I'm a first time chicken owner. They were so cute at tractor supply that my husband and I decided to get some. Also the ducks were really cute so we got a few of them. Trust me. They're only cute for a few days. Like 1. Ducks and chicks have to have their own plastic bin. One was a big feed trough for the chicks and one was a big plastic box from Walmart. Put the shavings down and feed and water. Chicks were pretty good. Ducks have to have a source of water to mix their food and dip their bills. Mine was an old 9x13 baking pan. Didn't want them to drown. Ducks love to play in the water. They splash water, food, poop all over the plastic pen. I cleaned and dried at least 3 times a day. Luckily I had a spare room for all the poultry. And don't even talk to me about pasty butt. Yuck. My husband got an old redwood swing set like they had at Costco for nothing. He added some wood and roofing and chicken wire and the chickens and ducks had a pen and an enclosed coop. Everything was pretty much recycled except the chicken wire. Of course, when we put the chickens in, it was fine. Adding the ducks and their water trough/ pond made it a little tight. So then, my husband decided to add an enclosed run to the run we already had. Another 30 x 10 ft. Got some recycled pipe around 300.00. Plus all the fencing to go around and on top of the run. Plus then we added some fencing to our existing fence so they had an outdoor area. So basically, if you think you can get by with 700.00, good luck. You always want to add more or add gravel or another house for them. Food and wood shavings are an ongoing expense. Plus cleaning every couple days and taking them food and water every day. Really starting to be fun this winter in the cold. Just love going out in the snow, with water and food. But...... the eggs are delicious. We did end up with 2 roosters. I've had a few run ins with them. But I just read more and decided I was the alpha chicken. Now I get along with the roosters, if they get uppity, I just flap my arms and make aggressive moves toward them. They're just very protective of their hens which is good, since they free range around our yard during the day. So, would I do it again? Maybe. Just don't do it with the idea that you're going to save money on eggs. You won't.
I'm a first time chicken owner. They were so cute at tractor supply that my husband and I decided to get some. Also the ducks were really cute so we got a few of them. Trust me. They're only cute for a few days. Like 1. Ducks and chicks have to have their own plastic bin. One was a big feed trough for the chicks and one was a big plastic box from Walmart. Put the shavings down and feed and water. Chicks were pretty good. Ducks have to have a source of water to mix their food and dip their bills. Mine was an old 9x13 baking pan. Didn't want them to drown. Ducks love to play in the water. They splash water, food, poop all over the plastic pen. I cleaned and dried at least 3 times a day. Luckily I had a spare room for all the poultry. And don't even talk to me about pasty butt. Yuck. My husband got an old redwood swing set like they had at Costco for nothing. He added some wood and roofing and chicken wire and the chickens and ducks had a pen and an enclosed coop. Everything was pretty much recycled except the chicken wire. Of course, when we put the chickens in, it was fine. Adding the ducks and their water trough/ pond made it a little tight. So then, my husband decided to add an enclosed run to the run we already had. Another 30 x 10 ft. Got some recycled pipe around 300.00. Plus all the fencing to go around and on top of the run. Plus then we added some fencing to our existing fence so they had an outdoor area. So basically, if you think you can get by with 700.00, good luck. You always want to add more or add gravel or another house for them. Food and wood shavings are an ongoing expense. Plus cleaning every couple days and taking them food and water every day. Really starting to be fun this winter in the cold. Just love going out in the snow, with water and food. But...... the eggs are delicious. We did end up with 2 roosters. I've had a few run ins with them. But I just read more and decided I was the alpha chicken. Now I get along with the roosters, if they get uppity, I just flap my arms and make aggressive moves toward them. They're just very protective of their hens which is good, since they free range around our yard during the day. So, would I do it again? Maybe. Just don't do it with the idea that you're going to save money on eggs. You won't.