Raising chickens

I wanted to give you a little update on the chicken project. First, some history.  My grandparents moved to 746 Monkton Road in 1927 when it was a rundown farm.  My grandfather had contracted tuberculosis and had spent many months in an institution recovering.  “Moving to the country” was the prescription for health back then and they purchased a three-acre farm where they raised 600 chickens.

Here is a picture of the feed house…the two-seater outhouse…and the chicken coops. At the far right, the chickens had a pen where they could run around and make a racket. They loved taking dust baths which apparently is good for their feathers.
 

We are doing this in cooperation with our neighbors Courtney and Matt Bishop,  Art Wannlund, and Dave and Tammy Starling to bring back chickens to the Fishel family farm.  We had a meeting and decided to keep it “interesting” and order four brown egg chicks…a mix of different breeds. The chicks arrived on Tuesday of this week at the U.S. Post Office in Hereford and they were 36 to 48 hours old. They arrived all alive and healthy!

Courtney picked up the chicks and brought them back to the “brooder” which was part of the contribution that Barb and I have made to the project.  It is an enclosure with a heat lamp and water and feed the ensures the chicks are kept at 95 degrees for the first week and then we raise the lamp and lower the temperature five degrees for each week thereafter.  Courtney’s children…notably Brooke…are providing the loving the chicks need to get acclimated to being held.

One of our first surprises was the cost of chick feed.  I went to The Mill feed store to buy a five pound bag which would have cost $6.  But the attendant pointed out that we will go through a 50 pound bag in only ten weeks.  It cost $17.  Pays to buy in bulk. Our second surprise has been their growth. We are already seeing feathers.

While Courtney is raising the chicks, which should be ready to go outside in ten weeks, I have been building the coop and the foundation, pictured on the left.

It pleases me that the coop is going to be sitting right where my grandparents had their chicken coop so  long ago.

Just a word about what is going to keep the foxes and vermin out, those concrete blocks for the foundation extend down eight inches and underneath the soil is a wire mesh.

Taking no chances!