New Chicks and New Power

We took the plunge and purchased 10 chicks of our own from our local Tractor Supply last week. We have 6 pullets (three red layers mixed breed and three white layers mixed breeds).  All are cold weather varieties that should be well suited for our climate.  We also purchased 4 straight run birds, 2 Buff Brahmas and 2 Buff Orpingtons (these looked to be about a week older than the rest).  In the week we have had them they've doubled in size and the adult feathers have really started developing.  We'll have to see if we get any roosters out of the straight run group.

We started them out in a plastic tote and then moved them to a larger wooden pen I built with scrap I had on hand.  They've been in the garage since then with the heat lamps until they are a bit older and I get the coop finished.  I started building that on Monday.

Here is that larger pen finished over the weekend.

So far just a little pasty butt with one of the chicks that we were able to take care of without incident.

The solar panels are in and working like a champ. Our best day of generation so far has been just over 30kwh.

Starting.

Ok, more in this later, but I am kicking this puppy off!  I intend to post mostly about our homesteading simple living efforts here in this blog.  However, for those that don't know me, I'm a little bit of a different kind of bird.  For fun I participate in a group called the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) where I recreate medieval activities and crafts.  My primary activity therein being hitting people with rattan weapons in armor.  Great fun.  I've also been on a real fitness kick for about 7 months.  So expect that you are going to hear about those things here from time to time as well.

Mostly expect updates about our garden, chickens, solar power and much more.  Thanks for stopping by.

Olafr the Homesteading Viking