Feeling overwhelmed and having second thoughts!

[eggfooyoung]

Just made arrangements to pick up a week old Cream Legbar tomorrow morning (will be getting the rest of the flock Sat morning from someone else who doesn't have Cream Legbars). I think I'm going to vomit from nerves lol. (and no, I'm not kidding). This will either be the worst idea I've ever had or the best thing I've ever done lol... Pray for me! LOL!

 

[Blooie]

Welcome! Here's the way I see it...if you can love and care for a opiate addicted foster baby and another special needs child, do all the things you do day in and day out, chickens might just turn out to be YOUR therapy! I'm serious....I have 2 special needs granddaughters. The older one, Katie, has mild autism and has turned into the best chicken raiser on the planet! She's so good at it that when Ken and I leave town for several days on end, she's the only one I totally trust to be in complete charge of the coop and run - including chicks if we have any at the time - and she's been that way since she was 8 years old!

Her baby sister, Kendra, was born with Spina Bifida and more severe autism. She's mostly non-verbal, although she's starting to talk a little bit now. It's a long way from true communication, but it'll come! I was Katie's full time day care provider, and now I'm Kendra's. Have been since they were each born. Been through surgeries, physical therapy, learning to catheterize a squirming infant several times a day and all the rest of what goes along with loving these little gifts. They live right across the street from us, so even when I'm not taking care of them while Mom and Dad work they spend a lot of time here. They both love the chickens!

There is a thread on BYC just for us AND those wonderful friends who are always there to lend an ear, a cheer or give us a new perspective when we can't see past our own noses for being overwhelmed. It's made to order if you'd care to join us. It's not real active so it's not hard to keep up (thank goodness!!) and we have caregivers of kids with a little of everything as far as challenges go. There'll be a flurry of activity and then a period of quiet over there - sort of like day to day life with these amazing kids. We can listen, commiserate, and encourage! If it's too much to start at the beginning, just jump in on the end, introduce yourself, and get to know us while we get to know you!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/935165/raising-chickens-and-special-needs-kids/550

As for the raising chickens part? That's easy. Warmth, food, and water. You may lose a chick or two - most of us have at one time or another and as sad as it is the sun still comes up the next morning and the birdies still sing. I guess I have a kind of super laid back way of approaching all things chickens, although my friend @lazy gardener can tell you first hand that it wasn't always that way! I was a nervous wreck until it was pointed out to me that I was killing myself trying to overachieve. Not in so many words, of course, but I was so busy trying to be "THE best chicken mom" on the planet that the adventure got lost. Now I just give them their heating pad cave, keep an eye on them, and enjoy them!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Just made arrangements to pick up a week old Cream Legbar tomorrow morning (will be getting the rest of the flock Sat morning from someone else who doesn't have Cream Legbars). I think I'm going to vomit from nerves lol. (and no, I'm not kidding). This will either be the worst idea I've ever had or the best thing I've ever done lol... Pray for me! LOL!

Well.... that's kind of scary...

(remember anxious over thinker here)

One thing, cream legbars are a little flighty and usually pricey and not available at feed stores, but at least you should know you got a girl. And I do think they are cool birds! Haven't had any yet, but definitely thought about them.

But your other source... what kind of chicks? Straight run? How old? Will you be able to deal with cockerels if you get any? How many did you decide to get?

Usually mixing birds from different sources isn't suggested as you might get one set infecting the other. It may not be as much of an issue if they are still inside brooders.

It's nice if you can get quality birds from a breeder. Most people don't start out that way. It's also nice that you have a local source!

Good luck. Pictures are always welcome, even with the kiddos!

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: I keep a closed flock. (kind of) The only new birds that come onto my property are from a hatchery, or from an egg I hatch myself: either from my own egg basket, or as shipped eggs. But, I have not had issue with mixing chicks from different sources. I'd be more leery about the CLB, coming from a private breeder in such a circumstance. But, as this is your first flock, they should be fine. Your CLB is going to pitch a fit being alone for a day, but she will survive. give her a mirror, and a small stuffed animal to cuddle with.

 

[eggfooyoung]

Welcome! Here's the way I see it...if you can love and care for a opiate addicted foster baby and another special needs child, do all the things you do day in and day out, chickens might just turn out to be YOUR therapy! I'm serious....I have 2 special needs granddaughters. The older one, Katie, has mild autism and has turned into the best chicken raiser on the planet! She's so good at it that when Ken and I leave town for several days on end, she's the only one I totally trust to be in complete charge of the coop and run - including chicks if we have any at the time - and she's been that way since she was 8 years old!

Her baby sister, Kendra, was born with Spina Bifida and more severe autism. She's mostly non-verbal, although she's starting to talk a little bit now. It's a long way from true communication, but it'll come! I was Katie's full time day care provider, and now I'm Kendra's. Have been since they were each born. Been through surgeries, physical therapy, learning to catheterize a squirming infant several times a day and all the rest of what goes along with loving these little gifts. They live right across the street from us, so even when I'm not taking care of them while Mom and Dad work they spend a lot of time here. They both love the chickens!

There is a thread on BYC just for us AND those wonderful friends who are always there to lend an ear, a cheer or give us a new perspective when we can't see past our own noses for being overwhelmed. It's made to order if you'd care to join us. It's not real active so it's not hard to keep up (thank goodness!!) and we have caregivers of kids with a little of everything as far as challenges go. There'll be a flurry of activity and then a period of quiet over there - sort of like day to day life with these amazing kids. We can listen, commiserate, and encourage! If it's too much to start at the beginning, just jump in on the end, introduce yourself, and get to know us while we get to know you!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/935165/raising-chickens-and-special-needs-kids/550

As for the raising chickens part? That's easy. Warmth, food, and water. You may lose a chick or two - most of us have at one time or another and as sad as it is the sun still comes up the next morning and the birdies still sing. I guess I have a kind of super laid back way of approaching all things chickens, although my friend @lazy gardener can tell you first hand that it wasn't always that way! I was a nervous wreck until it was pointed out to me that I was killing myself trying to overachieve. Not in so many words, of course, but I was so busy trying to be "THE best chicken mom" on the planet that the adventure got lost. Now I just give them their heating pad cave, keep an eye on them, and enjoy them!

@Blooie !

You won't believe it, but I was in Walmart last night shopping for my heating pad and my big plastic tub for the chicks when I saw this notification pop up from you! Yours was the last post I read before going to the store and there you were writing to me while I was AT the store lol! I did get my girls, and that **** chicken math already gave me a pop up quiz at the hatchery because I "threw one more in for good luck" lol. I made my own brooder last night with the heating pad and all, and I JUST got them into it and tossed down little bowls of food and water because their bowls are still out in my car lol (I'll replace those after I take a little break, I've been going all day!). I took a few pics that I'll post in a bit, but wanted to ask you - the Sunbeam heating pad I got only has three settings: low, medium and high. Right now I have it on the high setting and it doesn't seem warm enough under there to me, but I also have a space heater in my bathroom with them because my bathroom is ALWAYS cold. It's crazy toasty in there now and they're all running around checking everything out. Even the one Cream Legbar I got early this morning - who was really not moving much nor chirping much - became instantly animated as soon as I got home this afternoon with the other girls. She came running out as if to say "Thank GOD you're all here!" lol. I got the one by itself this morning because the place I got the rest of them from didn't have Cream Legbars and I REEEEEEAAAAALLLYYY wanted one. They seem to be all hitting it off just fine.

As for my 3 year old, well, you tend to forget the hard early days - that's why you end up with more kids! lol. But she is my last and most definitely the most challenging of all my kids, but she was always meant to be mine and I knew it from the second I saw her. She even had the face I'd envisioned of the baby coming to us, so my heart recognized her immediately I would love to join your group, quiet or not! I'd also love to hear more about your grand daughters! They sound like amazing little girls and if my 8 year old can manage to be half the chicken keeper your oldest is, then it will be a great success!

I'll post pics in a bit and tag you in it so you can tell me if I screwed something up! lol... <3

 

[MigraineMan]

We're new to chicks this year, and were apprehensive about making the plunge (my wife more so than me.) Don't worry - you will be fine (and so will the chicks.)

Carve out a time to do "chick maintenance" and stick to it. We do ours at the end of the day. Clean the bedding, make sure there's food and water ... that's pretty much it. Early on, you'll want to spend some time twice a day and handle the chicks - it's a social thing, and you'll want to check for pasty butt. Observe your chicks - they will let you know if something is wrong. If they're all huddled under a heat lamp, they're likely cold, etc.

I enjoy taking 15 minutes now and then to just sit and watch the chicks. There is order in the chaos. They have personalities. They grow really quick. And they will interact with you if you interact with them - definitely check out the Treats Chart page.

 

[Blooie]

So funny! Timing can be a hoot! A pad with low, med and high will work just fine as long as there is no pesky automatic shutoff after a couple of hours....if you can switch it to "stay on" mode that's great. Some pads don't shut themselves off and if yours doesn't, wonderful. Don't stress over the temp on the floor under the cave - it'll trick you into trying to get it to that magic 95 degrees and that ain't gonna happen - nor do we want it too! The one time I measured mine under there in answer to a question about it, it read 82.5 degrees in a 69 degree room. A cooler room is perfect for them - chicks stress more when they are overheated rather than having a bit of "feather producing chiily". According to the experts and the books my chicks should have been dead. Instead they were thriving, and had already been using the pad for several days with no issues. MHP works by warming the chicks directly, not by radiant heat.

Takes some getting used to but it's usually easier for first time chick owners to accept than trying to transition after several years of using lamps. They won't stay under there so don't panic. They should run around exploring and playing much of the time and just popping under to snooze and for quick warmups. The first day or so they'll likely sleep under it more than in the days to come. They'll also start sitting on top a lot too. They love that. Ideally you want them to move underneath when it starts getting dark and stay put quietly all night, so if you can cut lights in that bathroom that's perfect. Dont think you'll need the space heater but use your own judgement there. (My electrician hubby has a hissy about two heat producing appliances going at the same time, especially if there's a chance they are on the same circuit).

You sound a little more confident than you did in your first posts, and that's probably that old "dread factor's" fault - you know, where we work ourselves into such a frenzy over something that we dread it totally. Then you get the chicks and suddenly realize "Hey! They're cute and I can DO this!" You've got this!

Come over to the thread and say hello, and let us "meet" you and your kids. You can also do a search for the article "Kids with Disabilities can Enjoy Chickens Too" or something like that, to meet Katie and Kendra and get some ideas on raising special kids around chickens..... I'm on my tablet so trying to post links tends to boot me and I'm too lazy to type all this again! Teehee

 

[debid]

The pad I have is also low/med/high and it was warm enough for using out in an unheated coop in sub-freezing weather. And, they were out and about playing in that freezing cold and then going back under to warm up. You really don't need to warm the bathroom, the pad and a cold bathroom is perfect.

 

[eggfooyoung]

The pad I have is also low/med/high and it was warm enough for using out in an unheated coop in sub-freezing weather. And, they were out and about playing in that freezing cold and then going back under to warm up. You really don't need to warm the bathroom, the pad and a cold bathroom is perfect.

I actually realized that an hour or so ago and just turned off the heater Thank you!!

 

[Blooie]

So how are things at @eggfooyoung ranch this morning?