The Beginning

Well, here we are at the start of a new adventure.

Jon, Abby, and I are about to begin raising chickens.  Nothing beats farm fresh eggs, and we've got the space to raise our own with the help of a neighboring farm.  So here we go.

First things first, Jon and I designed a brooding pen because we want to raise our chickens from baby chicks.  We think this will be a good experience for Abby and it will allow us to experience the whole process.

These are a bit scribbly, but they did the trick for our trip to Home Depot to buy supplies.

The brooder is pretty simple.  It's a 4'x4' box made of plywood and chicken wire, with a few 1"x3" posts and supports.  We did a little research and considered other options, like plastic buckets, rabbit cages, or even cardboard boxes, but a sturdy, home-built cage seemed the best considering we'll be keeping the chicks in the basement for the first month or so, and we want them to be safe from the cats!

Dale helped Jon with the construction, and in just a single afternoon/evening, the brooder was complete!

The finished brooder--or chickie condo