Baby Chicks Arrived!

[Enchanted1s]

They are easter eggers. I built the brooder box onto the back of my house so i didnt have to use extension cords and only moved them so early because my inside box was just way too small for all 12 of them and they were to stinky for my mom to breathe i thought (she has copd) they are right outside my back door and i check on them often.

I can only imagine! My three are stinky enough and I built them a brooder condo with two rooms (tubs)! I think I will be doing something similar outside my back door soon! There is an outlet on the back of the house. Do you bring them in at night? I know it's not REAL cold here, but it is below freezing at night.

 

[chickenreyna]

Chicks are not expensive - anywhere from $3 to $30 each (on average). Shipping is very high. Depends on where you are and which hatchery you choose. My shipping was around $50. MANY hatcheries require a minimum quantity to ship. ALL have a minimum of 10 to 15 birds when shipping in the winter. I ordered mine on the last shipping date where a minimum of 3 birds would ship.

I know they arent expensive i have looked online but i know a requirement of a big quanity of birds is required, is why I was curious. I never ordered them online so i was curious mainly on shipping, which i didnt specify. . sorry at the tractor stores they usually range around 3-5 for chicks. Are they all doing ok?

 

[Elmochook]

I can only imagine! My three are stinky enough and I built them a brooder condo with two rooms (tubs)! I think I will be doing something similar outside my back door soon! There is an outlet on the back of the house. Do you bring them in at night? I know it's not REAL cold here, but it is below freezing at night.

Haha i told my mom about your condo and she told me no. They have only spent 1 night out so far butnthey seem sooo much happier now.

 

[Enchanted1s]

I know they arent expensive i have looked online but i know a requirement of a big quanity of birds is required, is why I was curious. I never ordered them online so i was curious mainly on shipping, which i didnt specify. . sorry at the tractor stores they usually range around 3-5 for chicks. Are they all doing ok?

Mine are all three doing great. I was able to find a couple of hatcheries that would ship a minimum of 3 chicks (depending on location). That will be available again in the spring - it is too cold now for just 3 to survive the trip. This was my first ever order and all went as planned. Babies hatched and shipped on Tuesday (as stated on their site). I was at the post office picking them up at 0630 Thursday morning. I ordered mine from My Pet Chicken. Meyer Hatchery also offered a minimum of only 3. TSC required a minimum of 10 of the same breed. At the hatcheries you can pick and choose. Hope that helps. Easiest way to find out for sure is to put them in a shopping cart and add your zip code - but again, spring if you want less than 15. ALSO - when I was looking, there were some specials that offered free shipping!

 

[Enchanted1s]

Haha i told my mom about your condo and she told me no. They have only spent 1 night out so far butnthey seem sooo much happier now.

@Elmochook What have your temps been at night? I really want to let them go outside - but I worry about them.

 

[Enchanted1s]

I took the babies outside to meet the flock for the first time today! Just for a few minutes. The girls all came over to see - Rudy the rooster didn't even come look! I have started preparing an outside brooder for them. It's about 3' by 2', so should be OK for them until they can be free with the others?? Still not sure about taking them out if they still need heat! (no electricity) but, I have to get something figured out - they are getting big!


Now, I just have to share this cute photo shoot from today. I found a play pen at a yard sale and bought it for the babies. Today was their first time in it. I was trying to get some pictures since their 3 week pics weren't the best. So, I was trying to get a picture of Little Bit - the one in the front - and here comes Buffey walking by... (Buff Orpington)

Buffey looks over and sees the camera - All - 'oh, a camera!'

Buffey - 'Let me pose!!'

They are just so darn cute! I have cameras set up in their brooder condo and they are always coming up to the camera and being hams!

 

[April Barta]

I picked up old pumpkin boxes from the grocery store right after Halloween. I have 15 babies which are 6 weeks old now. They need tons of room and it’s too cold for the coop right now (30’s). So we put 2 of these boxes together and cut a passage in between. One side is a huddle box and roost. The other side is their hanging water and food. We have it covered now with hardware cloth since they’ve discovered they can fly up on the edge. We have the window cracked in the garage in hopes to acclimate them to the colder weather. They have no heat source. I think I might kick them out next week to the coop! Here are some pics.

 

[Elmochook]

I LOVE your pumpkin boxes! I searched all over my town trying to find those but i just missed them everywhere. That is an awesome set up.

 

[April Barta]

I LOVE your pumpkin boxes! I searched all over my town trying to find those but i just missed them everywhere. That is an awesome set up.

Thank you!!! I cannot own this idea. I saw a youtube video of someone who did watermelon boxes and thought that was genius! However, putting 2 together - I'll take credit for that! LOL. Maybe check offerup or craigslist for those boxes?

 

[Folly's place]

Appliance crates, or moving crates work well too.
Mary