Hi everyone! It’s been forever since I’ve posted an update, so I wanted to share how my chicken-keeping adventure is going. Spoiler alert: it’s been a fun, sometimes challenging, but very rewarding journey!
The Chicks That Weren’t All Girls
When I got my first batch of adorable little chicks, I assumed they would all be girls. Well… that didn’t exactly go as planned!
Here’s what happened:
- I started with three Silkie chicks. Out of the three, two turned out to be boys!
So now I have:
George (who was supposed to be Thelma)
Gracie (still a girl!)
Louis
Then I got four Bantam chicks, and again, two of them are boys:
Lyle (instead of Lila, my Buff Cochin)
Frank (instead of Frannie, my Mille Fleur d’Uccle)
TThat means… I now have four roosters. And I honestly don’t know what to do with them!
I’ve listed them in hopes of finding them good homes, but no one seems to want my cute little guys. I know I can’t keep them because roosters aren’t allowed where I live, and I’m absolutely not okay with killing them just because they’re boys.
I really want to make sure they go somewhere safe where they won’t be mistreated.
Meet My Roosters
Frank – Bantam Mille Fleur d’Uccle rooster
Louis – White Silkie rooster
George – White Silkie rooster
Lyle – Bantam Buff Cochin rooster
The Hens I Have Left
Right now, I only have three hens:
- Gracie – Silkie
- Toffee – Mille Fleur d’Uccle
- Mouse – Porcelain d’Uccle
I was really hoping for more hens, so I decided to order another batch of chicks from the same hatchery.
New Baby Chicks!
The hatchery had their next pickup on July 26, so I placed an order for five baby Silkie chicks. This time, they’re different colors—not white—so I’m excited to see how they turn out as they grow.
Here are their names (thanks to my daughter, who is a huge Harry Potter fan!):
- Luna – Blue chick
- Sonny – Gray chick
- Stormy – Gold chick
- Elizabeth – Gold chick
- Elanor – Gray chick
Building the Perfect Coop and Run
I finally finished setting up the coop and run, and I’m really happy with how it turned out! Here’s what I did:
- The Run:
- Metal chicken run frame, wrapped in hardware cloth and secured with wire ties
- Tarp on top and back for shade
- Shade cloth on the front for visibility and cooling
- Portable swamp cooler for extra comfort
- The Coop:
- Converted a Costco shed into a chicken coop
- Added Reflectix insulation on the ceiling
- Painted the roof white to reflect heat
- Installed rolled linoleum on the floor for easy cleaning
- Filled the bottom with construction sand
- Ventilation & Comfort:
- Cut out two vents on each side, covered with hardware cloth
- Installed two fans (one pulls air in, the other pushes air out)
- Added a sliding Plexiglass window for airflow
- Inside Setup:
- Mounted a 2×4 roost bar about 18” above the ground
- Added an extra higher roost for the Bantams (they love it!)
- Installed a poop tray made from an old shelf
- Added a nesting box in the middle of the coop
Smart Features
- Built a tunnel using barrels to connect the run and the coop
- Installed a smart light inside the coop (it turns on at dusk so the chickens go inside)
- Added an automatic chicken door that:
- Opens at 8:00 AM
- Closes 15 minutes after sunset
Everything works great—except for one problem…
The Rooster Drama
The roosters are starting to cause some drama with the hens. So now, I’m planning to build an additional run and a “bachelor pad” for the boys until I can find them good homes. I think the hens will be much happier once they have some peace and quiet!
Final Thoughts
Raising chickens has been an adventure full of surprises, challenges, and a lot of learning. Even though things didn’t go exactly as planned, I love my flock and can’t wait to see how the new chicks grow.
Have you ever ended up with more roosters than you expected? How did you handle it? Share your tips in the comments—I could use them!