Cheryl's Hen House...

[aart]

Newbies feel very relieved this morning!! Everybody popped right out of the MHP when Cheryl turned on the light. They are all eating, drinking and running all over. The Marans came out last but seem perfectly fine.

Great News!!

 

[TerryH]

Great News!!

Pretty sure that the Marans were brand new yesterday. They are all buzzing around all over now.

 

[aart]

Quote: A day or two can make a big difference at first, they'll catch up in a couple weeks.
Eating, drinking, finding heat is all that matters the first few days.....
....oh and check their butts everyday for the first few days to make sure they don't 'paste up'(vent plugged by feces).
Bummer y'all have to go to work....would drive me nuts, never got chooks until after 'retirement'.

 

[TerryH]

A day or two can make a big difference at first, they'll catch up in a couple weeks.
Eating, drinking, finding heat is all that matters the first few days.....
....oh and check their butts everyday for the first few days to make sure they don't 'paste up'(vent plugged by feces).
Bummer y'all have to go to work....would drive me nuts, never got chooks until after 'retirement'.

Yes. The Marans are way more fluffy looking today. Makes me think they hatched yesterday morning for sure. Everyone seems perfectly fine. We checked chicken butts this morning. 1 of the Orps had some dried poop but it came off very easy. Everybody else's butts were free and clear.

It is hard to go to work today. I think we need a web baby cam. Plus the coop clock is ticking in my head now. The list seems pretty long before they can move in. **sigh**

 

[Finnie]

Yay for the chicks!

Yay for your MOM!!

 

[TerryH]

Yay for the chicks!

Yay for your MOM!!

Yes and yes!!! I had very much underestimated the effect of the chickens on my Mom. She's telling us all about her chickens and her experiences with them. She doesn't see very well or get around very well so it's been wonderful for all of us for her to have so much fun with them.

 

[aart]

The Mom story made me think...I can still hear/see my mothers derisive tone and facial expression when she's say 'dirty birds!'
On the other hand, a local friends mother comes over when ever I have chicks to hold one, she grew up on a poultry farm.

 

[beautifulpirate]

Yes. The Marans are way more fluffy looking today. Makes me think they hatched yesterday morning for sure. Everyone seems perfectly fine. We checked chicken butts this morning. 1 of the Orps had some dried poop but it came off very easy. Everybody else's butts were free and clear.

It is hard to go to work today. I think we need a web baby cam. Plus the coop clock is ticking in my head now. The list seems pretty long before they can move in. **sigh**

You'll likely have a lot less pasty butt issues using MHP than if you used a heat lamp. But make sure and check the one who had it a bit, often. It can sometimes take a couple clean ups before it clears up. I was fortunate in that I didn't have any babies develop pasty butt at all.

The Mom story made me think...I can still hear/see my mothers derisive tone and facial expression when she's say 'dirty birds!'
On the other hand, a local friends mother comes over when ever I have chicks to hold one, she grew up on a poultry farm.

Haha, my mom is freaked out by them.But her mom, my Granny (who passed a number of years ago) absolutely loved her chickens. I remember going there as a child and she would walk me all through the run and show me the eggs and tell me their names. I guess chicken rearing is just in my blood.

 

[scooter147]

Love the fact that the chicks get mom "up and about". Its great for her.

About a year ago I went back to my home town to visit a long time family friend who unfortunately had to go into a nursing home.

When I walked down the hallway to his room I passed a large activity room and I looked in and saw about 12 residents all sitting along the windows looking out.

When I got to the room I asked what that was all about and he said they have a chicken coop and a pig pen in the courtyard.

You knew I had to take a look before I left. It was a great set up, a very nice coop with a good size covered run. I counted 7 hens (all different breeds). There was also the pig house with run and sunken pool. Two pot bellied pigs called it home The pigs were rescued from the Humane Society.

I spoke with the attendant in the room and she said that they have had the animals for almost three years now and by far they are the biggest hit of anything they have done to make the home a enjoyable place to live.

 

[aart]

Love the fact that the chicks get mom "up and about". Its great for her.

About a year ago I went back to my home town to visit a long time family friend who unfortunately had to go into a nursing home.

When I walked down the hallway to his room I passed a large activity room and I looked in and saw about 12 residents all sitting along the windows looking out.

When I got to the room I asked what that was all about and he said they have a chicken coop and a pig pen in the courtyard.

You knew I had to take a look before I left. It was a great set up, a very nice coop with a good size covered run. I counted 7 hens (all different breeds). There was also the pig house with run and sunken pool. Two pot bellied pigs called it home The pigs were rescued from the Humane Society.

I spoke with the attendant in the room and she said that they have had the animals for almost three years now and by far they are the biggest hit of anything they have done to make the home a enjoyable place to live.

THAT is FanTAstic!!