Hello! New chicken owner

Hello, everyone. My name is Arturo. I live in Vallejo California and am the proud poppa of 4 Ameraucana's. I decided since I have 4, to name them after the Golden Girls. Blanche, Sophia, Rose and Dorothy.

My partner and I have been talking about getting chickens for a while now but never pulled the trigger. I started researching what it actually takes to raise back yard chickens and at first it was a bit overwhelming. So we decided to move slowly and when the time came, it came.

Cut to a few months later, a friend was going to pick up chickens for herself and a friend. There was some sort of communication situation and my friend ended up with 4 extra chickens. She called me, since she knew I was thinking about getting some. I said no at first, but I talked to my partner about it and we decided that if we could find a cheap coop, and set up an area in the back yard we would take them.

I immediately began searching high and low. We found one an hour south, and went to pick it up. prepped it and the rest is history. We have had them for about a week now and I think we have worked out all the kinks. The have a couple of perches and I even made a DYI feeder. Im soaking up as much info as I can and I reference this site often.

Im still trying to figure out all of their little noises...

hmm I can't see the entire coop but from what I can tell that run/coop will be too small by the time the girls get bigger. If they're only a few weeks old they may be getting chilled because they're not yet able to regulate body temperatures, and they'll chirp very loudly.

btw, welcome!

Check out this site for the recommended temperatures based on how old your chicks are
http://www.nutrenaworld.com/knowledge-center/poultry/heat-lamps-for-chicks/index.jsp

They do look feathered pretty good. Vallejo is Northern, CA so it doesn't get terrible cold at night. You do have to protect them from drafts, breezes though! How were they kept when you got them?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...s-in-your-city-the-basics-of-raising-chickens

This is a good place to do some more reading!

oh and one more, since you're in an emergency situation with just a few chicks, you can go to Walmart and get the biggest clear storage bin with top lid. You can keep this bin inside where you can keep your chicks more comfortable until they get bigger. I personally used Brinsea heater and it was perfect every time

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...er&qid=1448477221&ref_=sr_1_sc_1&sr=8-1-spell

It's a bit costly but it saves money in used wattage and lasts for years, and much safer than heat lamp.
Little chicks need food, clean water, dry bedding and heat. Good Luck!!!

Hi Arturo,

Those are some pretty girls you have, thanks for sharing a picture with us!

If you would like to meet other members in north CA, you can find them here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/25/california-northern

Good luck with your new flock and always feel free to ask questions!

Thanks Everyone! the noises I am referring to are not specific, meaning they don't seem to be sounds of alarm or anything. they are in the yard most of the day and go in the run/coop at night. we live near a river so there are critters about at night. The temp inside the coop stayes at about 65 or so when they are in there and the door is closed.

as for where they were kept before, it was just a normal coop out side more north than where they are now which typically gets colder at night. technically I am in wine country just south of Napa and the birds are from a town just north of Napa. The woman who my friend got them from had dozens, of all different ages.

they stay in the coop at night, and its pretty air tight and well insulated, obviously there is airflow so they don't suffocate. I rained yesterday so I put a tarp over the chicken run. they also have a shade cover that is on the run all the time. they seem to be going ok as far as I can tell.

We have two Dogs, One is an old mutt that is curious about them and barked at them once. the other is an Australian herder, so I'm curious about training him to herd them back in to the coop in the evenings, they seem to make their way back on their own anyhow.

Welcome to BYC, Arturo. Glad you decided to join our flock. If you haven't done so already, definitely check out our Learning Center at https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center. There is lots of useful information there. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Cheers.

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. I don't think chickens are herded though ducks can be. Chickens will go back to the coop on their own , at dusk. Do you have a blue heeler or a red one? A dog can be essential for predator protection.