EGGCITED!! Ordered my babies yesterday!

[realsis]

Hi all, I'm new to posting here, but have been reading BYC for a couple of weeks now. 
I bought 9 chicks from the local feed store (apparently unvaccinated, just found out) last week and they are out in the coop with my 2 larger girls in a rabbit hutch I custom retrofitted for them with a heat lamp. I just saw Blooie's post about the heating pad method and WOW! What a fantastic idea! I wish I had seen that before I went with the lamp. 

So far it looks like I might have 5 Ameraucana's, 2 Buff Orphington, and 2 Welsummer. They are doing well so far...

I have 10 French Black Copper Marans arriving the first week of March (they will be vaccinated), so will be setting up the heating pad system for them. 

This is the first time I've had chicks in almost 20 years...I'm a bit nervous, but hoping for the best. 

Congratulations!! you will absolutely LOVE♡♡ being a chicken momma!! How exciting for you! will your birds be "free ranging" or in a coop and run? I sure wish mine could free range as I have a HUGE backyard area, for a backyard it's big, over 10,000 Sq feet But sadly I can't let mine because I live by the river and smack dab In the flight path of HUGE hawks! They fly over DAILY.UGH!!so anyway, what is your set up like? Do they have a hen house? a hen run? I planted a little chicken blend pasture in mines run this year. They should gobble it up! well, I'm so excited for you and hope you post LOTS of pictures of your new babies. I'm sure they will be adorable!! I can't wait to see them!!

 

[realsis]

I think that will be great!
I'm sure they will love your motherly Silkie.
As far as the machine scaring the chicks, probably not.
I brooded in the coop (summer time) which is next to the wood shed, tool/tractor shed. Before they were even a weeks old they were used to chainsaws, tractor noises, hammering, log splitter, etc.
I think if you introduce them to normal everyday noises at an early age, they do just fine.

Thank you for the reply!!! I sure hope your right! I'd hate to scare them with the washer or dryer but I don't have any other safe place to brood. Too many critters can get into the garage like I said. The idea of those rats scare me too pieces. last one I saw was in one of my fruit trees and the dog got hold of it.Took care of that one. The others hubby got. Those darn things like to get hold of chicks and chew the legs, oh it's awful, I shudder when I think of it! They come in from the fields close to my house. I sure hope hubby and doggie got them all!!

 

[WRanch]

Congratulations!! you will absolutely LOVE♡♡ being a chicken momma!! How exciting for you! will your birds be "free ranging" or in a coop and run? I sure wish mine could free range as I have a HUGE backyard area, for a backyard it's big, over 10,000 Sq feet But sadly I can't let mine because I live by the river and smack dab In the flight path of HUGE hawks! They fly over DAILY.UGH!!so anyway, what is your set up like? Do they have a hen house? a hen run? I planted a little chicken blend pasture in mines run this year. They should gobble it up! well, I'm so excited for you and hope you post LOTS of pictures of your new babies. I'm sure they will be adorable!! I can't wait to see them!!

Thank you! I'm on a couple of acres and when they are large enough I plan to let them free range as much as possible. We have hawks here too as well as skunks, raccoons, coyotes, and other predators, so I will be keeping a close eye on them. Right now (my coop) they have an 8 X 10 coop and a 10 X 10 run (which I will definitely be adding onto). I don't know when I'll be able to take pix...
I usually don't have time to do much of anything with my schedule and amount of animals I feed and care for.

Have you ever thought of getting one of those portable car canopy's covering it with chicken wire and putting it on wheels (to make it mobile) so they can have room to roam without fear of hawks getting them? All you need is the frame, some casters (or whatever will work) and the wire...don't forget to put in a door! LOL!

 

[realsis]

Thank you! I'm on a couple of acres and when they are large enough I plan to let them free range as much as possible. We have hawks here too as well as skunks, raccoons, coyotes, and other predators, so I will be keeping a close eye on them. Right now (my coop) they have an 8 X 10 coop and a 10 X 10 run (which I will definitely be adding onto). I don't know when I'll be able to take pix...
I usually don't have time to do much of anything with my schedule and amount of animals I feed and care for.   

Have you ever thought of getting one of those portable car canopy's covering it with chicken wire and putting it on wheels (to make it mobile) so they can have room to roam without fear of hawks getting them? All you need is the frame, some casters (or whatever will work) and the wire...don't forget to put in a door! LOL! 

That's is a EXCELLENT idea! I think they call them chicken tractors! I will likely have to save up to buy one because hubby is working long hours and trying to remodel the house because my daughter is moving back home pregnant and the baby is due in June. However i did manage to get him to build a bigger chicken house/run! If you have hawks like I do, you better be EXTREMELY careful. I brought my girls out thinking because I'm out side they won't strike or come near my girls. Not true. luckily my hubby was out too and I heard hubby say "look out" i turned around to see a hawk coming for one of the girls. Thank God I barely had enough time to scoop her up before it flew over. They don't seem scared by people or dogs!

 

[chicken man 553]

I have seen silkies take in ducklings so maybe you could let the silkies do the brooding and it may form a bond between the girls

 

[realsis]

Thank you! I just lost my most broody Silkie a few days ago. it was heartbreaking! She passed away on her eggs. Nothing seemed wrong with her other than she was a little light. but she always got a little light while she brooded. It was such a shock to me as she was very dear to my heart. I went to her nest and it seemed she just layer over and died still eggs under her. sigh...I cried my heart out.Poor thing. She was eating, drinking, etc. I just don't know what happened...Anyway that's a really good idea you have there. I'm pretty excited! I'm going to try that. The broody that passed would take everyone's eggs just to sit, it was so cute.Gosh I'm going to miss her.

 

[WRanch]

That's is a EXCELLENT idea! I think they call them chicken tractors! I will likely have to save up to buy one because hubby is working long hours and trying to remodel the house because my daughter is moving back home pregnant and the baby is due in June. However i did manage to get him to build a bigger chicken house/run! If you have hawks like I do, you better be EXTREMELY careful. I brought my girls out thinking because I'm out side they won't strike or come near my girls. Not true. luckily my hubby was out too and I heard hubby say "look out" i turned around to see a hawk coming for one of the girls. Thank God I barely had enough time to scoop her up before it flew over. They don't seem scared by people or dogs!

You might be able to find one on craigslist or in the pennysaver. You don't even need the entire thing...just tall enough for your girls (think top framing and first part of support legs).
I don't plan on letting mine free range until they are rather large, almost adult size. My other 2 girls can show them where to hunt for bugs, etc. Most of the time they tend to stay in the barn area (mare motel so very open) or in the hay shed (one of those full metal carports, extra long, tall & wide). I've had chickens before that wandered over here from the neighbors that were all free range. Unfortunately the coyotes came in one evening and wiped almost all of them out. The neighbors gave away what was left to some of their friends.