2018 Newbie Chat!

[PNW_Peepers]

Agatha is healing but she still has a long way to go.
I keep her in the dog crate on the deck throughout the day.
When the other birds go in to roost I take her and put her up there with them after spraying her wound.

Unfortunately she is getting increasingly frustrated with being confined!
She paces a lot and will carry on loudly until someone (even me) comes and sits by her.
Do any of you have ideas as to how to lower her stress level?
I can’t let her out because Angus will immediately breed her which I’m sure hurts and I don’t want her injury to be further complicated.
Plus I need to be able to catch her for treatment.
I thought about putting Emily in there with her but it would be pretty cramped.
And I can never catch Emily.
She might go in on her own but Agatha could also escape.
Ugh!
We tried to put her crate out on the lawn in the shade but she was even more agitated trying to get out.
And the Wyandottes harass her.
I really need to just be rid of them but I think my friend is still sick.

Do you have a small mirror you could put in there for her so she feels less lonely? If you had a seperate prefab that was open I’d put her in there so at least she can still do chicken things!

 

[PNW_Peepers]

my husband and I went out today to get new phones. the store didnt open when we thought it did so we went to tsc to get dog food. well...we didnt get phones...instead we came home with chicks XD so here I am a new chick owner.

Welcome! We love pictures on this thread so feel free to overload us with your new babies! Do you have a brooder set up for them to keep them happy and warm?

 

[Llamacorn]

Yay! Welcome to BYC.
There’s a wealth of information on this site and lots of people who love poultry.
Chicks are way better than phones.
But phones (and computers) let you share pics of your chicks!
Also, be aware that TSC employees often know very little about breeds or chickens in general sometimes.
The one in my town isn’t too bad because the some of the employees have their own birds.

So what did you get?
Have you had chickens before?

hello! I have been a lurker for some time now Haha. I know tsc is a little hit or miss but we just wanted chickens for pets withthe hope they will give us some eggs. my toddler adores them. so we went into tsc and they were selling "asian blacks" for 50 cents. my son would not leave so after holding a few we pulled the trigger. I expect them to be a mix of chickens. hopefully in about an hour I can post some pics. We got 4. no names yet.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Took our little Peep out for a picture last night. He still hasn’t left the coop! I left the box open so it’s up to Moma to take care of him. She sure gets mad when I take him away!

He is a 1/2 gold laced Wyandotte (Dad) and 1/2 Polish (mom) and the broody Moma is Cochin.

Mr peeps!
View attachment 1520696

Awwwww so cute! He is so beautiful, little darling

 

[Llamacorn]

Welcome! We love pictures on this thread so feel free to overload us with your new babies! Do you have a brooder set up for them to keep them happy and warm?

I will hopefully have pics to share soon. we are using a big 52 gallon storage tub for the box. they have a heat lamp, food and water. it's just 4 of them so that should be some ok space for now.

 

[PNW_Peepers]

I will hopefully have pics to share soon. we are using a big 52 gallon storage tub for the box. they have a heat lamp, food and water. it's just 4 of them so that should be some ok space for now.

Congrats on your babies! Sounds like you’ve got it all covered! Can’t wait to see pictures.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Agatha is healing but she still has a long way to go.
I keep her in the dog crate on the deck throughout the day.
When the other birds go in to roost I take her and put her up there with them after spraying her wound.

Unfortunately she is getting increasingly frustrated with being confined!
She paces a lot and will carry on loudly until someone (even me) comes and sits by her.
Do any of you have ideas as to how to lower her stress level?
I can’t let her out because Angus will immediately breed her which I’m sure hurts and I don’t want her injury to be further complicated.
Plus I need to be able to catch her for treatment.
I thought about putting Emily in there with her but it would be pretty cramped.
And I can never catch Emily.
She might go in on her own but Agatha could also escape.
Ugh!
We tried to put her crate out on the lawn in the shade but she was even more agitated trying to get out.
And the Wyandottes harass her.
I really need to just be rid of them but I think my friend is still sick.

Sorry I don't have any suggestions but I am so happy she is healing - hope you find a solution

 

[Anna Ranieri]

my husband and I went out today to get new phones. the store didnt open when we thought it did so we went to tsc to get dog food. well...we didnt get phones...instead we came home with chicks XD so here I am a new chick owner.

Congratulations on your new additions, looking forward to seeing pictures when you post them

 

[Anna Ranieri]

I am here with a very heavy heart tonight, earlier today while I was out visiting my dad who is gravely ill in hospital, a member of the council came to our home and told my daughter they have received a complaint about our birds and has said we are not permitted to keep them. When these properties were built 40 years ago there was a covenant which had to be signed on purchase containing rules and regulations of which includes no livestock are to be kept on or in the property, only domesticated animals such as cats, dogs, caged birds (parrots, budgies etc) it also states that no buildings other than ornamental can be built. My parents own our home and I rent it from them, my dad is adamant that there is nothing in the deeds that livestock can not be kept, however he is too sick to be able to contact the solicitor who holds his deeds to double check this is correct, and he is too sick for me to talk too much to him about it. The doctors have told us he won't get better but don't expect him to get worse and that if they can stabilize him (and it is looking hopeful that they can) there is no reason for him not to go home soon. He has told me that when he gets out of hospital he will check the deeds plus has offered that he will pay for a solicitor to fight our case, but we can only do that if the deeds do not stipulate that livestock can't be kept. If indeed it isn't in the deeds then we might stand a chance because the covenant was made 41 years ago and there is a law here that after so many years (I think 25 or 30 years) covenants are no longer binding, but I don't yet know if this includes the bit about livestock or about buildings (the coup/run). We had this with television aerials, for the most years I've lived here we weren't allowed aerials but as of about 10 or so years ago I found out we could have them, which is how I know about covenants only valid for an amount of years. This aside we also have a law they call noise pollution and if the authorities deem that our birds exceed the accepted level of noise we will lose the case even if we were to win on the other points. I am devastated, our birds are pets, and I am so attached to them, it will break my heart if we have to give them up. My daughter and I have discussed that in the worst case scenario, either of us could move out and rent somewhere else finding a property which permits livestock but I don't want this to happen either - I know my daughter and grandson will leave eventually but her plan is to move when she can buy a home and is looking to stay here for at least another five years. My dad also suggested he have them at his and I go everyday to tend to them but he lives right next to the woods where the foxes live and they frequent his garden regularly almost every night. I am praying my heart out that Jesus won't let them order us to get rid of our birds but for now it is a very painstaking wait.
I am unable to know for sure who complained but the council rep said it is someone who can see into our garden, and have complained about our coup and run as well as the noise. We are surrounded by a six foot fence and we are on a corner so we only have one neighbour directly beside us and one behind us, the one behind us cannot see into our garden and live in a bungalow, the one next to us, lives in a house so cannot see into our garden on ground level but can do from her upstairs windows. A couple of weeks ago she claimed to me that she gets awoken at 4:30am by pigeons and then again at 6am by our birds, I disputed this claim because we lock our birds up at night and they rarely make any noise during the night (except for the time our drake fell out of the hutch through my not locking the door properly) and we don't hear a peep out of them until after 7am when they hear my alarm clock go off (they know I'm coming to let them out) The chickens may cluck now and then during the day and often trill when they are sand bathing or basking in the sunshine but they aren't loud. The noisiest are the female ducks and on a lessor level the drakes when they rasp but they are not constantly quacking, its usually when it is treat time, feeding time, when I come home from being out for a long time they great me happy to see me or when my grandson chases them, which he is not permitted to do but typical two year old does so on occasions. I spent two weeks getting up at 5:30am and not ever have they made a sound at 6am nor before 7am, however what I did hear around 6am a few of the morning was a puppy a few doors away up the round whining. Maybe I am being biased but to me they make far less noise than the dogs barking who live in our area, far less noise than the seagulls, crows and magpies which there are many of around here and no more noise than the pigeons. For example, they usually have a treat around 5pm, I was at the hospital and my daughter hadn't realised the time and she told me at about 5:10pm they came to the window quacking and rasping, she gave them their treat and they quieted, I got home around 6:30pm the chickens were foraging the ducks were in their pools and not one made a sound, they had their usual treat shut in their run at 7pm, and put themselves to bed when it got dark like they always do, not a sound was made until I went in to lock their doors but as soon as I had done so they quieted and haven't made a sound since and won't until the morning, so how on earth can that be noise pollution!!!

 

[Llamacorn]

here are a few pics