I'm really getting excited now. Big things happening!!
I ordered my chicks this weekend from Cackle Hatchery in Missouri. They had a "city special" where I could get 3 chicks, chosen from a number of breeds. I ended up with 1 Easter Egger and 2 Rhode Island Reds. These should be really good ones to start with. They will hatch later this month and be shipped at 1 day old, estimated to arrive between 2/24 and 2/27.
We also got started on the chicken coop. This is the one we ordered from Tractor Supply.
I have to say, so far the construction has been really easy. It comes with the sides preassembled, so really all you have to do is attach them to each other.
We did read some reviews about the bottom of the nesting area needing more support, so my handy husband added that before we put that part in. Because the coop comes unfinished, we have chosen to paint it, inside and out. The inside is a very light gray, and we chose a no VOC paint in a semi-gloss finish. This should (hopefully) making cleaning out the coop a little easier. The outside is a pretty sage green, which should blend in well with the landscape.
Next up is getting our brooder box ready for the chicks. I think we'll be using a large rubbermaid type tote, and just replace the top with a frame and hardware cloth. I've been reading a lot about the different types of heat sources that you can use to keep your chicks warm and toasty, and I think I'm going to go with something like this:
The chicks can snuggle up underneath it like they would a momma hen, and then you can raise it up as they grow. I'm just afraid that a heating lamp might fall, and that would be a disaster.
On the gardening front, I got some seeds started this weekend. We still have to order a load of dirt to fill the garden boxes, but that will have to wait until after the winter storm we expect to move in tomorrow. It shouldn't last long, so maybe next weekend?
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