- Apr 12, 2012
- 177
- 15
- 151
Hello, I'm new here.
Trapped in the suburbs for another decade or so, but have decided to push my luck and start my flock ( thanks to a little coersion... My nine year old helped convince grandpa that hens would be a nice addition to our "country house", where my parents reside.) My mom will be the happy primary caretaker once the hens move out to the country, but for now I have 5 chicks in my garage. I set up a brooder inside the huge dog crate I have... To keep the cat and dog out.
Chicks arrived from cackle hatchery, well packed and warm, but the littlest one ( a jersey giant) was pretty listless from the start, was getting really picked on by the end of day one and didn't survive the night. No sign of disease though, and I swear the others grew overnight! I haven't had first hand chicken experience in about 30 years; any suggestions on how much or little we can/should handle these guys? In my youth the chickens were future dinner, but these we would like to be pets, eventually free-ranging ones.
Trapped in the suburbs for another decade or so, but have decided to push my luck and start my flock ( thanks to a little coersion... My nine year old helped convince grandpa that hens would be a nice addition to our "country house", where my parents reside.) My mom will be the happy primary caretaker once the hens move out to the country, but for now I have 5 chicks in my garage. I set up a brooder inside the huge dog crate I have... To keep the cat and dog out.
Chicks arrived from cackle hatchery, well packed and warm, but the littlest one ( a jersey giant) was pretty listless from the start, was getting really picked on by the end of day one and didn't survive the night. No sign of disease though, and I swear the others grew overnight! I haven't had first hand chicken experience in about 30 years; any suggestions on how much or little we can/should handle these guys? In my youth the chickens were future dinner, but these we would like to be pets, eventually free-ranging ones.
from Ohio, so glad you joined. 
