- Apr 18, 2014
- 11
- 0
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Hello everyone, I'm new here, making the requisite introduction 
My husband and I just bought our first 13 chicks, and are thinking of getting 3 more. Have we bitten off more than we can chew? My husband grew up with chickens, but it has been a long time. I have done tons of research, but have little to no practical experience. We have a large coop, at least 8 x 8ft, and tall enough for my 6'3'' husband to stand in comfortably. He is also building a large(?) yard for them, and we plan to let them range in our lawn and in the garden, once the plants are established. We have an 18 month old daughter, and another baby due late July, both of whom we would like to interact with the chickens as they are able. Does any of this raise any red flags for anyone yet?
So far, we have:
2 Silver Laced Wyandottes
2 Black Australorps
2 Rhode Island Reds
2 Barred Plymouth Rocks
2 Bantam Silkies (one each of black and white)
1 Delaware
2 Buff Opringtons (one of which I thought for sure was going to die, so I bought the Delaware to replace it, but my FIL seems to have nursed it back to health with some Malt-o-Meal and a toothpick)
We are thinking of getting another Delaware (we really like the idea of having pairs) and two Ameraucanas when our local feed store gets their last shipment.
We are mostly just raising chickens for eggs, and for the entertainment and learning experience. We go through at least two dozen eggs a weeks, sometimes three or four, and I'm sure our parents and other family members would be glad to take any extras off our hands. We really don't know how many eggs to expect though, with our variety and number of chickens.
Now an actual question: how often should I handle the chicks if I want to tame and socialize them? So far I've been visiting their breeder box twice a day, and holding each one for 30 seconds to a minute, checking for blocked vents and just generally petting and talking to them.
Thanks for reading, anybody that made it this far! I welcome any words of wisdom, or words of caution you can give! And answers to any of the questions I asked plainly or otherwise
My husband and I just bought our first 13 chicks, and are thinking of getting 3 more. Have we bitten off more than we can chew? My husband grew up with chickens, but it has been a long time. I have done tons of research, but have little to no practical experience. We have a large coop, at least 8 x 8ft, and tall enough for my 6'3'' husband to stand in comfortably. He is also building a large(?) yard for them, and we plan to let them range in our lawn and in the garden, once the plants are established. We have an 18 month old daughter, and another baby due late July, both of whom we would like to interact with the chickens as they are able. Does any of this raise any red flags for anyone yet?
So far, we have:
2 Silver Laced Wyandottes
2 Black Australorps
2 Rhode Island Reds
2 Barred Plymouth Rocks
2 Bantam Silkies (one each of black and white)
1 Delaware
2 Buff Opringtons (one of which I thought for sure was going to die, so I bought the Delaware to replace it, but my FIL seems to have nursed it back to health with some Malt-o-Meal and a toothpick)
We are thinking of getting another Delaware (we really like the idea of having pairs) and two Ameraucanas when our local feed store gets their last shipment.
We are mostly just raising chickens for eggs, and for the entertainment and learning experience. We go through at least two dozen eggs a weeks, sometimes three or four, and I'm sure our parents and other family members would be glad to take any extras off our hands. We really don't know how many eggs to expect though, with our variety and number of chickens.
Now an actual question: how often should I handle the chicks if I want to tame and socialize them? So far I've been visiting their breeder box twice a day, and holding each one for 30 seconds to a minute, checking for blocked vents and just generally petting and talking to them.
Thanks for reading, anybody that made it this far! I welcome any words of wisdom, or words of caution you can give! And answers to any of the questions I asked plainly or otherwise
and Welcome To BYC! X3 on the Learning Center, there are several articles on raising/taming chicks as pets in the Chick section you might want to check out. You should get plenty of eggs out of that bunch, except for the Silkies I'd expect the girls to lay 4-5 eggs a week or better when they are young and laying well.
