Chicks

We've had 15 hens who were laying eggs consistently since 2020.  In the early Spring though, we began getting about 5 eggs each day.  That was also when the stores were experiencing a shortage of eggs, so we had lots of customers stopping at the house for eggs randomly.  We were having to turn them away because we didn't have enough for everyone.  We stopped eating eggs, and I stopped baking anything containing eggs.

One day, I was cleaning and Dan came home with 15 chicks from Tractor Supply.  He told me that he walked in, offered to take 15 of them for $1 each, and the manager agreed!  

There are some barred rocks and some Isa Browns.  

This is only the second flock we've raised out.  The hens we currently have we bought as ready-to-lay pullets.  We decided it was worth it to not have to hassle with chicks and feeding chicks.  

But this time, I'm keeping track, and so far, they've only cost us $40.

They got their cute little feathers.  Unfortunately, the littlest chick just died two days ago.  :(

I started taking them outside to get fresh air in the daytimes.

And this is them now.  We put them in our old, moveable cage which Dan made 5 years ago.  It still works!  Turns out, our hens aren't done for after all!  I started really picking grass to feed them 3 times a day, I feed them any and all weeds from the garden, and also switched their feed to laying mash instead of the crumble or cracked corn.  Now they are giving us about 11 eggs a day.  Two of the hens were very broody, so we shipped them off to the farm.  They lived there for about 3 weeks until they disappeared.  

I don't love chickens...but I love eggs.  So it's worth it to have a couple chickens to get eggs every day and not have to worry about egg shortages and such.  

Hope you all are doing good!  

The expanding Shedd "Farm"

The week before Easter, Dan and I went to TSC to get some supplies for the house.  Well, I sat in the car while he went in to get the supplies, because I was ashamed to be seen in public with the paint-laden clothes I was wearing. 

After what seemed like a unusually long period of time, Dan came out with the things, and said "They have little chickens for sale!!! Can I get some!?"

 

We've talked about getting some chickens, but I was thinking we would get them as layer hens, not as chicks.  But Dan looked so excited at the prospect of having some new pets that I couldn't say no. 

 

Because the chicks were already growing feathers and losing their down, this particular batch of them was on sale for $1/each.  I told Dan that he may as well get 20 of them, because in my experience, usually a few die. 

 

None have so far though!

 

We got them home and Dan made little houses for them with big cardboard boxes and a quaker oats can to connect the boxes. 

 

 

 

This is the first time Dan has raised chicks, so he was very excited.  He named all twenty of them and initialed their feet to remember each one.  I just laughed and told him that the marker would wear off in no time. 

 

This is a picture of Dan holding his favorite chicken, Susie. 

 

I think it was the next day that Dan started building a chicken coop outside behind the shed.  He drew up plans for it, bought materials and started building it right away.   

 

These are a few pictures I took just yesterday of the chickens.  They are growing like weeds!

 

And Dan has nearly finished the outside coop. 

 

He even installed motion-sensor lighting.  The door on the far left is going to be the access door to their nesting area.  It will be connected to a rope so that we can close it at night to keep the chickens in. 

The window in the middle will have a screen in the summer time, for ventilation and a breeze to blow in at night. 

 

This will be the door, when it is finished. 

 

Dan just started putting up the chicken wire two days ago.  It will definitely be completed  by next week. 

 

And I just have to show you the laying boxes.  When I gather eggs, I'll be able to just open up this panel on the outside!

 

 

This big panel on the back part of the coop will be so that we can more easily clean out the nesting area.  Hopefully you can view these videos okay. 

 

 

 

Now that we have chickens, we are hoping to try a goat next.  I'm longing to go to a livestock auction in the area and find a little goat.  We visited a lady a few weeks ago on a church visit and she was showing us her goats and Dan started really wanting a little goat.  So who knows what will be next here on the Shedd "farm"!?