FATHER TO BE

[taamator]

I JUST ORDERED 6 CHICKS THEY WILL BE HERE JULY 15 OR 17 i got these chicks
Barred Rock Female
BFBF Buff Brahma Standard Female
BLAF Black Australorp Female
BUOF Buff Orpington Female
DELF Delaware Female
SFAF Salmon Faverolle Female
i got them from Myer hatchery the person on the phone was really help full and since i wanted different ones so my great niece can play with them and be able to name and pet them i got a mix the only reason i have to wait so long is cause of born on dates but that's OK gave me plenty of time to also get everything set up so i went and also started my meal worm farm so they can have more natural foods i also looked into what veggies i can grow inside so thru the winter they still have things fresh and i dont have a lot of expensive stuff to buy

 

[theoldchick]

ohmygoodness sogladyoujoined.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Sounds like you will have a really cute colorful flock! You might like to check out the BYC Learning Center, lots of good articles on all aspects of chicken keeping you'll find helpful. https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

 

[Orprahlorp]

I'm a newb as well! Cool combo of chickens! I'm kept and bred mealworm and superworm colonies for many years, if you ever have questions feel free to ask, I'd love to help!

 

[taamator]

hi yes i have been looking at lots of different utube posts some say oatmeal and some say wheat bran for your meal worms what do you use? so you have a nice healthy colony. do you separate yours or do you let the cycle of life happen? i bought 4 containers that sit inside each other so that i have beetles on top then next level will the eggs and meal worm then the third tray is to catch my small meal worms and transfer them up to the worm container the four is for pupa so i can have lots of beetles to replace the dead ones

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

Sound like you picked some very nice breeds!! I hope they always bring you great joy.

Kelsie has left you with the link to the learning center. Lots of good articles on raising your new flock.

Enjoy your new babies and welcome to our flock!

 

[Orprahlorp]

Ive always used wheat bran. Best thing I've found to put them in is a 3 drawer plastic storage container. You can find them at walmart with the other plastic storage, go for a longer box rather than thin and tall. Place a few inches of wheat bran (3 ish give or take) and some egg crate laying on top, the mealworms will eat the bran and once they pupate the beetles will climb onto the egg crate. For food I use carrots or sweet potatoes ( cut into long strips), bury a few for the worms and lay some right under the egg crate for the beetles. Some people feed regular white potato, but I've found that those lack many important nutrients. Replace the food when dehydrated or moldy, it won't take you long to get a feel for how much they eat. I recommend starting with just one drawer, and as the worm population skyrockets fill the next drawer with bran and egg crate and move all the beetles into it. That way you can feed off all the worms in the first drawer until its completely empty, and by that time the next drawer will be happily reproducing. It'll take a little while at first, but soon you'll have beetles covering the egg crate and teeny worms buried in the carrot! I kept the same group of worms for what feels like forever, if you get it right its a no fail cycle that never ends. Endless free chicken treats! That's a really condensed explanation, if any of its not 100% clear please message me! I love to help out anyone who's trying to breed their own food, I have tons of experience with superworms and crickets as well!

 

[drumstick diva]

if you don't mind I'll pass on the meal worms though

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC! That's a good mix of chickens. The Black Australorps are my favorite breed as they are very hardy, calm and gentle, and excellent layers of large, brown eggs. Good luck with your flock.

 

[gander007]