6 weeks into chicken ownership - Why didnt i do this long ago

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Basia St Clair said:
Just purchased my first 4 pullets (hope they are all Hens) six weeks ago. 2 ISA Browns and 2 Asian Blacks from Tractor Supply. When I say at first I knew nothing about raising chicks, looking back, I actually new less than nothing. Negative, if that's possible. Most of it was like that old wives tales you heard your grandparents talk about around chickens.

I LOVE it! Why didn't i do this sooner.

Like so many other have indicated: they are are so fun! From literally watching them actually grow before your eyes, to all the anxiety around "normal" behavior.

I was obsessed with pasty butt, temperature in the brooder, water (add vinegar? garlic clove infused?), food (medicate or non medicated?), type of straw/sand/pine shavings/ to put in brooder, how much? are they warm, cold, acting funny, pooping right (i actually looked up an article that had pictures of all kinds of poop LOL)? You name it, I've obsessed over it :) Thank goodness for this forum.

Looking back i think 3 of them were near 1 week old when I purchase them, and poor little Tender might have been one day old. She is still not fully feather, while the others are well on their way to looking like full grown chickens.

What I've learned about my babies:

These birds are H A R D Y. The first week they may have been delicate, but after that they've taken a life of their own.
They will NOT drink water with garlic cloves in it - literally turn up their beaks and walk away :)
They LOVE Hydro Hen
They HATE mealworms - really? what in the world?
A live worm is like gold, platinum and winning the lottery all combine
Fresh herbs from the garden create a frenzy of running around, chasing, devouring
I care WAY more about their surrounding temperature then they do
They love toys
They need grit
You can build a chicken coop out of almost anything
Predator proof, predator proof, predator proof!!!! Day 1 outside of brooder and in the run and there was evidence of something trying to dig under the wire mesh. Thanks goodness I buried about a foot in the ground around the fence.

Latest challenge: They do not want to go into their coop at night. Nope. No way. They love outside.

I cant help but go out and visit with them several times a day. I just take my coffee and stare at them, watching them dust bath, or scratch, or run, or fly, or learn to drink from their water bucket.

Good luck to everyone! And thanks for having this great forum to search and share!
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This is exactly my story. I started last spring. Now I have my Silkie hen hatch out chicks, can’t get enough.
 
Basia St Clair said:
Exactly - I am hoping at some point they really do start going more willingly into their coop. Kinda funny, during the day they roam in and out of it - but at night, when its time to go to bed, they just refuse to cooperate. They even tease me - one or two will go into it, and then as the others are about to join them they exit - UGH!!!!!
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Mine did the same. I started going into coop giving them a couple handfuls of oats. Now they come in because they want their night night treat 😂😍. And I lock them up
 
Basia St Clair said:
I am trying to get Silkies now. Crazy addictive. Love learning. Love the babies.

In another post I'm going to outline the exploits of my coop building adventure. I've never build anything and here i am using scrap wood from our barn to build a coop. I should have video taped it. All for the chickens!!!
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Silkies are awesome and they will hatch out Anything.
here i
are my Silkie parents Brownie and Prince Charming watching “their” Easter Egger babies
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Simimaus said:
Mine did the same. I started going into coop giving them a couple handfuls of oats. Now they come in because they want their night night treat 😂😍. And I lock them up
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Going to try that. They come to me when I walk up with herbs - maybe herbs and oats!!! Tonight one of the girls went into the coop all on her own, the other three are not yet there.
 

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