planning for chicks

I have mentioned before my backburner thoughts about building a chicken tractor.
This weekend I mentioned it go my MIL; she liked the idea. I checked COR laws; legal as long as there is no noise or smell problems.

So then I went garage saling a few houses down and an older gentlemen was manning the garage.

Me: is this.... a chicken feeder?
He: Yes.
Me: (sensing a planetary realignment) How much do you want for it?
He: Oh, I dunno. 25 cents.
Me: Deal.

Gulp. All these pieces have been floating around in my head and now they all aligned and locked together like those falling shapes in Tetris. Memories of feeding chickens and cleaning the coop as a boy in east tx.

Armed with 25 cents worth of chicken feeder, I went back and fleshed out some of the research I started doing a couple of years ago: The City Chicken, Backyard Chickens forum, the chicken chooser, etc.

Hopped down to Roach Feed and Seed to get some supplies to get a brooder set up and temps predictable before the chicks start to arrive in a couple of weeks. Pictured are a feeder with mason jar threads, waterer with mason jar threads, some chick feed and watersoluable antibiotics for the chicks during their first few weeks. Not pictured: brooding heat lamp fixture and bulb, brooding container.

We are thinking a handful of chicks, maybe two Rhode Island Reds and a Barred Rock, or an Ameraucana or an Buff Orpington.