Welcome to the Homestead, Little Chickies

The first flock of chickens we raised here at Iveyshire made quite a dramatic exit. Something was getting into the coop, and some of the hens turned into cannibals. It was a messy and gruesome ordeal, and we went from 24 birds to 0 real quick.

But we aren’t quitters, so this past week we brought home new chicks!

We’re doing things a little differently this time, hoping our efforts and improvements will prevent any more wild chicken adventures.

Starting Off Strong

The first thing we (“we” meaning my husband) made was a new brooder box. With the previous chickens, we used a stock tank and covered the top with a screen. The main problem with that was simply the lack of space once the chicks reached about 4 weeks. Since we have a bunch this time- and will most likely continue to do a lot of chicks at once in the future- we decided to make a box big enough to house 30 chicks. The general rule of thumb is about 1 square foot of space per chicken, up to 8 weeks of age. Once they’re big enough that they don’t need a heat lamp, they can be moved into a regular coop.

Calvin did such a great job building this from scratch! It’s super sturdy, with solid side walls to prevent drafts. He used hardware cloth instead of chicken wire so that the holes are too small for snakes. The doors on the top close with latches and carabiners to keep out the bigger predators. Interesting side note- in my online research, I’ve seen people say that raccoons can open carabiners, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how predator-proof it is.

After these chicks move into a coop, we’ll do some additional work on the brooder box. Sealing the edges with caulk and painting/sealing the floor will help prevent mold and other damage from moisture.

A Slightly Different Approach

The other thing we’re experimenting with this time around is having only one breed. Our favorite chickens from the last batch were the Buff Orpingtons, so that’s what we decided to go with. They were a good size, laid large eggs, and were friendlier/had a sweeter disposition than some of the others. (I can’t believe I’m talking about chicken personalities. Who am I?) We’re wondering if the mix of breeds we had last time maybe contributed to some of the chaos in the coop.

And Now We Wait

For the next 7 weeks or so, we’ll just enjoy watching these cute little floofs as they change into awkward molting teenager chickens, and then big golden hens.

Hopefully our efforts will pay off, and they will live long, happy lives here at Iveyshire.

Don’t forget to follow our little homestead on Instagram @iveyshireblog to keep up with the everyday happenings in our family!

2 comments