10 days till chicks come! what should I have on hand?

[junior67]

Probiotics, maybe. I'm getting my first chicks this spring too but I know they are very helpful with many other species of livestock. And us, for that matter. And I'm hoping to find the ostrich feather duster that is still packed away from the last time we moved. I don't know that I'll pay for another one if I don't find it, though. Or maybe I can find a feather boa for not too much. Or I've got some down and or feathers from pillows and from helping harvest some geese a few years ago.., I'm still working on this part.

Other things I'm collecting aren't necessary but are worth getting, I think... tiny elastic bands in different colors to tell them apart until I get to know them. Or what look like the same kind of bands in a craft set (I found that at a resale shop yesterday, they let me pick out a dozen or so for a quarter - the whole bag was only 99 cents but I don't need the other several hundred, lol.)

And some bricks or rocks or sticks and cardboard tubes and grubby logs or sod for them to interact with.

I was trying to figure out how to tell them apart until we get to know them as well. I don't want to do a band and then have it get to small too fast. thought of string but afraid they would try to eat it. so wasn't sure. My girls may still have some of the small elastics but wasn't sure if they would be too small etc. UGH. still trying to figure that out.

went out and bought my sav-a-chic today. and nutridrench, and chick grit so I had that on hand for later. So now I only need the food tray (doing a PVC one with the plastic base since less flows out of it so less mess/waste than the jar on the top and their food and the chicks!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO.

my hardware cloth also came in for the run, and wood for coop and run will be here next Fri (unless they decide to ship it early like a few of the pieces of wood that came yesterday). Feels like things are finally moving along!

 

[Folly's place]

Most of your chicks will look very different from each other, especially as they grow up. This will be a fun flock!
Don't forget to check the mill date on each bag of food before you buy it! I like to have the feed eaten within two months of milling, for best vitamin availability and freshness. And I've seen food nine to over twelve months old at feed stores! Buy fresh, don't let the store staff talk you into old stuff.
Mary

 

[junior67]

Most of your chicks will look very different from each other, especially as they grow up. This will be a fun flock!
Don't forget to check the mill date on each bag of food before you buy it! I like to have the feed eaten within two months of milling, for best vitamin availability and freshness. And I've seen food nine to over twelve months old at feed stores! Buy fresh, don't let the store staff talk you into old stuff.
Mary

yes most will but we are getting 2 blue cohins, and 2 buff brahma's so those are my main problems with telling them apart. The rest some may look similar at first but hopefully we will be able to tell the breeds apart. LOL Well and 2 EE but thinking they may look different from each other since they are EE.

 

[rosemarythyme]

my coop itself is 8x8 and then the run. nesting boxes outside of the coop and no food or water in there so 64 sq ft of coop space so from what I have read that they need 4 sq ft min. I could have up to 16 birds in there.... then 144sq ft of run space (10 sq ft min so only 14 birds in run for the min # of space) with part of it covered but only wire on the sides unless we put up plastic on part of it in the winter.

The reason for suggesting more space is due to winter - if the flock does not have a weather proofed run to use, they may not want to come out at all during the worst/coldest weather, so having extra space (6-8 sq ft per bird) in coop is advantageous in those situations.

If you don't anticipate having that issue (i.e. have plans to winter proof run) then the 4 sq ft per bird should be fine.