1st chicken ever

[1stChicken919]

Hi, my name is Katelyn. I am 23 and I now have a chicken for the 1st time. I had never really put any thought into owning a chicken before. I thought they were adorable, but I already had animals, so getting a chicken never really crossed my mind. Well one night I heard high pitched sounds coming from outside. We have a family cat that likes to catch, play with, and eventually eat anything she can get her claws onto. So needless to say I rescued what I am assuming was a week old baby chick. She's now at least around 6 weeks old from what I can tell. She's a sweet handful and she has lived in my room ever since. I am working on transitioning her to a coop outside (where she's safe from the cat and other predators) but it's been fairly cold lately and I worry about her keeping warm since she's the only one. I am really excited about being a member and learning everything I can to ensure I have a happy, healthy chicken (or rooster, I'm still not sure yet). Anyways, sorry for the novel.

 

[Abriana]

Welcome to byc!!
Your girl should have a couple friends. Chickens are flock animals and prefer to be with their own species. Two or three more hens should be good!
Also make/buy the run out of hardware cloth. Chicken wire lets a lot of predators through.
Good luck!

 

[BoyTheRooster]

Welcome!
Definitely get the chick some friends, a minimum of 1 more chick, but 2 or 3 more would be much better if you have the space. They're a flock animal, so they like company
Maybe try get some more chicks of a similar age? They can grow up together
Do you have an pictures of the chick? I'd love it see it

 

[1stChicken919]

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. I echo the advice above.

Here’s a link to the Articles section - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ There you’ll find lots of information on almost every aspect of keeping chickens - from coop building ideas, to incubating eggs.

There’s a link on the page above to the Learning Centre - it’s a great resource. If you have a specific topic in mind, just type it in the search box - there's a wealth of information on past and present threads.

Each week, various topics are discussed, which can also be a great resource - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive


You may wish to consider joining your state thread as it will put you in touch with other BYC members in your area - Find Your State Thread


Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[strawberricatt]

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Welcome to BYC! Your chick is very cute! Does he or she have a name?

 

[1stChicken919]

Welcome to BYC! Your chick is very cute! Does he or she have a name?

Thank you! Her name is Peepers

 

[1stChicken919]

This is the day after the cat caught her. Thankfully she had no injuries.

 

[BoyTheRooster]

Aww, it's adorable! Maybe wait until they're fully feathered (has all their adult feathers) then get them some friends
Anyone want to take a guess at the breed?

 

[1stChicken919]

Aww, it's adorable! Maybe wait until they're fully feathered (has all their adult feathers) then get them some friends
Anyone want to take a guess at the breed?

I am planning on it My guess is maybe a Plymouth Rock???