! Sorry about the loss of 2 of them.
My daughter & daughter in law are both nurses. I love our nurses...you are all awesome!
We were planning on visiting Myrtle beach this winter, before Covid hit, hopefully we will eventually be able to get there!

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

My introduction pen for my new chicks was less fancy than this...yours looks great!

Thank you!