I'm Getting My First Chickens
I’m Getting Chickens!
Yep, that’s right folks. In a few short days, I will be the proud owner of newly hatched fuzz balls. I can’t put into words the feelings of excitement combined with nervousness I am experiencing on this emotional roller-coaster.
This moment seemed to take forever to get here, but at the same time is rushing at me way too fast. I took the time to prepare for this long ago. But suddenly I seem very ill prepared. I am doubting my ability at keeping such fragile beings alive in my backyard. I have to keep reminding myself that I can do this, and I will. I guess this is what cold feet feel like.
I think I officially made the conscious decision to get chickens a little over a year ago. In reality, I have had a strong desire to acquire chickens for almost half a decade now. I wanted to be fully prepared to take on this challenge, so I gave myself time to think things over. I knew it would take a while to learn all the skills I would need to care for chickens, and I needed to acquire the necessary supplies to keep them in my backyard.
I started by reading articles from trusted sources and watching some public access shows. Every one of those sources warned about the responsibility of raising livestock. That warning made me really wonder if this was something I could do. So, I took it very, very slow.
When I first considered getting chickens, I already had a five-year plan in mind to move to a piece of property that I could cultivate into a homestead. (My five-year plan had a few hiccups along the way, so I still live in a highly populated urban area). I wasn’t sure my neighborhood property would support a flock in it’s current state. And, I didn’t want to tear up my yard right before I tried to sell my house. Oh, and I knew nothing about raising chickens! I didn’t even know a single person who had chickens.
On the other side of the coin, I wanted fresh eggs. I needed something to tame the bugs in my garden. I hated buying chicken from the store when I knew it was no longer healthy for me. Eventually, I decided that this would be a good opportunity to do a small trial run, to see if I had what it takes to raise chickens.
A few years ago, I started reading a bunch of blogs on how to raise chickens and signed up to some reputable websites for newsletters. If you are starting out with chickens, Lisa Steele has a great website to get you started.
Then, there were the YouTube videos! I had no idea about the chicken community out there. Its such a wonderful thing to discover such a vast resource at your fingertips about any topic you desire. Our grandparents never had that advantage.
So I watched YouTube almost daily, searching for solid knowledge about how to raise chickens. It got to the point that I started watching videos for a few hours a day, no TV. I tried to make sure I used only very reliable sources for my information. That’s a hard one to pinpoint by itself. I listened to people like Joel Salatin, Geoff Lawton, and Paul Wheaton on podcasts. In my book, these are very wise men, that everyone should be paying attention to. But that’s just my humble opinion.
Then one day while searching YouTube on how to make chicken coops, I stumbled across Justin Rhodes. He has a great Vlog about how he raises his chickens, and it really gave me the encouragement to give this a try. He has a lot of good information and even answered a couple of my e-mailed chicken questions. This really set my mind in motion that raising chickens was something I could do.
After playing with the idea for a couple years, I decided that I could make the necessary adjustments to test raising a small flock. I gave myself a soft deadline to get things ready and purchase some chicks. I bought a few specific books to read to prepare for their arrival. I wanted to give myself enough time to read them all. I also needed to build a coop and purchase supplies.
So, before you get disgusted with me about all the planning and preparation I did, (like a seasoned chicken owner or farmer would), let me fill you in on my shameful secret. As I write this, I am two days away from my getting chickens, and yet I am still not fully prepared!
Let me explain how this happened.
You see, time just slipped away from me I guess. I was busy cooking, cleaning, working, gardening. Poor excuses, I know. It just wasn’t a priority all the time. Instead of getting prepared early, I figured I had plenty of time to do so. Don’t think I’m not kicking myself at the moment. I could move the deadline that I set last year, but then I run the risk of losing my first choice of chicks at the local garden center. (Trust me, I tried to purchase local, farm raised chicks, but this was the best I could do besides having them shipped.)
I just purchased the brooder equipment and feed today. Two very short days before my official deadline. After all of my research, I somehow missed that fact that if you use a plastic container as your brooder, you run the risk of having the heat lamp melt the plastic. I reached out to several people on various websites who assured me that they have never had any issues, but I just didn’t want to chance it. Since I work outside my home and will need to leave the brooder unattended indoors for several hours, I wasn’t willing to take the risk. But again, I’ve never done this before, so I may be just overdoing things a little.
I have arranged my schedule at work so that I could be home for the first five days, so I may not need to use the heat lamp as much if I set up my brooder correctly, but why take the risk. Better safe than sorry. I am still worried about leaving the chicks unattended for so long when I have to return to work, but I really don’t have a choice since I have to maintain a full-time job. But now I have to scramble to get a metal pen to put my mind at ease.
Tonight, I just cracked open the first book that I originally purchased to teach me what to do. I have no excuse for this one, I’m just that lazy I guess. Although I wanted to read it, I just never got around to it. Thank God the chicken portion is only around 50 pages which I will definitely finish by the time I get my chicks.
Even now, when I should be reading that book, I am writing this. I have no idea why I procrastinate the way I do, but I usually can meet a deadline when I need to. So, I refuse to adjust my deadline on getting these chicks for fear of further procrastination, and I am diving in no matter what.
I have yet to build their coop, however, I did prepare a little for this event. It’s not a coincidence that I timed my chicken purchase around the same time as I get my tax refund. I know I will have at least three weeks before the chicken coop needs to be completed, and I have a solid idea of what I want to build already in my head. I have also picked out a temporary coop on-line and estimated the shipping time so, just in case I don’t finish building my own coop, I have time to purchase a back-up. I know this is not ideal though, and I just can’t believe I put myself in this position.
But, I still have a few days left to read that book and learn the last few details on raising chickens. I purchased a metal tub on-line that I will go pick up the morning of the chick arrival and set it up. Then I will go get the chicks, and pray that I can keep them happy and healthy.
Although I have never raised a chicken before, I take solace in the fact that countless others before me have done this very same thing with success.
The point of me sharing all of this with you is to help others overcome their uneasiness about raising their own chickens. I am sure there are many others who are debating whether they can really raise their or chickens. Many those who are just as nervous about getting started as I am right now. I think it’s important to share these experiences to help others overcome their fears and better their lives. Doesn’t it make you feel better when someone else can share in the uneasiness with you? Like you are not alone? To know that others made the same mistakes you are making right now, may give you a tiny piece of mind and hope. It helps to connect with others, so I encourage it often.
I hope this helps someone gain enough confidence to take the leap and try it for themselves. If you have ever had a pet before in your life, chickens are very similar, so I hear. Go ahead and do this!
I’ll keep you updated on how things go. If you want to know what supplies, resources, or You Tube videos I used for my research, feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me at: dirtcheaphomesteader@gmail.com
Good luck in your own chicken adventures!
