It's been a couple of years since we had chickens. After a raccoon got into the coop and decimated the population in one bloody frenzy in 2018, we hadn't made it to fixing it before a strong windstorm knocked the coop over.
Many of us have been relishing the time at home these past weeks, and working diligently on getting the "honey-do" list items crossed off. Of course, re-setting our chicken coop was on this list, and my honey has gotten it all ship-shape and ready to go for me.
Now that the majority of the spring garden/greenhouse tasks are completed, my gaze has returned to the focus of getting chickens again. So of course in true Spring fashion, it was a whirlwind of a Saturday afternoon when I decided the time is now ~ we have chicks!
Concerns for the food supply chain in the United States continue to grow, and this year it seems many folks are now attempting to try their hand at creating their own food at home. While I don't like all the crazy in the world of humans, I am glad a lot of folks are waking up to realize food is important and not something to be thought of as a convenience item!
We weren't set up for baby chicks, but from what I can tell that's about all that is available at the moment, so this post is going to show you an easy hack I learned from my dear friend Medora. She reminds me of Bonanza Jellybean in Tom Robbins' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues - she's at home on the farm, and her bird whispering is no joke. I messaged her yesterday and asked her if she could throw some baby chicks under lights for me a few weeks, and she told me to come over and she would show me how I could make my own guerrilla chick pen.
- large plastic container with locking lid
- a small piece of hardware cloth or other wire fencing
- zipties
- water bottle
- pine shavings (never cedar)
- small container for the food
- heating pad or heat lamp (she prefers heating pad)
Once we gathered all the materials, we went to the tool shed and got a drill. I used a sharpie to mark where the holes should go for the water bottle, and drilled them. Medora told me to drill a couple of holes so you can adjust the height of the water bottle as the chicks get bigger.
We drilled two tiny holes on either side of the latch where the water bottle hanger can go. Then I just put some ties in those holes, and clipped the water bottle piece to those ties.
The next task was to get the lid set correctly. We laid the hardware cloth on the lid, and marked where we needed to cut the rectangle (and how big). Remember to cut the hole slightly smaller than the wire fencing. Once the hole is cut, then you can drill the holes for the zip ties.
Use the zipties to attach the hardware cloth.
The box itself is finished at this point. Simply fill it with a layer of pine shavings, a small fairly flat container of chick feed, and your chicks!
Since chicks need warmth 24/7 at this age, please use some common sense so you don't roast them (or your house).
If we were using a heating pad, it would simply sit under the box of chicks. Since I opted for the heat lamp instead, I was very careful about how far the lamp is above the box. It's close enough that the chicks are plenty warm, and the lid is warm to the touch, but it's not going to melt or other fire hazard issues that come with heat lamps.
Just a few weeks ago, this same space in my house was growing baby tomatoes, peppers, echinacea, and celeriac. The lamp bulb went from a grow light to a heat light and now the cats are watching the birds, the dog is watching the cats, and I am thoroughly entertained!
Stay tuned for more adventures with Spring chickens ~ and always remember
