2018 Newbie Chat!

[Minky]

Hi everybody! Am I coming late to the party?
I'd love to join and raise some chicks alongside you guys!
I am a new chicken owner (i got 7 hens last fall and just got a rooster yesterday).

I also ordered 22 chicks that will hatch on April27/28, and 25 meat birds that will Arrive April 18. That's 47 chicks in April..... oh my!!!

We moved here (to the country side) in the fall, and it already had a barn. We will make a chicken tractor or two and a couple of play pens so that we can play around with integrating the new chicks etc... and I will be using the giant cardboard box our chest freezer came in as a brooder. I think I might need to get a 2nd one ... what do you guys think? Ive never raised chicks before. I was sort of hoping a hen will go broody (I have a EE who was broody already in January when we had two or three days of melt and the grass was peeking out, like spring) I was sort of dreaming I'd shove some chicks under her at night and she'd raise them..... seems like a lot less work doing it the old fashioned way..... but alas, that's not likely to happen so I guess I'd better get a shopping list together. I am sort of a last minute gal, so those of you who like to prep and plan, would you like to share what's on your list? My mental list so far is --- heat lamp, thermometer, small DIY water & food dishes, paper towel, shavings.....

DD: April 18 25 Cornish X
DD: April 28 20 mix of Auracauna, Wyandotte, Welsummer, Brown Leghorn

Current flock . 7 layers, mixed breeds. 1 rooster CLB .. All about 8 months old

 

[BBZZZZTT]

Welcome!
I'm getting my first batch of chicks this week! Although I'm only getting 5, not 47. With that many chicks I'd think it would just be important to remember the changing space requirements. I built a brooder out of a plastic bin and then ended up making an interim enclosure when I realized they would grow out of the bin in a couple weeks.

 

[Minky]

Hi Thanks!!!
Yeah, the freezer box is approx. 3x 7, but that's probably only good for a week or so.I suppose I will need another one, as I've seen how big they get in just a few weeks. Maybe Ill have my husband build a simple frame and we can lay it on cardboard bottom. My biggest challenge will be my cat....
Most of the 22 mixed breeds I will sell, I just really wanted one of each brreed and in Canada (its so hard to find a breeder here) you need to order 5 of each.... so I decided to do it and just sell the others. Hopefully it wont be too hard.

Well this morning I cancelled my two males that I ordered (since now I have a rooster) so I'll only be getting 45 birds....

 

[PNW_Peepers]

Hi Thanks!!!
Yeah, the freezer box is approx. 3x 7, but that's probably only good for a week or so.I suppose I will need another one, as I've seen how big they get in just a few weeks. Maybe Ill have my husband build a simple frame and we can lay it on cardboard bottom. My biggest challenge will be my cat....
Most of the 22 mixed breeds I will sell, I just really wanted one of each brreed and in Canada (its so hard to find a breeder here) you need to order 5 of each.... so I decided to do it and just sell the others. Hopefully it wont be too hard.

Well this morning I cancelled my two males that I ordered (since now I have a rooster) so I'll only be getting 45 birds....

If I were you I’d look into something even bigger, each bird will need about 2 Square feet after three weeks of age. have you thought about selling them as chicks? You won’t make a profit, but you also won’t have to deal with that many birds at once. Good luck on your adventure and welcome!

 

[EsqChick]

Hi all! I just brought home my first 4 chicks this past Saturday. In my profile photo they are (clockwise from top left) Charlotte (black australorp), Samantha (Ameracauna), Carrie (Buff Orpington) and Miranda (Rhode Island Red). Our little Charlotte has been having a bit of an issue - for the most part she is fine, walking around, eats/drinks okay and is having normal bowel movements, but she has been having "fits" where she kicks and scratched at both sides of her head to the point where she falls on her back and flails/screams trying to get back up. After reading more posts than I care to recount I have tried cleaning her head, moisturizing it (which she hated) and (me!) taking a chill pill. A few others have suggested she may need vitamins so I am sending hubby to buy some polyvisol (no iron) to perk her up (we live in a fairly urban area and there are no nearby farm supply stores where I could get bird specific vitamins). Others have suggested that she may have itchy skin or is reacting to feathers coming in or something. I don't know. I'm a little worried about her. We've had her only 48 hours, but we are incredibly attached to her because she is the sweetest little girl. I am keeping my finger and toes crossed that this is some passing thing that will resolve on its own.

The other girls are all doing fantastic. We are trying to keep all of them socialized and we handle them several times a day. Last night all 4 of them were with my husband, my daughter (10) and me in the living room they were hopping along on the floor, jumping up on us, cuddling in our palms. They seem to be good kids. I am really looking forward to see them grow up.

I have made one huge mistake though (I am sure there will be more) and did not get a coop before getting the chicks. Because I have limited time and skill (and my husband is not as invested in the chicken idea just yet), we bought a prefab coop that should be here when the girls are 2-3 weeks old. That means we'll need to get everything set up and ready to go quickly afterward. I am hoping to build a better coop later (maybe next spring) assuming we will want more chicken!

 

[PNW_Peepers]

Hi all! I just brought home my first 4 chicks this past Saturday. In my profile photo they are (clockwise from top left) Charlotte (black australorp), Samantha (Ameracauna), Carrie (Buff Orpington) and Miranda (Rhode Island Red). Our little Charlotte has been having a bit of an issue - for the most part she is fine, walking around, eats/drinks okay and is having normal bowel movements, but she has been having "fits" where she kicks and scratched at both sides of her head to the point where she falls on her back and flails/screams trying to get back up. After reading more posts than I care to recount I have tried cleaning her head, moisturizing it (which she hated) and (me!) taking a chill pill. A few others have suggested she may need vitamins so I am sending hubby to buy some polyvisol (no iron) to perk her up (we live in a fairly urban area and there are no nearby farm supply stores where I could get bird specific vitamins). Others have suggested that she may have itchy skin or is reacting to feathers coming in or something. I don't know. I'm a little worried about her. We've had her only 48 hours, but we are incredibly attached to her because she is the sweetest little girl. I am keeping my finger and toes crossed that this is some passing thing that will resolve on its own.

The other girls are all doing fantastic. We are trying to keep all of them socialized and we handle them several times a day. Last night all 4 of them were with my husband, my daughter (10) and me in the living room they were hopping along on the floor, jumping up on us, cuddling in our palms. They seem to be good kids. I am really looking forward to see them grow up.

I have made one huge mistake though (I am sure there will be more) and did not get a coop before getting the chicks. Because I have limited time and skill (and my husband is not as invested in the chicken idea just yet), we bought a prefab coop that should be here when the girls are 2-3 weeks old. That means we'll need to get everything set up and ready to go quickly afterward. I am hoping to build a better coop later (maybe next spring) assuming we will want more chicken!

Welcome, hate to be the one to inform you but the chick you believe to be an Ameraucana is actually an Easter Egger. So her eggs may end up brown, blue, or green. Where Ameraucana are pure bred and only lay blue.
Sounds like your doing the right thing with the Australorp, if she doesn’t perk up with the vitamins she may have a neurological disorder. Have you tried nutri-drench on her yet? Good luck on your babies they sure are cute as a button.

 

[aimwad]

Hello!

It's been a while since I've posted. It's good to see all the newcomers! WELCOME!

Last time I posted I was trying to get my girls to go in the coop at night. Well, I'm happy to report that after almost 2 weeks they finally do it! So yesterday I ordered an automatic coop door. I hope to have it be the end of the week. It'll be nice for it to be installed for a few weeks before we go on vacation.

 

[EsqChick]

Welcome, hate to be the one to inform you but the chick you believe to be an Ameraucana is actually an Easter Egger. So her eggs may end up brown, blue, or green. Where Ameraucana are pure bred and only lay blue.
Sounds like your doing the right thing with the Australorp, if she doesn’t perk up with the vitamins she may have a neurological disorder. Have you tried nutri-drench on her yet? Good luck on your babies they sure are cute as a button.

Huh! That's funny. I ordered them from a local supplier and was told she's Ameracauna. Makes no difference to me though! She's beautiful and surprise eggs?! Score! LOL

 

[BBZZZZTT]

Aww, cute pictures They already look well socialized alright!
High five for urban small scale chicken farmers My 5 will be shipped on Wednesday- 1 Silver laced wyandotte, 1 welsummer, and 3 easter eggers. I think the mystery of easter eggers is what makes it so fun! I was reading through a thread about how different colored EE chicks grew up and what coloring they ended up with- So many different possibilities!

I hope you find some answers on Charlotte Hoping it turns out to be nothing!

 

[BBZZZZTT]

I saw a sign like this online and couldn't resist- made my own out of scrap wood