Missjlee4377
Songster
I just have to get this out to SOMEONE! Bear with me this first post is a condensed 7 week journey...
So here me out, I'm green at this chicken business. I feel like I've moved my way up the ranks you know? Crazy Cat Lady to Plant Lady and now (holy sh*t I have a farmhouse and property, this is everything I've ever dreamed about), introducing Crazy Chicken Lady.
After months of research and planning, letting my family and friends in on my plan when I had the plan (no more than 6, take it slow!) and their support I ordered 10 chicks from my local feed store, 5 Hachery blues and 5 Plymouth Barred Rocks. They have minimums! What else was I supposed to do? Get ONE breed?! Come on, famjam, we're all about variety! We've got plenty of time to adjust coop build! I ordered like 2 months ahead of time.
Back tracking, in my research days I reactivated social media accounts that have laid dormant for quite some time, chicken people are a whole other type of people. They're my people. As I talk to my people and learn from their experiences, I realize, damn baby chicks are SENSITIVE! I run a business, I have three other animals to take care of, I live alone in a new town with people I barely know and well, I'm the person that I am... mentally I prepare myself for the worst, a high mortality rate and hard lessons learned.
Moving forward, there are a lot of different breeds of chickens. A LOT. And I kinda want them all... and hatching eggs, well they're affordable. And a new to me incubator? I can work that in. My questionable make and model incubator has been running for two days and painting just the right temp and humidity on calibated thermometers. 46 eggs are cooking and I'm learning as I go about how to hatch cause these guys will be pipping just about a week after I get my chicks! Pretty good, timing there newbie, pat yourself on the back, get going! And we'll just get back to the old drawing board on the coop plans. Blue layers, Barred Rocks, Black Copper Marans, Turkens, Cream Legbars, Malines, Silkies and Barnyard Mixes... I'm seriously a sucker for variety what can I say?
The chicks are here! The chicks are here!
I drove the entire way home with my hand in the box so they could all snuggle underneath and was smiling like a bloody fool the whole way. I got one of those brooder kits, merp. Do not reccomend, but made use of it. My dog lost his dog crate, I became a cardboard creationist and my 11 babies got all settled in. Guess I get an extra Barred Rock because, chicken math! Within the first 48 hours I had my first and only case of pasty butt and I rocked it outta the park. These 11 made it to 7 weeks without any trouble at all!
So, I should let you know that, because I'm an adult, I made the decision to cancel an additional order of goslings (for protection! Duh, I dont have time for a new dog... right now, so next best thing right?) and 10 white rocks (may I remind you of minimum orders before you judge me) Also, three days after I got my chicks and two days before hatch day, I picked up 6 Royal Palm Turkey poults (Minimum Order!) Turns out in my post acquiring research findings turkeys are susceptible to blackhead disease from chickens and need different food and slight alterations in care, seemed the only pro of raising them together was the chicks would teach the poults how to bird. It's a risk, I've already taken it and preparing myself for the possiblity of more loss ( I swear I'm not a sadist, just impulsive and my heart is HUGE for animals...) My turkeys are also 7 weeks old and healthy as can be, they were the SWEETEST as poults and still are super affectionate! Feather Puppies.
Its day 18, during the incubation process I candled and in my expertise pulled infertile and the ones that kicked it early. I'm down to 35. My new to me incubator will NOT hold the humidity as high as it should be for a successful hatch... I brace myself. The very first ever hatch is a rich chocolate brown egg and I'm over the moon! But it's a quiet day after that. Amazingly, with restraint I never knew I had, I leave him there. Now we have about 7 and I have no idea what's what but their peep peeps are just soooo cute and I wanna hold them all!!
It's been three days and I've moved everyone who's fluffy out to the brooder with the other chicks and poults, and just gush at my 29 fluffbutts running and peeping around! I only had 12 hatch out of 35. I figured out how to maintain a high enough humidity way too late and learned a first hard lesson. Leave the friggin incubator ALONE and make sure it works for every stage BEFORE you start! On day 27 lucky number 13 joined after an assist (secondary assist from the forums of BYC!!! Thank yuuuuu @chickens really ) and shes gotta be the biggest of the bunch! (Fancy Feet)
Two days later I lost my first and only chick. It was a really sad moment and I dont know how or why, but when I noticed another chick seemingly going the same route, some extra attention and care went a long way. Happy 6 weeks little buddy!
So in 7 weeks, I've raised 33 birds in my library. *ahem* Four of the eggs that quit were silkies and I felt justified in replacing them with day olds. Change my mind. Two were rehomed to a friend who wanted to start a small flock with her young daughters. And I have learned SO much and I know I'm about to learn so much more.... *as I eye up my incubator and consider posting in the duck section as well...*
Hi! My name is Jamie. I'm poultry addict. And this is where I'll be placing my random ramblings and multitude of pictures to save my friends and family's sanity. And a sort of online journal for myself! Comments, advice, tips and tricks more than welcome! I plan on updating this whether its active or not just me anyways but I hope to make some chicken friends!
Pics of the brooder babies to come!
Thanks for stopping by
So here me out, I'm green at this chicken business. I feel like I've moved my way up the ranks you know? Crazy Cat Lady to Plant Lady and now (holy sh*t I have a farmhouse and property, this is everything I've ever dreamed about), introducing Crazy Chicken Lady.
After months of research and planning, letting my family and friends in on my plan when I had the plan (no more than 6, take it slow!) and their support I ordered 10 chicks from my local feed store, 5 Hachery blues and 5 Plymouth Barred Rocks. They have minimums! What else was I supposed to do? Get ONE breed?! Come on, famjam, we're all about variety! We've got plenty of time to adjust coop build! I ordered like 2 months ahead of time.
Back tracking, in my research days I reactivated social media accounts that have laid dormant for quite some time, chicken people are a whole other type of people. They're my people. As I talk to my people and learn from their experiences, I realize, damn baby chicks are SENSITIVE! I run a business, I have three other animals to take care of, I live alone in a new town with people I barely know and well, I'm the person that I am... mentally I prepare myself for the worst, a high mortality rate and hard lessons learned.
Moving forward, there are a lot of different breeds of chickens. A LOT. And I kinda want them all... and hatching eggs, well they're affordable. And a new to me incubator? I can work that in. My questionable make and model incubator has been running for two days and painting just the right temp and humidity on calibated thermometers. 46 eggs are cooking and I'm learning as I go about how to hatch cause these guys will be pipping just about a week after I get my chicks! Pretty good, timing there newbie, pat yourself on the back, get going! And we'll just get back to the old drawing board on the coop plans. Blue layers, Barred Rocks, Black Copper Marans, Turkens, Cream Legbars, Malines, Silkies and Barnyard Mixes... I'm seriously a sucker for variety what can I say?
The chicks are here! The chicks are here!
I drove the entire way home with my hand in the box so they could all snuggle underneath and was smiling like a bloody fool the whole way. I got one of those brooder kits, merp. Do not reccomend, but made use of it. My dog lost his dog crate, I became a cardboard creationist and my 11 babies got all settled in. Guess I get an extra Barred Rock because, chicken math! Within the first 48 hours I had my first and only case of pasty butt and I rocked it outta the park. These 11 made it to 7 weeks without any trouble at all!
So, I should let you know that, because I'm an adult, I made the decision to cancel an additional order of goslings (for protection! Duh, I dont have time for a new dog... right now, so next best thing right?) and 10 white rocks (may I remind you of minimum orders before you judge me) Also, three days after I got my chicks and two days before hatch day, I picked up 6 Royal Palm Turkey poults (Minimum Order!) Turns out in my post acquiring research findings turkeys are susceptible to blackhead disease from chickens and need different food and slight alterations in care, seemed the only pro of raising them together was the chicks would teach the poults how to bird. It's a risk, I've already taken it and preparing myself for the possiblity of more loss ( I swear I'm not a sadist, just impulsive and my heart is HUGE for animals...) My turkeys are also 7 weeks old and healthy as can be, they were the SWEETEST as poults and still are super affectionate! Feather Puppies.
Its day 18, during the incubation process I candled and in my expertise pulled infertile and the ones that kicked it early. I'm down to 35. My new to me incubator will NOT hold the humidity as high as it should be for a successful hatch... I brace myself. The very first ever hatch is a rich chocolate brown egg and I'm over the moon! But it's a quiet day after that. Amazingly, with restraint I never knew I had, I leave him there. Now we have about 7 and I have no idea what's what but their peep peeps are just soooo cute and I wanna hold them all!!
It's been three days and I've moved everyone who's fluffy out to the brooder with the other chicks and poults, and just gush at my 29 fluffbutts running and peeping around! I only had 12 hatch out of 35. I figured out how to maintain a high enough humidity way too late and learned a first hard lesson. Leave the friggin incubator ALONE and make sure it works for every stage BEFORE you start! On day 27 lucky number 13 joined after an assist (secondary assist from the forums of BYC!!! Thank yuuuuu @chickens really ) and shes gotta be the biggest of the bunch! (Fancy Feet)
Two days later I lost my first and only chick. It was a really sad moment and I dont know how or why, but when I noticed another chick seemingly going the same route, some extra attention and care went a long way. Happy 6 weeks little buddy!
So in 7 weeks, I've raised 33 birds in my library. *ahem* Four of the eggs that quit were silkies and I felt justified in replacing them with day olds. Change my mind. Two were rehomed to a friend who wanted to start a small flock with her young daughters. And I have learned SO much and I know I'm about to learn so much more.... *as I eye up my incubator and consider posting in the duck section as well...*
Hi! My name is Jamie. I'm poultry addict. And this is where I'll be placing my random ramblings and multitude of pictures to save my friends and family's sanity. And a sort of online journal for myself! Comments, advice, tips and tricks more than welcome! I plan on updating this whether its active or not just me anyways but I hope to make some chicken friends!
Pics of the brooder babies to come!
Thanks for stopping by
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