Cant do chicks right now...Help Please

[Newchickey]

I cant see how I can do the baby chickey thing right now with our house layout and three indoor cats. Where can I buy older so I can put them outside right off? Im talking months old, not years! lol Other than craigslist which I know can be sketchy? Suggestions anyone. I am in Nebraska PanHandle/

 

[barnaclebob]

You can put chicks outside in a protected brooder as long as they have a heat lamp.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

You can order started pullets, check into local poultry swaps or brood your birds outside - though we have six cats and currently have 16 chicks that have been in the house in our brooder for the last 4 weeks

 

[Newchickey]

I just dont have some place that I can put them where the cats cant get to them to at least watch. I would hate to leave and come home to find out they figured out how to get into it. No doors in our place right now! lol

 

[Cindy in PA]

It would help if we had an idea where you are located. Shipping started pullets is expensive. Here in PA you can get started sex link or leghorns for less than $10 a piece from Moyers Hatchery in Quakertown. Some feeds stores here get them from Moyers once in awhile. The birds are 17-18 weeks old when you pick them up. You would have to search to see what's in your area.

 

[dekel18042]

Do you have a room you can shut the door to keep the peeps in? You can also (Check Craig's list) get a good sized hampster or guinea pig cage to keep them in that has a top.
I have two indoor cats and right now have two day old peeps inside what used to be a large guinea pig pen that has a plastic bottom, easy to disinfect, with a wire top that latches.
It also has a brooder inside to keep them warm. Thankfully our cats and dogs leave them alone, just showing a mild interest in watching sometimes.
If you get older chicks or pullets, especially from a hatchery upside is they will lay soon, ask if they are debeaked. In some cases (Moyer is one of them. I have gotten pullets from them in the past but all were debeaked, you have no choice so would not buy from them again. Plus you don't have a large selection in breeds.
You might be able to find someone who will sell privately.

 

[Newchickey]

Its funny, we bought an old 1980's steel building school house in the Nebraska Panhandle, it was semi converted to a house and we have to finish it off, that is why there are no doors. But after much looking, talking to the feed store etc, I ordered chicks that will arrive mid June, that gives us til then to section off a new room, most likely will be the laundry room. Will the sound of washer and dryer occasionally bother my chicks? And then we have until End of July maybe to get the coop and run done.

 

[dekel18042]

Funny you should ask. My peeps (and the previous batches) are in their brooder in the doorless laundry room right off the kitchen, and the washer is running as I pute. Peeps raised in the house get used to all kinds of sounds, TV, washer, dryer, vacuum, microwave, people and other pets being about. They sort of get bomb proof.
The last batch, in winter, before they could go out moved to the sun room, right next to the conure who made all kinds of noises at them. He was really sad when his friends moved to the garage.

 

[allpeepedout]

I raised my chicks in a multi-cat household. Although I kept them in a room with closed door, knowing cats and knowing the possibility of human error, I wired .5 in hardware cloth to the inside of a dog crate to raise the chicks in.

So even if a cat accidentally got in the room, there was no way a paw could ever enter the cage.

As soon as the chicks gained some size, my cats quickly lost interest. That was a surprise.

 

[Newchickey]

No longer snack size? lol