Congrats on being a new chickie momma! There are a lot of folks here with experience, so if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask! Keep an eye on their fluffy butts - it's good to catch stuck poop right away. I also, with my babies, add rocks to the waterer for the first week or two, so no one falls in and drowns in their water. I've heard stories... Enjoy those little peeps! 😍

@Carrie Meade Right!? I've had chickens for about 6 years now and I've learned so much in that time. Chicken Health Academy has been a Godsend whenever something weird happens. Speaking of.... When they take their first dust bath or lie down to sunbathe, don't freak out like I did. They really ARE ok! I thought for sure they were dying right in front of me! 😂 FB pages: I recommend Rooster Allies and their sister page Hen Allies, Humboldt Hen Helper, Chicken Health Academy (of course, but the FB page alone still requires a monthly fee), Backyard Chickens: Ask the Poultry Doc - especially if you do not have a vet that will see chickens (exotics !?) near you.

@Debbi Jesse Thanks! :) It's fun to just sit and watch the drama... It's like a soap opera! lol

@Debbi Jesse Our flocks DO sound similar! My Dot found a baby snake one day...freaked me out a bit cause I had no idea what it was at first - it was only the size of an earthworm. But...oooohhhh....it was a tasty treat! lol

What winter!? We really just went from Fall to Spring with a hiccup of winter for a day or two. Although, my 9 hens did take a break! My 3 new layers are all finally getting the hang of things (although, I'm so proud that every one of them laid in the nest boxes every time!) We're now getting 5-6 eggs per day from our 9. We're seeing high 60s in the day with lots of sun and 30s at night. Our usual late April weather. lol

I agree! I've been a member of CHA (Chicken Health Academy) for that long as well. The summit is awesome and the group is even better - if you can believe it! Here is the link, hoping it works: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2F95503--greenestacre.thrivecart.com%2Ftoolkit-fast-action%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExMnJMTDdPMlZTTE1adHdtUnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4x-myodIHyyofpsJ5EZbkwmeXipQiAtf3eiAoe81SzTy0wmfSr6WfG-grO-A_aem_eMyn0e6lCRxoyQkHK4gR3w&h=AT5MbgaFDG5-AG4ZxOvcIxLhroFSbaiEHHfJ4uAUMtGWyEmq3kk9FtJ0IE246ByZDokCpkBz6N25y7_-7sq1EVzOQk0_dOyLzaby7M5GlITYZYihVDPS2VnkZvVrg8BwyuMxjJ2yLUoZBg&__tn__=R]-R&c[0]=AT73m9E-adVaCrnt4IuP6g-IfK407i8mdH9SlUv8UHcyHM_ZXqsd1iMlNcKWkECF2c-bmxWnHk5U-uQm3cMdPhIpiRG4eNlAzhpIYIYwSkSmaKnov2dxR_tbZEs7ZyVV0it33YinO12zpg7sXj0OKg0nEdSdWVgicR5JDC3BtmzK4DuvtYNkzukYVDikS93uOps

@Nisana Miller The original girls are Rocks -Black Rocks and one White Rock. We lost the Buckeye to a bobcat, so when I bought 3 new chicks the first time, I got another Buckeye, a Silver-Laced Wyandotte, and an Easter Egger. My newest three are a Chocolate Orpington, White Crested Black Polish, and White Crested Blue Polish. My rooster is an Easter Egger. Definitely have NOT stuck to one main breed, have I? lol

@Nisana Miller Thanks. And we were new tenders... Didn't realize a bobcat could easily jump a 4ft fence. It did, grabbed her (we assume), and was gone within seconds. There was a skafuffle and all that was left were a few of her feathers. We never saw her or found any other trace of her. The rest have been a good flock and we feel a little safer with the rooster as they "free-range" in an open -larger- fenced area. We are right next to the interstate and have WAY too many predators on our 6 acres for our flock to truly free-range. My young polish are just the cutest things with their "punk-rock" look as my hubby says. One just laid her first egg and it's Adorable!