The Saga of the Chickens

A few weeks ago, Mark called me and told me I needed to take the little kids to see the baby chicks at tractor supply. I decided before we even got there that it was time to get chickens. It was not an impulse buy. I thought I knew what I was getting us into....

While I was at Tractor Supply with the 3 youngest kids, Mark and Matthew showed up to buy supplies for Matthew's final push on his Eagle project. Mark asked me how many chicks I was planning on buying. I told him 6. He said I should get 12 because most of them would die. I got 12.

We came home and put the chicks in a large dog crate and set up a heat lamp. They moved into the laundry room. We then started the process of building a chicken coop. I investigated plans on the Internet. Finally, we decided on one and downloaded it. Then it was off to Home Depot. After hours in the store, we finally decided to use hardy plank instead of plywood.

Then we had to clear out and level a spot to build the coop.

Mark trying to figure out the nesting boxes.

The little boys inside of the coop.

Matthew lifting Robert out of the coop.

Matthew putting the roof on the hen house

Sometime in the 2 weeks it took to build the chicken coop, Rebecca took the dog crate out back to clean it. She let the chicks out to roam in the yard while she cleaned. The chicks follow her around. She picked up the crate to finish dumping the sawdust out and when she put the crate back down she squished one of the baby chicks. Very traumatic. She told Robert it was one of her chicks but he did not believe her. He cried for a long time. I am just glad that it died fast and I didn't have to help it. That is not something I ever want to do. Just like Mark will have to take care of the extra roosters that we have in the batch.

Final product.

It looks like we may have about 4 roosters. I can't really tell but 4 of them are consistently fighting and have a comb on their head. I guess when they are old enough, we will have rooster/chicken for dinner. I am already preparing the little boys.