Brooder ready

I'll see about adding photos soon.  Not much action until now since no one seems to ship chicks until February.

Chooks are on order from my pet chicken to arrive around Feb 26.  I had hoped to get them the week prior since that's 'ski week' and everyone could be home.  This'll be fine though.

The brooder is a pet crate/cage free from Craigslist and scrubbed down.  I picked up pine shavings and chick starter at the San Mateo Feed store.  Plus a feeder and waterer.

Just waiting for the baby chicks!

Starting the prep

I have read books, starting with Living with Chickens by Rossier and finding some blogs that are about city people with chickens in their backyard.

My plan is to get three chicks for my birthday in February or March or 2008.  I need to get a setup for the chicks and a coop.

Why?

1. Free range eggs!
2. The kids are afraid of animals.  Starting with little fuzzy chicks and keeping hens will be a good way for them to have pets and become comfortable around animals.  DH is allergic to cats AND dogs.
3. They are neat little animals.

I will record my next 6 months of scrounging for a free cage for the chicks and my constant struggle -- Eglu or build my own?  If I build a coop I'll post about that process.