Getting Started with Chickens
When we moved to our property here on what we now call Morning Glory Homestead, we were homeschooling and adjusting to a new way of life. After the first year here, we prepared to have our first garden plot. We’d had gardens before, but now we don’t have to move to another duty station so we can garden here for a long time. There are over twelve acres, so we have space for more than a garden, we can have livestock. Both Tony and I grew up with grandparents who kept chickens that we helped care for but we’ve never done so on our own. More than anything I’d like our children to have the opportunity to raise chickens and gather eggs like I did with my paternal grandparents.
Some friends built a small coop for us one summer and by fall in the same year I ordered chicks from a hatchery. Within three days we received a call from the post office to inform us that our order arrived. We were so excited when we went to the post office, picked up the chicks and brought them home to the brooder we made from cardboard boxes. Since that time, we’ve had several orders of chicks from various hatcheries and raised many chicks to mature hens and roosters. On occasion a few hens became broody and hatched their own chicks but most of the time we replace or continue our flock through purchases from hatcheries, chick sales at farm supply stores, 4-H pullet chain sales or we hatched our own from an incubator.
We were introduced to incubators from the local extension service office and our participation in 4-H. Our agent loaned us an incubator and gave us a clutch of fertilized eggs to get us started. We didn’t have any eggs hatch the first time and we were disappointed, but we have learned so much more about how to incubate chicken eggs and now quail and duck eggs because the extension agents were patient with us and provided instruction and encouragement. Over the years we’ve borrowed the incubators many times and enjoyed the experience of seeing chicks hatch. For several years our 4-H agent Beverley C. Brown has allowed us to borrow an incubator from the extension. Last week we ordered our first incubator and it arrived today. We ordered a Brinsea Mini II to use at home and in educational settings at schools. It is small and easy to transport with a clear egg chamber so students can see everything going on, we’re excited to have this new resource.
This journey with poultry has been interesting to say the least. We've learned so much about chickens, ducks, guineas, quail and turkeys and there is always more to learn. Our plan is to share more about our poultry journey and the treasure of information we've acquired over the years.
