2019 Newbie Chat!

[flygirl1973]

Ah, that makes sense then! Some are better mommas, others are layers, some are watchers...

 

[HopeSprings]

My chicks will be here in May -- 2 each of Silver, Gold and Columbian Wyandotte, 2 each Whiting True Blue and Green, and 2 each Sussex, Black Autralorp, and Buff Orpington! Plus a freebie. These girls will be my first chickens, so I'm naming them after First Ladies: Martha, Abigail, Dolley, Mary Todd, Eleanor, Bess, Mamie, Jackie, Lady Bird and Betty!
Planning on keeping both of the Whitings and one each of the others. Planning!
The coop is still on paper, but my contractor is on notice.
Love all of the answers to questions I didn't even have yet! Thanks!

 

[PolergirlOH]

Hello fellow chicken owners

I am back to having chicks after several LOOOOONG years without them and it feels so good!!!

My little flock is a varied group and hopefully all pullets. Time will tell!

 

[thecaped]

My 8 day old chicks shipped yesterday. I’m a bundle of nerves waiting!!! My poor babies living in the mail all alone. USPS says they’ll be here by Thursday afternoon but I’m hoping they show up early. I keep refreshing the tracking page wanting an update. I should probably go to work to distract myself...

I share the struggle! Did they arrive yet?

 

[52katalac]

Hi I'm a retired Airline worker and happily living in the country now. I have two acres and nearest neighbors are a quarter of a mile away. I decided to start getting chickens because I love fresh eggs and they're just so dang cute. Funny my daughter decided at the same time to get her own chickens. I haven't raised chickens since I was a kid so I'm learning all over again what to do.

 

[BelleHartChicks]

I share the struggle! Did they arrive yet?

They arrived early Wednesday morning! You can see their arrival pics farther up this thread. But here’s a few from today. I swear, they’ve grown so much in just two days!

 

[BelleHartChicks]

Question: my Buff Orpingtons have particularly messy butts. They aren’t plugged, I’ve been watching them closely and they are all eating, drinking, and hooping regularly.

Do I need to be working harder to keep them clean? They really hate it when I try. Is this pasty butt? Their vents are clear, and I wipe it off daily. Thoughts?

They are otherwise, active and seem happy!

 

[Cyprus]

Question: my Buff Orpingtons have particularly messy butts. They aren’t plugged, I’ve been watching them closely and they are all eating, drinking, and hooping regularly.

Do I need to be working harder to keep them clean? They really hate it when I try. Is this pasty butt? Their vents are clear, and I wipe it off daily. Thoughts?

They are otherwise, active and seem happy!

Could be from the temperature. What temperature are you keeping them at?

 

[BelleHartChicks]

The room is about 73, they have a mama heating pad that is 90-95 depending on where they are under it. They don’t seem cold or overly hot at all. They all spend the day darting in and out of the heating pad, seem comfortable in the lower temps over by the food, sleep all night under the pad.

 

[ATownMama]

Cheap chicken wire, or fruit tree netting.

We had a roll of hardware cloth available, so we used that. Working fine now!