for chick coop

The journey from picking up your day-old chicks at the feed store or post office until you collect your first egg can be filled with joy and wonderment ... or fraught with anguish.

Over the years, I've noticed that there seems to be a pattern to the common mistakes that first-time chicken keepers make. I wanted to share them with you to help you avoid some oft-repeated missteps - and help you prevent heartache of your own.