First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[montanaskd]

Does anyone know what breed of bantam this is?

 

[Alterego71]

One piece of advice for your planning process--design it so it is easy to add onto later. It sounds like you plan on expanding your flock later, so incorporating a plan for enlarging the coop and run now will make it so much easier later. For example, in my 8x16' coop, I am framing in an extra doorway. It will be covered over now, but in the future it will link together the existing coop and the new addition.

I had kept expansion in mind and the location will suit extra space when needed. The coop will have a walk-through door on the back end which can later be removed and a second "room" added. On the other end, the run will have the end panel attached separately so it too can be taken off, run extended, and replaced. I think I am going to post a new thread for people to throw ideas at me and see if anything sticks, lol. Really appreciate the extra advice from everyone.

 

[realsis]

sorry I don't know the breed but she/he sure is precious♡♡♡ just saying..

 

[arconfederate]

Edited to add: Don't worry about the chicks getting too cold if you remove the towel. I brood mine directly outside in the run in temps in the teens and twenties, in a pen right in with the adults. Haven't lost or had a sick one yet.

How old are they when you put them outside?

 

[shabs]

Hello! My wife and I are adding chickens to our backyard. This is a first for us and none of our family and friends have ever done this. So this is very new for us. We only got three, 2 BOs and 1 BR. I'm really concerned about noise and the smell, but reading through BYC and other sites, I hope this won't be an issue. I haven't spoken to my neighbors about it, we've never made any efforts to talk to each other. Hopefully this won't be too much an issue especially with just three girls. Anyways, our girls are 2 weeks now and I'm working on building the coop. Here's some of our pictures. In the pics they are about 1 week old.

 

[Blooie]

I start them outside from day one, even here in northern Wyoming when it's still in the teens and twenties.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Hello!  My wife and I are adding chickens to our backyard.  This is a first for us and none of our family and friends have ever done this.  So this is very new for us.  We only got three, 2 BOs and 1 BR.  I'm really concerned about noise and the smell, but reading through BYC and other sites, I hope this won't be an issue.  I haven't spoken to my neighbors about it, we've never made any efforts to talk to each other.  Hopefully this won't be too much an issue especially with just three girls.  Anyways, our girls are 2 weeks now and I'm working on building the coop.  Here's some of our pictures.  In the pics they are about 1 week old.

Awww...I've got 6 BOs and 1 BR in my group of 6 week old chicks. Such cuties you have there!

To allay some fears, the noises pullets/hens usually make are generally considered pleasant...they do talk a lot though. They sleep at night though.
If you have odors other than clean bedding, you need to make adjustments in your management. Unpleasant odors shouldn't be present.

There is a lot of great information already on this forum, and people here are super-helpful in directing you where to find it and answering questions, so welcome!

 

[4halls]

Our family got chickens last spring, but this is our first spring with baby chicks! I purchased these today. They are 3 days old. 4 RIR, 2 Black Sexlinks and 2 Barred Rock. We currently have 2 Buff Orpingtons and 1 RIR rooster. These baby chicks are super cute and fun! I'm pretty sure I could watch them for hours!!

 

[arconfederate]

I start them outside from day one, even here in northern Wyoming when it's still in the teens and twenties.

My chicks are two weeks old and feathering out pretty good. We're supposed to have temps in the 70s on Sunday so I think that I'll put them outside for a while and let them scratch around some in the dirt. Thank you!

 

[Blooie]

They'll love it. Watch them for chilling. Mine are outside all the time so they acclimate to the natural temperatures out there very well. But if yours have been inside under a heat lamp, they might not take to any chill as well. I bring mine home from the feed store, open the box, and let 'em go into their outside pen. That's where they stay. Shipped chicks get 24 hours in the house until I'm sure they are eating and drinking, have no shipping stress, and know how to duck into their Mama Heating Pad cave to warm up. Then they go out to the run too. This cookie is over raising chicks in the house ever again!