First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[kekstrom]

Bahahaha. Social butterflies.

No pun intended with the "bahahaha"

 

[Jensownzoo]

 No pun intended with the "bahahaha"

I moved some of the bigger chicks from the closed coop (where the littles first go from the brooder) to the intermediate pen today so they could start free-ranging with everyone. Of course I had lots of goat "help", with Angelo even demonstrating to the newbies how the roost worked.

 

[GardenNut]

Question of the day: do roosters "sing" like the hens do? I can't remember! I don't mean the "I laid an egg!" Announcement but just the contented sing song the hens do as they walk around.

 

[harley587]

Question of the day: do roosters "sing" like the hens do? I can't remember! I don't mean the "I laid an egg!" Announcement but just the contented sing song the hens do as they walk around.

Good question. Of course, now I had to try and find an answer. Especially since I don't have a rooster. My chickens warble at me - I don't know if that's good, but as long as I speak back, they keep warbling. Anyway, I did find this to be interesting: http://flipflopranch.com/chicken-talk/

 

[socalchicker1]

First time chick raiser here and terribly nervous and excited! Brought home 10 baby chicks: 4 Rhode Island reds, 3 Amercauna, and 3 White Longhorns. (I think that's their name). They seem pretty happy so far - sleeping, eating, drinking. One of the Rhode Island Reds seems to sleep more than others though and I'm nervous it's sick. What do I do if it continues to act sickly? They are receiving a drink with probiotics and electrolytes per the feed stores recommendation.

 

[harley587]

First time chick raiser here and terribly nervous and excited! Brought home 10 baby chicks: 4 Rhode Island reds, 3 Amercauna, and 3 White Longhorns. (I think that's their name). They seem pretty happy so far - sleeping, eating, drinking. One of the Rhode Island Reds seems to sleep more than others though and I'm nervous it's sick. What do I do if it continues to act sickly? They are receiving a drink with probiotics and electrolytes per the feed stores recommendation.

Hi and welcome to BYC! If you see any signs that your chicks may be sick, post a new thread under the emergencies forum. That should enable maximum sight by others and should enable a veteran chick owner to help out. I would post a description of what I think is going on along with a couple photos. Hope this helps!

 

[mamatink7]

First time chick raiser here and terribly nervous and excited! Brought home 10 baby chicks: 4 Rhode Island reds, 3 Amercauna, and 3 White Longhorns. (I think that's their name). They seem pretty happy so far - sleeping, eating, drinking. One of the Rhode Island Reds seems to sleep more than others though and I'm nervous it's sick. What do I do if it continues to act sickly? They are receiving a drink with probiotics and electrolytes per the feed stores recommendation.

I agree with Last poster.
Use 1ml dropper with the waterer and drip 1 drop at a time. Check on her breathing. Put her in brooder box with a beanie baby separating her from getting trampled but also keeping her warm.
Repeat dropper every 30 min to an hour. After she gets back into sipping from dropper as they normally do, take a little yogurt and add to dropper. This will get her hydrated and nursing her back.
This is what our hatchery suggested (after I already started) when our 2wk old wyandotte was sick.

 

[harley587]

I agree with Last poster.
Use 1ml dropper with the waterer and drip 1 drop at a time. Check on her breathing. Put her in brooder box with a beanie baby separating her from getting trampled but also keeping her warm.
Repeat dropper every 30 min to an hour. After she gets back into sipping from dropper as they normally do, take a little yogurt and add to dropper. This will get her hydrated and nursing her back.
This is what our hatchery suggested (after I already started) when our 2wk old wyandotte was sick.

Oh yeah! and separating her will help prevent spread of iillness!!

 

[athomas718]

What are the essentials needed for coop living for pullets?

We covered the floors with linoleum and insulated the walls. We plan on using a window as a run door but we don't have the run built yet and it's on the back burner for now since we are going to let them free range in the summer. We want the run done by August but for now it's not priority.

We also want to use the other window in our shed as vent Windows.

What should we make sure in terms of predetor protection and living needs. I know they need feed and water and roosts. Lol but they don't really need the nests until closer to laying time right?

 

[athomas718]

I should also say: we need them moved into the coop by the weekend but it stil gets down to between mid 40s and upper 50s at night. Will this be a problem?