Two chickens here!

We've adopted two 2 wk old chickens from my DD's egg hatching program for my MIL and are babysitting them for a little while (if we can bear to hand them over...).

I bought them home from preschool on Friday afternoon after the chicken people picked out the girls.

They are living in a plastic container with water and chicken scratch food and a halogen desk light set up so they get some warmth. They have wood shavings on newspaper to scratch around in. They've been playing with a small piece of broccoli for the last hour or so that seems to have been a hit.

I took them out into the sunshine yesterday for a supervised run around on the grass, although they mostly just ran under my legs and tentatively peeked out.

DP has insisted we name them and DD picked Alice and I picked Dorothy. DP thought she suited Dottie better, so Dottie it is. :rolleyes: And he says I'm getting attached!

So I'm not sure now when they'll be going to MIL, we've said we'll hang onto them for a little while. After all, they need to be kept like this for some time yet and they're no trouble!

Any chicken caring tips??

Where are they living now? Did you build something or buy a coop?

So cute! I passed a produce store a couple weeks ago that had baby chicks for $4.90, i was so so tempted to buy some!! Good luck!! :lol:

Update here: http://forums.bellybelly.com.au/foru...94#post1971294

Both of our girls are laying now, but one has taken a liking to any old hidden spot in the garden, which is making it difficult on the days they're let out to roam free! The other one is nice and regular, a first thing in the morning egg-layer.

On a side note, until I discovered that Dottie (the wandering hen) was laying in the garden, I panicked one afternoon when I could not find her for about 15 mins. She usually comes right away as soon as she hears you and no sign of her. I searched the neighbours, our yard, climbed on top of the wood heap, not a sign. I heard a small scratch and discovered her under a thick clump of bushes, she came out loudly clucking - and there was a very clever little nest with three eggs, one just laid!

As for the coop - we bought one on Ebay (new) and I put it together myself. ;) Felt very 'I am woman, hear me roar" spending three hours with a screwdriver and plans.