Hiii! In case you didn't know, we recently got chickens and I am following my enthusiasm in sharing this story with you - especially for those that want to maybe get their own one day!
I was trying to think back to when we decided to get them - I don't remember the exact time, day etc. but I imagine it was influenced from our visits to the Catskills. We usually go to the same areas and there is always a road where there are chickens hanging out and roaming around. We've also gone to a winery/brewery spot in Ancram, NY where they also have a large chicken coop with a few chickens hanging around for guests to interact with. So let's go with that - we were influenced by the Catskills lifestyle.
Where we got our coop from: Smart Coop
We opted to go with the Smart Coop because it was easier to setup, build it ourselves with all the right pieces and be ready to go! While the idea of building our own coop seems maybe a bit more cost-effective and a little dreamy, realistically it would take a ton of time, trial & error and probably some frustration & disappointment along the way. Going this route felt easier, convenient and also safer for our chickens! I think if you have a lot of handy experience, building your own may be better but for us, buying the Smart Coop made the most sense. Also, it comes with an app and camera that allows us to see them at anytime during the day. It is basically programmed for the chickens to hangout outside during the day and be safe at night. So far, so good!
Where we got our chickens: Cathy's House of Chickens
We also decided to get our chickens from a local woman who raises them up in Southbury, CT. I think you can order them online if you'd like, but we wanted to pick them up in person and bring them home. We had been in conversation with her for a few months and decided we would like them when they are a bit older (not full on chicks!). She raised them until they were ready to come to their home! This was pretty easy and she also recommended we get Isa Brown ones so we now have 4 of those - their names are Tillie, Millie, Billie & Bonnie.
Food + Treats - Amazon
Here are some of the food & treats we got from Amazon for the chickens! One thing we kept in mind was that we want them to eat well because they are laying eggs for us. So, naturally we want them to eat well so we have nice, healthy eggs and since we can control what they have why would we not! Here are some of the items we bought -
Lastly, we got hay and wood shavings from Tractor Supply Co!
The learning process was the biggest hurdle and so far we are GOOD! They've been easy to manage and we'll see how it goes as they get bigger, lay eggs and we get into a routine with them. My goal is to make sure they are happy, healthy and getting plenty of time outside with their friends.
Let me know if you have any tips as well!
x,
Johana