Chicks are coming in 2-3 days—hope we are ready!

[Chicken poppy]

Yep, we watched a YouTube about it. Hopefully we can avoid it with apple cider vinegar

Yes, if it does happen just rub in a circular motion, dont pull, use a soft cloth and warm not hot water til it comes out! Usually happens with stress. Please do send pictures! Im excited to see how cute they are

 

[MagistraTn]

Yes, if it does happen just rub in a circular motion, dont pull, use a soft cloth and warm not hot water til it comes out! Usually happens with stress. Please do send pictures! Im excited to see how cute they are

Thanks for holding my hand! Will post pics for sure.

 

[MagistraTn]

Bah! Now I’m looking at others baby chick pics and wondering why I ordered six of the same breed. How are we ever going to tell them apart?!

 

[Chicken poppy]

Bah! Now I’m looking at others baby chick pics and wondering why I ordered six of the same breed. How are we ever going to tell them apart?!

atleast if you plan on breeding youll get a good show chicken! and trust me, youll know, there will be tiny details and personality youll pick up on. Especially gender wise, which you can tell luckily from a early age!
a male has a large white spot on the head, a female has a smaller narrow spot.

females are also lighter in color by a bit.

Plus, ive heard some people put things on them, you could put a dab of safe food dye on the head, a very small dab, different color for each, just on the tip of a feather.
dont put a lot, make sure its safe food dye, different colors for each of course,

 

[Poodlemum]

Congrats on your new babies! You’ll have so much fun with them!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Coop is ready, but the extended run is in planning (hoping to have it done in in 2-3 weeks). I also have a heat lamp if needed, or grow lamps from the garden, but the garage has been about 60f, and it’s supposed to get (mostly) warmer.

The brooder is very small - it'll be ok for maybe a week but you need to expand pretty soon.

Since the coop is done I'd suggest you consider brooding in the coop, if you can run electricity out there, or brood in the garage to spare your house from the dust and dander. Temperatures are very good for it. Pasty butt seems to be less prevalent if chicks are kept at lower temperatures.

 

[MagistraTn]

The brooder is very small - it'll be ok for maybe a week but you need to expand pretty soon.

Since the coop is done I'd suggest you consider brooding in the coop, if you can run electricity out there, or brood in the garage to spare your house from the dust and dander. Temperatures are very good for it. Pasty butt seems to be less prevalent if chicks are kept at lower temperatures.

Thank you. im set up in the garage currently—temp in there is holding steady around 60. The weather forecast looks like we will be mainly in the 60 deg range for the next week, but it’s still dipping into the 20s at night. I could run electricity out there, but I don’t think I’d sleep a wink!

 

[mrskenmore]

Congrats on your new babies!! Barred Rocks are the BEST in my opinion. I think as others have mentioned the brooder will be great for you to get accustomed to your new little ones for a few days, I think by the first week mine already figured how to jump out and get lost in the kitchen peeping at 3 am! I like paper towels for the first week as it makes it easier for them to see food and the paper towels support their legs unlike newspaper. After a week or two I switch over to shavings and after a few weeks of that I am wishing them out of the house due to the dust! Enjoy your time with them, take lots of pictures and videos as they grow fast and their antics are hysterical!!

 

[SpicyDisaster]

Bah! Now I’m looking at others baby chick pics and wondering why I ordered six of the same breed. How are we ever going to tell them apart?!

Once you spend time with them as they grow you will be able to tell them apart. We had four Buff Orpingtons that had different personalities and faces. As my kiddo puts it, one has a serious face, one has a funny face, one a sweet face, and one is just big.

From a practical sense you could also try leg bands. We have ten Americaunas coming so I'm going to be trying out the leg bands so we can all tell them apart at a glance.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I am also not a shavings fan. I see chicks who need to learn to eat chick feed fill up on shavings. (In other people's videos, because I don't use shavings.)