Spring 2017 first timers post!

[speckled6]

@Treerootedthe first couple days are the hardest. We're your chicks shipped? Shipping is very stressful on chicks. I lost one in shipping and one in the night after day 2 of having them...same thing as yours, 1 was trampled in shipping and the other one no clue.
Since then they've all been fine and so far we have a happy healthy flock of 3 week olds.
As long as their skittering around the brooder, eating and drinking and poops are fine, you're good.
I know it's hard losing them, and I'm so sorry for your loss, but I'm sure you're doing everything right. After all, you have this great forum for advice!
Just keep loving them up and do the best you can, they'll take care of the rest... they're more resilient than we give them credit for. (((Hugs)))

 

[Treerooted]

@Treerooted the first couple days are the hardest. We're your chicks shipped? Shipping is very stressful on chicks. I lost one in shipping and one in the night after day 2 of having them...same thing as yours, 1 was trampled in shipping and the other one no clue.
Since then they've all been fine and so far we have a happy healthy flock of 3 week olds.
As long as their skittering around the brooder, eating and drinking and poops are fine, you're good.
I know it's hard losing them, and I'm so sorry for your loss, but I'm sure you're doing everything right. After all, you have this great forum for advice!
Just keep loving them up and do the best you can, they'll take care of the rest... they're more resilient than we give them credit for. (((Hugs)))

Aw thanks speckled6

I'm honestly pretty pragmatic about the whole thing - it's just the feeling that I could have/should be doing something better!

They weren't shipped, I picked them up so it wasn't too stressful. I also have 35 (33 now), so I know there's a chance some will be weaker or born with defects. I guess I just kept coming across so many on this site who say they've never had a loss with non-shipped chicks

.

I'm not sure, but they look like they could be the same breed, so perhaps they just weren't has hardy. *sigh* hopefully that's the last of it. It's a learning process for sure.

 

[speckled6]

@Treerooted I have 30 chicks (started with 16 after the one loss in shipping) then got 7 more and lost another.
It's definitely a learning process, but so far it's been so rewarding.
What are you going to do with all your eggs once you start getting them? Do you have a big family or do you plan to sell any extras? Just curious...33 is a big number (did you have a bad attack of chicken math too?!)

 

[katieuppi]

My babies finally arrived - a day early, even! So much fun! We have a Barred Plymouth Rock, a Black Copper Marans, an EE and a Speckled Sussex.

 

[dobermanacres]

My babies finally arrived - a day early, even! So much fun! We have a Barred Plymouth Rock, a Black Copper Marans, an EE and a Speckled Sussex.

Mine arrived 2 days early last week! I was so worried the brooder wasn't going to be warm enough for them yet. The adventure begins

 

[speckled6]

My chicks ate out of my hand for the first time today! I've been missing my little fluffy butts since they started becoming feather butts. They're only 3 weeks old, but they've been pretty skittish for the last week or so since they really started to feather out.
They weren't ever super happy to see me when they were fluffy butts, but they were less freaked out when I'd reach into the brooder for to change their feed or water.
Now tonight they've been coming to the edge of the brooder and looking at me while I talk to them and I put my hand in the brooder with some scratch in my hand and about 5 of the 30 came over to eat from my hand!
A little later I went back and put just my hand in with no scratch and several came over to investigate and a couple even let me (sorta) pet them!
I'm so excited! I can't wait until I can move them out to the coop and run so I can be with them without the brooder walls in the way. I think then we will really start to form a bond.
Oh what fun! I'm just giddy right now...my chicks know me and are at least getting used to me. Yay!

 

[lilmarie84]

My babies finally arrived - a day early, even! So much fun! We have a Barred Plymouth Rock, a Black Copper Marans, an EE and a Speckled Sussex.

They are so cute I love my lil ones they are a week old today I will have had them a week tomorrow I gave them some bell peppers chopped up in small pieces for them and its so funny one will grab a piece and instead of the others grabbing their own they chase the other one around trying to get that one and all you hear is the one being chased crying while its trying to get away to eat the pepper I just stood there and watched it for a lil bit it was so funny.

 

[CatMama]

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10 week old RIR . Is this juvenile molt? Or is this lice/mites?

 

[Treerooted]

@Treerooted I have 30 chicks (started with 16 after the one loss in shipping) then got 7 more and lost another.
It's definitely a learning process, but so far it's been so rewarding.
What are you going to do with all your eggs once you start getting them? Do you have a big family or do you plan to sell any extras? Just curious...33 is a big number (did you have a bad attack of chicken math too?!)

They're all straight run - so most roos will be for the table. I'll sell extras. It's my first step in a new homesteading adventure.

Ya, the chicken math did quite literally factor in as there were minimum amounts per breed...and of course I wanted several breeds so....

 

[Treerooted]

So I've already lost two chicks.

I'm convinced it's something I've done/haven't done.

One got smushed; though it could have been weak beforehand. The other, I have no idea.

Anyone else get their chicks in the last week? How are they doing?

UPDATE

Of the worst kind - was in the brooder trying to inspect how the chicks were doing and didn't realize one had darted behind me - and I stepped on it, though not very badly. Brought it into the house and held it for the evening and it seems to be fine now.

But when I went to put it back in the brooder I found another dead chick.

So reorganized the MHP to allow it to be lower to try and prevent crowding. But I have this terrible feeling I've done more harm then good by moving things around. Just didn't know what to do; feeling stressed.

Crappy chicken day.