Hi fellow chick keepers. My name is Kevin and I just got my first 4 chicks June 2. They were 1 week old. A Buff Orp, a Black Star sex link, a NH Red and an Americauna. These girls are for pets and eggs only. I raised them in a brooder in my garage for 6 weeks and then moved them out last Friday to my Eglu Cube that is attached to a walk in Omlet run (9 x 6 x 6). Since the Eglu Cube roosting bars are reportedly too large for chickens at 7 weeks I put in Aspen shavings on the floor and removed the roosting bar. They have toys, two perches, a mirror, feeder and the omlet waterer currently. Plus a dust bath in the run.
I have always wanted chickens but never had an opportunity until now. So I am very green and have found this site to be filled with awesome information.
I am switching their small brooder feeder to Grandpa's Chicken Feeder tomorrow, I delayed as I did not want to intro too much too soon to them. I also raised them with classical music in the garage and they seem to really settle when I turn it on, now only at night.
They learned to go into the coop at dusk by day two: tonight at 8pm all by themselves. I remove the feeder during the night to discourage rodents. This set up is in shade under a tree which has been great due to our over 100 degree temps right now. This set up is also enclosed by an 8 ft post and wire fence around a 40 x 50 ft square. Eventually I will be letting them out once I string orange filament at the top of the fence to discourage hawks. I also used 400 steel 14 inch stakes to attach and surround the run and used .5 inch hardware cloth up 4 ft with a 16 inch dig skirt around the entire outer perimeter. Fingers crossed.
Happy to be here. kevin ann
I have always wanted chickens but never had an opportunity until now. So I am very green and have found this site to be filled with awesome information.
I am switching their small brooder feeder to Grandpa's Chicken Feeder tomorrow, I delayed as I did not want to intro too much too soon to them. I also raised them with classical music in the garage and they seem to really settle when I turn it on, now only at night.
They learned to go into the coop at dusk by day two: tonight at 8pm all by themselves. I remove the feeder during the night to discourage rodents. This set up is in shade under a tree which has been great due to our over 100 degree temps right now. This set up is also enclosed by an 8 ft post and wire fence around a 40 x 50 ft square. Eventually I will be letting them out once I string orange filament at the top of the fence to discourage hawks. I also used 400 steel 14 inch stakes to attach and surround the run and used .5 inch hardware cloth up 4 ft with a 16 inch dig skirt around the entire outer perimeter. Fingers crossed.
Happy to be here. kevin ann
Nice to meet you.
