Buying day old chicks

[RooChick]

Hi there,

I'm new to keeping chickens and I am currently looking at purchasing 4 x day old chicks.

The breeds I am looking at are:
Golden Laced Wyandotte, Speckled Sussex, Light Sussex
Then either Buff Sussex or New Hampshire

I am currently looking at hiring a brooder to raise them in. Here is the link:
http://citychicks.com.au/products/85/

My questions are:
Is it difficult to raise chicks, should this only be done if you are experienced with chickens ?
If it is possible for beginners to raise chicks, can I still do it if I work full time. Will the chicks be okay by themselves at home during the day ?

Thanks for your help!

Jo.

 

[Pork Pie]

If you read up on raising chicks and know what potential issues to luck out for, then there's no reason why someone with no experience should not have a go - lots of members have begun their flocks this way. The learning curve is more gentle if you buy point of lay pullets and you have the benefit of knowing that you only have females (plus you'll get eggs earlier).

Whilst not ideal, I would imagine that working full time should be ok, providing the chicks are well catered for and they seem content. You may wish to buy more chicks than you planned for as you may experience losses and at least a half of your chicks will turn out to be males, which you may not want.

Ct

 

[RooChick]

The place I am purchasing the chicks from advise that they are sexed and if they are wrong, will give you a store credit and re-home the rooster.
I am worried about the survival rate though ... how many will make it.
Is it common for chicks not to make it ?

 

[Pork Pie]

You may not lose any at all - it's just a possibility that the odd one might not make it.

 

[RooChick]

Well, I do have the option to purchase pullets instead, but I want to be able to hold, walk up to and pat the chickens.
They would be anywhere between 10 - 16 weeks old. Do you think I would be able to tame them to do this ?

 

[Pork Pie]

Well, I do have the option to purchase pullets instead, but I want to be able to hold, walk up to and pat the chickens.
They would be anywhere between 10 - 16 weeks old. Do you think I would be able to tame them to do this ?

You certainly can, with some patience. Just spending as much time as possible with them and feeding treats - they will gradually get used to you.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think you’ll find that most of the people on this forum that started flocks like you are talking about work full time and started with baby chicks. You’d need to do some research but they don’t have to be that hard. Food, water, a dry brooder with enough warmth at one end, and predator protection. That’s the basics and you can do it.

It is extremely rare for me to lose a chick, either from the post office or those I hatch in my incubator. It happens, sometimes things just happen, but thinking of my last three mail order chick shipments I’ve lost one out of 70 chicks. Losing some is not a given.

Point Of Lay (POL) pullets is not a bad way to go either for the reasons CT mentioned plus you don’t need the expense of a brooder. With patience and food you can tame POL pullets, even if they have been raised pretty wild. It does take patience and time. Take a chair and something to read and just hang out in their area. Bring them a treat to eat and scatter it around you. Do not chase them or grab them. Eventually they will start hanging around you, maybe even on you, and let you hold them. But it takes time and patience.

 

[azygous]

One way to get started without the anxiety of worrying about babies is to purchase "started pullets". These will typically be around four to six weeks old and no longer need to be in a brooder with heat. The failure to thrive chicks have already been weeded out, and you will be starting with young chicks that are robust and healthy.

Most mail order hatcheries have this classification of chicks available and most breeds are included.

Make sure you have a coop and run already built and ready for the chicks. You will be able to move the chicks right in and not need to bother with the mess of an indoor brooder or heat source.

 

[Kimberly4403]

I was like u and was gonna hire a brooder from citychicks but then i thought i dont want to be hiring a brooder everytime i want to raise chicks so i bought a large plastic storage box and a black ceramic heat emitter with 50watt bulb off ebay and a bale of pine shavings all up it was half the cost of hiring a brooder plus ill have it all on hand for my next batch of chicks.. Cheap and easy havent lost any chicks and there almost ready to go outside

 

[lazy gardener]

I strongly advise that you read this article before deciding how you want to start your flock. Makes brooding chicks very easy, very safe, and you will have it available for future use. I can't imagine renting something to start chicks with. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors