It seems fine. I suppose that if you have cold winters, a smaller storage unit like this that can go into your basement or whatever is better than my 1500-gallon tank sitting outside. And if I were doing it over again, my household water pump (the one they call “the booster pump”) would be a submersible pump inside the water tank, not an external jet pump. Quieter, more compact, etc.

Unless you’re pretty lavish with animal protein, feed formulation for chickens is pretty difficult because soybeans and other plant proteins are seriously deficient in some amino acids, minerals, and B12. In the old days, just as scientific poultry nutrition was starting, they practically gave away steamed beef scrap, skim milk, fish meal, and such. So a grain-based diet could be supplemented with affordable animal products that gave complete protein and minerals, leaving the diet deficient only in the vitamins present in green plants, which were fed separately, and probably Vitamin D.

These days, with animal byproducts being almost as expensive as meat, all the commercial feeds use carefully formulated vitamin/mineral premixes and other ingredients to make up for the deficiencies in relying on soybeans and other incomplete and mineral deficient protein sources. So I recommend Purina chick starter or its equivalent. If you’re a beginner, medicated chick starter (or chicks that are vaccinated against coccidiosis). Sick chicks are heartbreaking and discouraging. Better to stack the odds in our favor at first. We can throw away the training wheels later.

Hawks are indifferent to electric fences. Chickens and especially rooster often see hawks before they strike and call to the others, who run for cover. So having cover is good. Most chicken houses, with their narrow doors, can cause pileups. Any kind of substantial overhead shade is good. Brush and crops aren’t so good because they provide cover to raccoons and other ground-dwelling predators. Trees are iffy because the hens will roost in them and can be picked off by owls and will insist on roosting there in worse weather than they should, cratering egg production.

In areas where groundwater is depleted and wells run dry, a low-yield well water storage system offers a smart, affordable fix.

For about $2,000, homeowners can install a reservoir tank and secondary pump to collect and store water slowly, ensuring steady household supply. It’s a practical, DIY-friendly solution—perfect for rural or drought-hit communities—without the cost of drilling a new well.

Pair a 500 Gallon Freestanding Potable Water Tank (White)

https://www.rainbrothers.com/store/500-Gallon-Freestanding-Potable-Water-Tank-White-p281493574

With a Reservoir Tank System for Low-Producing Well (115V or 230V).

https://www.rainbrothers.com/store/Reservoir-Tank-System-for-Low-Producing-Well-115V-or-230V-p449074058

Thanks for sharing your journey with us!