Chicks are home!! I'm scared silly

[Fletcher]

We got our chicks from TSC this morning. I'm a wreck! What was I thinking? I' m literally sick to my stomach and having hot flashes. And my heartburn came back big time. I was also a major wreck before I brought my first baby home from the hospital. She's 11 now and everything turned out fine. I can't believe I'm so traumatized by getting little chicks. Maybe I read too much before hand. I'm sure they'll peck each other to death and have crooked legs and if they survive, they'll get eaten by racoons.

So, we got them home. Into the brooder box. We spilled the water and when I put the food in, the saucer fell off and fell on them! I think they're okay, but what do I know? One of them doesn't open one eye very often. One of them keeps stretching out one leg. One of them was drinking water and foaming at the mouth! I did clean up a pasty butt and the vent was clear. I'm not sure they're warm enough - the light is 18 inches from them.

How often do I clean the box? We have newspaper down now. When can I put in the wood shavings? I really wanted a red lightbulb, but TSC was out of them. I have to go to the mall later for my son's birthday pictures. I'm going to be sick the whole time.

Thanks for babying me. I'm usually not so neurotic - really. I hope I can look back and laugh at this next week!

 

[pdsavage]

Take a deep breathand slowly let it out,your gonna do fine.You said you read alot of info so your on the right track.My chicks streach there legs all the time.Relax and enjoy them.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Relax.......then go change the newspaper for paper towels so they don't end up with those leg issues you are worried about. You (and they) will be just fine. Just enjoy them. You will start to see theit little personalities soon and have so much fun!!!

 

[Henrietta23]

First I want to say that I reacted similarly when we hatched our first chicks in February. Second, I agree, take a deep breath. They're tougher than you think! You don't say how many you got. With only three I didn't have to clean the brooder too often. I kind of stirred it up a bit each day. I panicked when mine ate the wood shavings. Major stress. I finally just had to let them do it and they're fine. I did get them chick sized grit at TSC, I've also seen it called pigeon grit. That way if they were ingesting the shavings I knew they had grit in their crops. As for being warm enough I kept a thermometer in with them. I followed the guideline of cooling it down 5 degrees each week by raising the heat lamp. I started with a red lamp but it was so hot I couldn't raise it high enough where I had the brooder. I switched to white and they did fine. Maybe it was because there were only three of them and they had lots of space? If they're not all crowded together under the lamp they're warm enough. If they're as far away from it as they can get, they're too warm.
Try to relax so you can enjoy them! You're going to be shocked at how fast they grow!

Oh, the leg stretching thing is normal, and cute!

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Emergency call for Valium for Fletcher on Aisle 1 !!!!!!

(I agree, if you read too much, you'll never have the guts to try anything new!)

 

[Fletcher]

I - I - I - I'm trying to breathe, I really am. I just had a LONG talk with my Mom. She can't help with the chickens, but she knows me so well! Maybe I'm coming down with the flu. I just want to throw up.
I'm really stunned at my own reaction to this. Maybe if I hadn't dropped the food on them. My kids keep telling me they're fine. They're eating, drinking, pooping, chirping. If I can't handle chickens, my dh won't let me go forward with plans for a cow and sheep. I know this is nuts, but I can't stop shaking and I have horrible heartburn!

I'm being comforted by an 11 year old. Oh, we got 6 Barred Rocks. They are sooooo cute.

 

[gritsar]

Boy can I empathize! I picked mine (and hooligan's) chicks up at the post office this morning. The two DOAs didn't help my nerves any.

Neither did the marking mix up!
Every time mine stop running around for a sec, my heart skips a beat. I'm trying not to go in there to check on them every 5 minutes and my SO is trying, unsuccessfully, to calm me down. He says in 2 weeks time I will have forgotten all about this panic attack. Added to my worry is the fact that Killer Kitty has been circling the outside of the coop all morning!

I'm sure me and you will both survive this. Here's a hug, for what it's worth.

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

Sit down, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Focus on calming down, as you can't be a good chick mommy if you hyperventilate and pass out.

Then, just sit and watch them be chicks for a while. Pretty soon they'll have you laughing!

I found my 250 watt red heat lamp at Home depot, and a brooder reflector made for that kind of bulb. If they're in the house, you probably don't need such a powerful lamp.

 

[RebelsHope]

Have a cup of chamomile tea and relax.

They will be fine.

My first chicks I thought I did everything right but they did get eaten by a 'coon. BUT I fixed my mistakes and tried again and now I have 11 happy hen, and one roo. More eggs that I could eat in a life time. So even if you make a mistake, it is not the end of the world.

So relax and enjoy your little peeps. Read all you can on here and make sure they have a safe secure place outside.

 

[JaciesCoop]

It will be fine!! The are tough little cookies. Deep breath, relax and then let the 11 year old handle it!

Seriously it is scary but just relax and have fun with it. I totally understand how you feel because I'm still an old nervous ninny about mine. But it does get easier.

Jacie