Colorado

[suncatcher]

If anyone feels like looking at pics or trying to help me ID... https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ayer-assortment-what-are-these-gals-pic-heavy

I am thinking Ausralorpe on the black chicks, and maybe BO or RIR on your reddish one, just a guess though...... and your last one, idk, maybe white leghorn.

 

[samsr]

As long as the eggs hatch over the weekend I can get them to you fairly easily. I would have to wait until they are dry at least. I'm not sure how long tht takes. I'm also not sure how to transport them as I have never done this. What part of town are you located?

Pozzi transported the chicks I got from here in a small cooler. You could probably put a couple of those baby food jars with the warm water in the cooler with them to help keep them warm on their trip. You are going to want to get get those newls hatched chicks under that he as soon as possible in order to keep them warm.

 

[Pozees]

Ok so the bottom of my brooder box is wood if you saw my pic. I had it ready and set up before my chicks came Friday. I didn't have paper on the bottom. I put a couple inches of woodchips on the bottom a paper towels on the top. Ive been changing paper towels in the morning. should i change them more often. they are pooping more. Should I dump everything and put paper on the bottom? Should I remover paper towels all together and how often should I change chips in the brooder box. I have 12. I and they don't lay under the light so I'm assuming they are warm enough??

The paper on the bottom really just provides another layer of absorbency and makes it easier to roll the whole thing up and discard it. If they seem to be getting around well, you might be able to get rid of the papers and leave them on shavings, you can always try it and then if they don't get the hang of it just put more paper towel in. Chicks grow so fast! One thing you might want to do when you remove the paper towel is put the water up on about a one inch block, either a patio block or a block of wood, to minimize the amount of shavings that get in there. I am not doing that in my bins, they're so light compared to wood I'm trying to keep them as stable as possible, and they load up.

My chicks are just over two weeks old and are feathering in so fast I have the heat lamps above the edge of the bins and had to put hardware cloth covers on them, the agile little devils were escaping! They can easily get up on top of the gallon waterers, and from there it's a short leap to the edge of the bins, and the great beyond. They are so funny Chicks discover their wings about 10-12 days of age, and from there, it's on LOL.

 

[krcchickens]

The paper on the bottom really just provides another layer of absorbency and makes it easier to roll the whole thing up and discard it.  If they seem to be getting around well, you might be able to get rid of the papers and leave them on shavings, you can always try it and then if they don't get the hang of it just put more paper towel in.  Chicks grow so fast!  One thing you might want to do when you remove the paper towel is put the water up on about a one inch block, either a patio block or a block of wood, to minimize the amount of shavings that get in there.  I am not doing that in my bins, they're so light compared to wood I'm trying to keep them as stable as possible, and they load up.

My chicks are just over two weeks old and are feathering in so fast I have the heat lamps above the edge of the bins and had to put hardware cloth covers on them, the agile little devils were escaping!  They can easily get up on top of the gallon waterers, and from there it's a short leap to the edge of the bins, and the great beyond.  They are so funny   Chicks discover their wings about 10-12 days of age, and from there, it's on LOL.

They ARE funny! How often do u think I should change the hole thing out? I can tell a froth difference every day. I spend a lot of time with them. They love eating out of my hand

 

[Pozees]

As long as the eggs hatch over the weekend I can get them to you fairly easily. I would have to wait until they are dry at least. I'm not sure how long tht takes. I'm also not sure how to transport them as I have never done this. What part of town are you located?

Some chicks are dry and up and around faster than others. In the past I have had some ready to be moved in 6-8 hours, but the Silkie chicks I hatched needed a full 24 hours in the incubator before they were really ready to be moved.

 

[maggiemo]

As long as the eggs hatch over the weekend I can get them to you fairly easily. I would have to wait until they are dry at least. I'm not sure how long tht takes. I'm also not sure how to transport them as I have never done this. What part of town are you located?

I'm in Boulder

Do you think it will work still?
I could drive there, or meet you somewhere. I have no idea what to do. I have never done chicks before, much less with a broody or an hour and a half away.
Help?

 

[Pozees]

They ARE funny! How often do u think I should change the hole thing out? I can tell a froth difference every day. I spend a lot of time with them. They love eating out of my hand

Well, you kind of have to play it by ear - I add shavings every day, but by the time a week is up it has to be totally changed out. In the interim, when I take the feeders and waterers out, the chicks have a blast pecking around where they were If you think it's getting too wet or smelly before that, change it sooner, and if in a week it still seems pretty fresh and dry, give it another day, and make another decision.

Chicks and chickens don't read the books on raising them, unfortunately, and some things you just have to follow your instincts on. When they are wrong, you learn, like it or not. It is a lot like life - just because something isn't supposed to happen, doesn't mean it won't, you know? The more you watch them the more you will instinctively know what they need/want. The fact you are spending so much time with them will help you determine what is best, regardless of what any book or poster tells you. I've tried lots of things that sounded great that didn't work out that way for me. Sometimes it was because the recommendation came from someone in a very different climate, sometimes it was just because the flock dynamics were different, and sometimes it's just dumb luck that what worked for one person didn't work for me. The whole experience teaches you in a general sense that the world may or may not share your concept of your future, and that nothing is as predictable as we would like it to be. You might be the person that learns to just roll with it and accept that it is the way of mother nature, and you might be the person that decides the sometimes life and death decisions you have to make to be a chicken keeper are not for you. Either way, you learn something about yourself, and often those around you.

 

[Pozees]

I'm in Boulder

Do you think it will work still?
I could drive there, or meet you somewhere. I have no idea what to do. I have never done chicks before, much less with a broody or an hour and a half away.
Help?

If you are going to transport day old chicks that far, as long as they are pretty snug but still have air they will be okay - the hatcheries ship them that far and then some all the time, as long as they have several to keep warm in a small space they usually do fine. The insulated cooler I use is one of those little lunchbox-sized ones, it's enough for maybe a dozen day olds, fewer for that distance you probably need some sort of heat pack, like those hand warmers you can buy for your gloves/boots. If you have a heating pad that can be powered by your car lighter port you can wrap that around the container, too.

Keep in mind, your vehicle will have to be kept at maximum heat, so even if you need a coat to get to the car, take it off before you start the drive with the chicks. Seriously. I forgot when I brought samsr's chicks, and hoo boy.

 

[maggiemo]

Thanks Pozees,
I'm so grateful for your experience.
I worked years in the catering business and we would keep food warm for hours in 'coolers' for transporting by pouring boiling water in the cooler for a half hour or so. Like you do your thermous for coffee or hot chocolate. It's not just a cooler, it's a warmer too.
Great idea about the 'cooler'. I think it will work just fine.
Now, everyone keep thier fingers crossed for some of those little 'gals' to hatch!!

 

[krcchickens]

Th

Well, you kind of have to play it by ear - I add shavings every day, but by the time a week is up it has to be totally changed out.  In the interim, when I take the feeders and waterers out, the chicks have a blast pecking around where they were   If you think it's getting too wet or smelly before that, change it sooner, and if in a week it still seems pretty fresh and dry, give it another day, and make another decision.

Chicks and chickens don't read the books on raising them, unfortunately, and some things you just have to follow your instincts on.  When they are wrong, you learn, like it or not.  It is a lot like life - just because something isn't supposed to happen, doesn't mean it won't, you know?  The more you watch them the more you will instinctively know what they need/want.  The fact you are spending so much time with them will help you determine what is best, regardless of what any book or poster tells you.  I've tried lots of things that sounded great that didn't work out that way for me.  Sometimes it was because the recommendation came from someone in a very different climate, sometimes it was just because the flock dynamics were different, and sometimes it's just dumb luck that what worked for one person didn't work for me.  The whole experience teaches you in a general sense that the world may or may not share your concept of your future, and that nothing is as predictable as we would like it to be.  You might be the person that learns to just roll with it and accept that it is the way of mother nature, and you might be the person that decides the sometimes life and death decisions you have to make to be a chicken keeper are not for you.  Either way, you learn something about yourself, and often those around you.

Thank you, one more question. Once they are outside I plan to let them free range as much as possible. We don't have any grass. We have dirt, some weeds and a ALOT of little round stickers. Can they eat them? I'm not sure but thought hopefully it will be ok and they can use their gizzards to digest them. Probably sounds like a stupid question. It's a big concern.