One of our granddaughters who lives with us turned 17 today. She wanted chickens for her birthday! In Evansville, Indiana, you're allowed 6 backyard chickens, so she just walked in the door with an Isa Brown, a Buff Orpington, a Barred Rock, a Black Australorp and 2 Rhode Island Reds.
We have zero experience with chickens, so I found BackYard Chickens online to start learning! Right now, we've prepared a plastic storage bin with shavings, food, water and a warming light in our Florida Room, till they get big enough to move to our backyard. What about handling them? Will that make pets of them sooner or stress them out? How soon can they move outdoors?
Obviously, I need to provide them with a chicken coop and room to run. We're in the city, but we've seen raccoons, possums, fox, hawks, feral cats and owls in our yard, so we can't compromise on safety. We don't have a huge coop budget, so I'm considering a DIY coop. I'm no carpenter, so anything I build has to be super simple...but my wife says it can't be ugly. ;-)
That's about it! I'm pastor of a small church. Judy and I just celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary. We have one daughter and her four children living with us, plus one more grandchild who visits his mom and stays with us most of the time. Also a canary, a cat and a dog. Advice welcomed!
We have zero experience with chickens, so I found BackYard Chickens online to start learning! Right now, we've prepared a plastic storage bin with shavings, food, water and a warming light in our Florida Room, till they get big enough to move to our backyard. What about handling them? Will that make pets of them sooner or stress them out? How soon can they move outdoors?
Obviously, I need to provide them with a chicken coop and room to run. We're in the city, but we've seen raccoons, possums, fox, hawks, feral cats and owls in our yard, so we can't compromise on safety. We don't have a huge coop budget, so I'm considering a DIY coop. I'm no carpenter, so anything I build has to be super simple...but my wife says it can't be ugly. ;-)
That's about it! I'm pastor of a small church. Judy and I just celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary. We have one daughter and her four children living with us, plus one more grandchild who visits his mom and stays with us most of the time. Also a canary, a cat and a dog. Advice welcomed!
Glad you joined.
