Chicks are here!!! Pictures post #6

[SGM]

I've raised chicks in the house before, and I really want to avoid that this go around. My plan is to get approximately 15-20 laying chicks. With the weather warm I thought it might be wise to order in the chicks now so that we can utilize the warmth outside to get the chicks through brooding and then when they're fully feathered it'll be working its way into Fall. Then they'd be prepped and ready to stay outside and grow out.

So my question is this. Should we order now or wait till the coop is complete? Currently our coop is in the 'plan' mode. I tend to be the type to buy before build and most times it doesn't work-out like my initial plan but it always ends up fine. I have a chicken tractor and ample resources; cages, wire, materials not related to the coop, to accomodate the chicks as they grow until the coop is completed.

Would it be wise to go ahead and order in the chicks now? We also want to get a couple chicks of a breed that won't likely be available in the Fall too.

 

[oldchickenlady]

I bought my chicks before I had ANYTHING!

I had them in a big horse trough in my living room while I built the run. I made a pvc hoop run, took me about 3 days with minimal help from DS and DH. They have been in it since about 4 weeks (they are 12 weeks now) and they have done wonderful. I used 1x2 welded wire.

You can put them in a run without a coop if it is totally secure. I don't know where you live, but we live at the edge of lots of woods and have all kinds of predators. They free range during the day and so far everything has been fine (except they ate some of my flowers). Their coop is built and I will start painting it today! In fact I need to get off this PC and start that before it gets too hot!

Good luck with your new birds!

 

[SGM]

Our biggest predators right now would be snakes and rats. We haven't had problems with possum and raccoons messing with the chickens. They just occasionally shred trash. I have found a big black snake in my older chicks brooder box eating chicks before so I'm going to be extra protective with them. I don't mind the snakes eating rats but by golly they aren't eating my chicks and chickens!

I really want to dive in. I can't help it, I'm excited to get all of this going. We found a BUNCH of pallets. I mean like 350 that they need gone. I don't know what I'm going to do if we go through with that. He did mentione sending some back which would leave a much more managable number for us. They were all really good pallets, all the same size which would make building so nice.

 

[LizGled628]

OldChickenLady I love the run! I wish I had made something like that while my coop is being finished. We are a little close to our neighbors so we like to be outside when they free range (don't want them sneaking away on me!), and I feel bad when we can't be there. Nice work!

 

[SGM]

Just placed my order for chicks!!!! Can't wait to get them!!!! Bought some chick starter and have everything I need for the new little peeps when they get here.

Here's my order (some of them are a friend's chicks too)...

3 Buff Orpington pullets
3 Spangled Russian Orloff pullets
3 Ancona pullets
3 Silver Laced Wyandotte pullets
3 Ameraucana pullets
1 Spangled Russian Orloff rooster
(those are for our flock)

3 RIR pullets
3 Dominique pullets
3 Ameraucana pullets
(for my friend's flock)

I picked most of the breeds for our flock, because I've long liked them and wanted to give them a try in our new laying flock. Hubby totally picked the Orloffs out of the blue and after doing some research we really came to like what we heard so we decided to throw in a roo of that type too. I have an incubator so maybe someday I'll hatch some cross chicks out of them. Can't wait!!!!!

 

[SGM]

Chickies are here!!!!

 

[VioletandBodie]

awwwww so many ans sooooo cute

 

[SGM]

Thank you! I'm so excited! Can't wait to get the coop done.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

Wow what a rainbow of colors

Looks like fun!!!

 

[SGM]

Thanks, I was wanting to try out a few breeds I've never had before and I wanted a colorful flock. Looks like that's a sure thing now too. LOL