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Kid in a box!

Well, huge bummer, but the chicks haven't arrived yet at the feed store, so no chicks yet! The kids and I were seriously disappointed. Maybe they'll be in tomorrow, and maybe Friday! So by the end of the week we will have our little chickies! I'm very excited and doing a lot of processing regarding coop building. I really want to use mostly recycled materials: we have a couple windows we can use, and I'd like to build a solar convection heater on it like this one Solar Heater the winter, that way I won't worry about them freezing! I was toying with the idea of stacking strawbales around the coop for the winter, but this might work better. I'm still working on how I want it... do I want a built in run, or a moveable run (or both, I can just make a small movable run later). I worry about letting them free-range because of the hawks. I haven't ever seen coons around here, but I'm sure there are some. So it has to be raccoon proof, easy to clean (I'm considering the deep-litter method which needs cleaning once to twice a year, with a tray under the roost for cleaning once a week). I like the idea of having an egg collecting hatch that I can access without actually going in, but then I like the idea of sending Leila and Elyas in for egg collecting as one of their chores. Anyway, much to think about as we plan and brood our chicks. They won't be ready to go outside until the beginning of April, I think.