Research.

Well I'm back from vacation and I didn't have any luck finding chicken nipples. However I am going to start work on the coop this coming up Saturday. But since I do not have much to update on I wanted to a post about the research I've done.

The local library has been a huge help! I've borrowed all the books they had on chickens and raising chickens, borrowing is also a lot cheaper than buying. I also have a few books I'm waiting on all about coop design, should be here soon!

Of the books I've read my favorites so far are:

Living with Chickens: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Backyard Flock

Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, 3rd Edition

Both really good reads and extremely informative. Living with Chickens was easy to follow and everything was explained in layman's terms. Storey's Guide is a wealth of knowledge, easy to understand, and they even have a section about chicken communication and what their different sounds mean.

I also use Backyard Chickens a lot, there is tons of information there.

I learned that chickens are prone to cannibalism! If they are stressed, confined in a small space, or just bored they will peck at each other. During the life of a hen they will lay between 200-280 eggs and it takes 25 hours for the egg to be produced. If you want you can also get chicken diapers so you can bring your chickens inside. Not that I'm planning on doing this but hey, whatever floats your boat. There are different types of chickens: hybrids, purebreds, meat birds, egg layers, they also come in many different breeds and sizes. You will be surprised at what your research will turn up. It has been quite the learning curve for me.