Brand new to chickens

Date sort Score sort
Liselle

Liselle

In the Brooder
5 Years
Apr 28, 2014
50
1
33
Hi! My name is Kim, and I just got a chicken!

I've been pestering my boyfriend for a few years now (every spring when Tractor Supply (TS) has their "Chick Days" I would drag him in and make him look at chickens with me) but I didn't want to get 6 of them. So, no chickens for me. Until last night.

I work at Petsmart and a couple came in with this little "Easter" chick that they said they found in their yard. Yeah, right. Well, who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth, or in this case, gift chicken in the beak. I said sure, I'll take it! And there you have it.

I don't have a clue what I'm doing, but TS was pretty helpful getting me feed and a waterer.

So here's where you guys come in!

(1)Any ideas what kind she/he is?
(2)When will I be able to tell whether or not I have a boy or girl?
(3)Do they enjoy being handled? (this one seems to enjoy sitting with me, and seems to like being pet/scratched)
(4)How do I tell how old it is?

Sorry for so many questions, but I am SOOOOO new to this!!

edited by staff
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It depends. Some breeds enjoy being handled more than others. I'm sort of new to this too, but I've done it before. If it's a chick, the more you handle it (I don't know if it's a male or female) the more ok it will be with handling when older. You just have to make sure you have a box or something to contain it in, a heating lamp, food, and water. he water should be changed daily, and if it's just one you probably need to refill the food twice a day or less. With most chicks, you can't tell what gender it is until after a few weeks. And you can always look for identical pictures online or ask someone with lots of experience. You'll also need an out door coops for when it's older. By the way, aren't they adorable?! I LOVE my new chicks because they are just too cute! Too bad they don't stay young longer. And I SOOO understand the bugging the boyfriend thing. I bugged my dad for a LONG time before we got ours, but finally we have them :) Any more questions?
 
(1)Any ideas what kind she/he is?

Sorry for so many questions, but I am SOOOOO new to this!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
AWWWW! so cute! I started replying earlier but I hadn't seen the picture so I didn't think... never mind. So yeah, the water should be replaced every day, and the food will probably need to be refilled like two times maybe. Mine usually just scatter it around haha but oh well. I usually clean the shavings once a day or every other day, depending on how gross it is. But then again, I have five so it might be less often with one. Depending on the breed, the gender won't show up for a few days or weeks. Also, the more you handle the chick as a chick the more he or she will enjoy it older. so hold them A LOT! That shouldn't beard though haha, they're so cute! Sometimes your chick might follow your feet around the floor frantically thinking your the mother hen or something. It's SO CUTE! Any more questions?
 
I would also recommend putting some marbles or something similar in the waterer so the chick doesn't drown itself. Sometimes they will fall asleep with their heads draped over the food or water, and in the case of water.... Well... You can imagine how that sometimes ends.

If you can find another chick somewhere, it would be good to get it a buddy as well. Chickens are very social creatures.
 
Yeah, one time one of my chicks was like reaching out to peck at the food, but fell asleep half way haha to cute! I love how they huddle together when they sleep. Your going to love having your chick. I agree with Hanna8, they are social so I would also suggest getting at least one or two more.
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Congratulations on your new chick! You might want to post pictures in the What Breed Or Gender Is This forum for help with figuring out what kind and how old your chick is ( and if it is young enough that it should be in a brooder with a heat lamp) www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this

Some chicks do like being held etc, a lot of it is getting them used to it, the more they are held the more accepting they are of it. You will probably want to get another chick or two to keep that one company if you plan to keep it.

Be sure to check out the BYC Learning Center, lots of good articles on all aspects of chicken keeping you might find helpful. https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center this is a good article on keeping chicks the first few weeks. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens
 
images


Welcome to BYC!

Great that you can take this baby in. You will need to keep this little guy under heat for 6 weeks till he is feathered out. 90 to 95 degrees the first week and lowered by 5 degrees for 6 weeks. You might want to start in our learning center and do some reading on how to care for this baby....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens

https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

I also included a link to the entire learning center as well for lots of other articles on caring for your bird. Chickens are very social and you may want to consider another to keep this one company. Handle him a lot as they can be very affectionate creatures if you get them to bond with you. So get him out of the brooder, carry him around the house, snuggle with him every day.

Good luck with this little chick! If you have any questions, let us know. Welcome to our flock!
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Congratulations on your new chick! You might want to post pictures in the What Breed Or Gender Is This forum for help with figuring out what kind and how old your chick is www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this Is it white/yellow in person, or does it have a reddish tinge to the fluff? It will probably need to be older and feathered out before you can tell for sure, but TSC carries a number of chickens that look like that as babies, like White Leghorns, Amber Links, White Plymouth Rocks and Meat Birds (which hopefully it isn't).

Do you have a heat source for it in the cage?, it looks to be about ten days or so old and should have a temperature of about 85-90* available to it. this is a good article on keeping chicks the first few weeks. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens X3 You will probably want to get another chick or two to keep that one company if you plan to keep it.
 
Just so the info from the accidental duplicate doesn't get lost.

  • Joined: 4/2014
  • Posts: 33
  • offline
It depends. Some breeds enjoy being handled more than others. I'm sort of new to this too, but I've done it before. If it's a chick, the more you handle it (I don't know if it's a male or female) the more ok it will be with handling when older. You just have to make sure you have a box or something to contain it in, a heating lamp, food, and water. he water should be changed daily, and if it's just one you probably need to refill the food twice a day or less. With most chicks, you can't tell what gender it is until after a few weeks. And you can always look for identical pictures online or ask someone with lots of experience. You'll also need an out door coops for when it's older. By the way, aren't they adorable?! I LOVE my new chicks because they are just too cute! Too bad they don't stay young longer. And I SOOO understand the bugging the boyfriend thing. I bugged my dad for a LONG time before we got ours, but finally we have them :) Any more questions?

  • Location: Ohio
  • Joined: 2/2011
  • Posts: 17,908
  • offline
Hello
frow.gif
and Welcome To BYC! Congratulations on your new chick! You might want to post pictures in the What Breed Or Gender Is This forum for help with figuring out what kind and how old your chick is ( and if it is young enough that it should be in a brooder with a heat lamp) www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this

Some chicks do like being held etc, a lot of it is getting them used to it, the more they are held the more accepting they are of it. You will probably want to get another chick or two to keep that one company if you plan to keep it.

Be sure to check out the BYC Learning Center, lots of good articles on all aspects of chicken keeping you might find helpful. https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center this is a good article on keeping chicks the first few weeks. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens


  • Location: High And Dry in New Mexico
  • Joined: 3/2011
  • Posts: 14,151
  • offline
images


Welcome to BYC!

Great that you can take this baby in. You will need to keep this little guy under heat for 6 weeks till he is feathered out. 90 to 95 degrees the first week and lowered by 5 degrees for 6 weeks. You might want to start in our learning center and do some reading on how to care for this baby....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens

https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

I also included a link to the entire learning center as well for lots of other articles on caring for your bird. Chickens are very social and you may want to consider another to keep this one company. Handle him a lot as they can be very affectionate creatures if you get them to bond with you. So get him out of the brooder, carry him around the house, snuggle with him every day.

Good luck with this little chick! If you have any questions, let us know. Welcome to our flock!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom