Finally have a chicken..... Now I have the questions!

Ok. So I was lucky enough to be gifted a very sweet 7 week old Barr Rock pullet yesterday. The coop is mostly done... All hardware cloth, latches on everything.. Just need some of the pretty touches. She has food and water in the coop. She was quite happy in the run, and made her way in and out of the coop all day to get food and water. We have her in a tractor.. So she had a great time eating bugs, scratching the grass and dirt and inspecting everything.
So .. My questions.. Is it necessary to put food and water in the coop and on the ground, in the run? Do I need to provide grit for her? We have pretty loose sandy soil here in South Carolina... So I wasn't sure if I needed to supplement on that. We are getting 3 more chicks later this week, but it will be another month before they are ready to spend any time outside.. But when they are.. Is it ok to have supervised visits?
For her diet I have her on Starter. She had a slice of tomato yesterday and today a couple slices of apple. I am assuming that a small treat a day is ok, but I want her to eat balanced. Even with limited free- ranging, does she need any other supplements at this time?
She is a complete sweetheart and was great with my kids today. I can't believe how much I adore her already. This is her first night out in the coop and I am just so nervous for her! She really is going to be a pet for us, as well as her soon to be buddies. TIA!

i would prefer to provide grit. Also, I used to put the feed and water in the run, BIG MISTAKE! Ants ate the food AND when the girls (Our Chickens) scratch, all the dirt and debris gets in the water. Now i put the food and water in the coop.

Congratulations on your new chick!

First, outside is good for chickens of all ages, as long as they can stay warm enough and be kept safe from predators.

So yes, supervised visits are great! If the new chicks are brand new, then the age difference between them and your barred rock is the biggest cause for concern. If it's in the eighties during the day, i would experiment with taking the chicks outside in the sunny part of the day every day when they're a little over a week old. If it's warmer during the day, then even sooner. You can play that by ear. They'll show you if they're cold.

You might provide some grit for your girl and see if she uses it. It really depends on how much in the way of little rocks and pebbles she's able to get from your soil as to whether she'll need extra. Other than that, chick starter is just great for her right now, and she'll really only need the grit to digest grass, bugs, and treats you might start giving her.

No, it isn't necessary to put food and water in the coop and the run as long as the water in the run isn't getting too hot, and the food isn't in a place where it's going to get wet if it rains.

Just an aside, please keep in mind that it isn't good for a chicken to live alone. They need their buddies, so should anything happen to delay those new chicks, i would go looking for her a buddy asap.

Congratulations again!

OreoPlymothRock said:

i would prefer to provide grit. Also, I used to put the feed and water in the run, BIG MISTAKE! Ants ate the food AND when the girls (Our Chickens) scratch, all the dirt and debris gets in the water. Now i put the food and water in the coop.

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Do you have your food and water in hanging feeders or sitting on the ground?

PunkinPeep said:

Do you have your food and water in hanging feeders or sitting on the ground?

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on the ground, in the coop.

Thanks Beth for your advice! I thee finally will be getting more if the chicks are delayed at all. I spent a LOT of time with her today so she would not be too lonely. Hubby just checked on her and she was happily cuddled up in a nesting box. I think I will get a small dish of grit to see if she uses it at all. I was planning on doing the same for the brand new babies when they get here. Luckily, here in SC, out weather is typically hot!
When should I switch her to grower? With the chicks being 7 weeks apart.. Should I mix the grower with the starter and not do damage to the babies ( who will be 5 weeks and she will be 12 weeks.) or to my Livvy?
Sorry for all the questions.l I have been reading like crazy on here... But it is so totally different when I actually HAVE one!

Just reebok said:

Thanks Beth for your advice! I thee finally will be getting more if the chicks are delayed at all. I spent a LOT of time with her today so she would not be too lonely. Hubby just checked on her and she was happily cuddled up in a nesting box. I think I will get a small dish of grit to see if she uses it at all. I was planning on doing the same for the brand new babies when they get here. Luckily, here in SC, out weather is typically hot!
When should I switch her to grower? With the chicks being 7 weeks apart.. Should I mix the grower with the starter and not do damage to the babies ( who will be 5 weeks and she will be 12 weeks.) or to my Livvy?
Sorry for all the questions.l I have been reading like crazy on here... But it is so totally different when I actually HAVE one!

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Yes it is. I would just keep them all on starter until the older one starts laying eggs. Here, most places sell a starter/grower, so there's no need to switch. Yours may be the same. If you give grit to the babies, make sure it's tiny, like parrot grit or something. They don't need much for a few weeks, if ever (if your ground has enough for them).

OreoPlymothRock said:

on the ground, in the coop.

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Is it fire ants? I've found Texas and Florida have similar pests. I strongly recommend hanging feeders and waterers. They have been well worth the investment for us. Ants can't get to the food, and the water largely avoids getting any shavings or other dirt in it.

Just reebok said:

....When should I switch her to grower? With the chicks being 7 weeks apart.. Should I mix the grower with the starter and not do damage to the babies ( who will be 5 weeks and she will be 12 weeks.) or to my Livvy?....

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Good evening and welcome to the world's biggest addiction of raising chicks! As you know you are going to want to keep your hen and chicks separate from each other for a while. 4 weeks at least (in my opinion) to reduce risk of disease and cross contamination. As far as mixing starter and grower, I wouldn't. They have different protein levels for each stage of the chicks growing. It wouldn't hurt the older chick, but not good for the babies. Your "older" hen isn't old enough to be broody, otherwise she might have taken them under her wing. But I, personally am over protective of my babies and would not put them together just yet. Just make sure Livvy gets lots of attention when you do start to introduce them so she doesn't feel like she's at the bottom of the totem pole. Good luck and have lots of fun!!!

Many Blessings!

Tracy

PunkinPeep said:

Just an aside, please keep in mind that it isn't good for a chicken to live alone. They need their buddies, so should anything happen to delay those new chicks, i would go looking for her a buddy asap.

Congratulations again!

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I apologize for jumping into your conversation, but I am in a situation where all but 1 chick I bought this spring has turned out to be a rooster. I can't really have roosters and have found them a nice new home. That leaves one hen. How do I give her a new friend? She is 9 weeks old. Does her friend need to be the same breed or same age?How do you buy older chicks?

mabel7115 said:

I apologize for jumping into your conversation, but I am in a situation where all but 1 chick I bought this spring has turned out to be a rooster. I can't really have roosters and have found them a nice new home. That leaves one hen. How do I give her a new friend? She is 9 weeks old. Does her friend need to be the same breed or same age?How do you buy older chicks?

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Well, you can try Craigslist. Often locals have older chicks they'll sell you. There's no need for her friend to be the same breed, but close in age is a nice idea. I would get her a couple of friends, if i were you. Three together is good company for chickens.