First time Chick Owner

[Amanda15]

I just ordered 5 chicks on My Pet chicken, and I don't really know what to expect. The breeds that I'm getting are One Salmon Faverolle, one Buff Orpington, one Blue Cochin, and two Silkies. They're coming the week of April 15, so I have a lot of time, but I want to be prepared when they come. What will they be like on the first day? I know that they will be tired but will they be moving around at all? My mom was kind of being mean, and she said that they're all gonna die from diseases, but they're getting vaccinated for Mareks. Will they most likely all survive? Also, I hope the breeds that I chose can all get along. I read that Salmon Faverolles are bullied easily, but do you think that they'll be fine with the other breeds that I chose? Thanks!

 

[Brechin]

All of the breeds you ave chosen are friendly with people and have a generally good temperament with each other. You wont see any squabbles to establish pecking order for many months so I wouldn't worry about that too much. Besides, growing up in the same brooder together should help them to establish bonds with each other.

As far as them dying from diseases, I would personally start by ignoring mean spirited comments. Then I would make sure that I have the proper brooding equipment.

Feeders/Waterers- your waterer needs to hold enough for all of the chicks and will keep them from falling in a drowning. The feeder needs to keep the chicks from jumping in and pooping all over it. Usually the little plastic 1 quart feeder/ waterers are great for your first time around. Just steer clear of things like dog dishes. Chicks can fall in and drown, poop in the food/water, or knock it over and get trapped underneath.

Bedding- pine shavings work great as you can put in 1-2 inches and skim off the top layer of droppings every day. Never use cedar as this can cause sickness and death in small animals. And steer clear of slippery surfaces, such as newspaper, as this can cause spraddle leg.

Heat source- make sure your heat lamp is at least 100 watts. They are easy to obtain at Petco or Petsmart in the reptile section. I use Flukers brand light fixtures, they have a dimmable fixture. Make sure you buy the red heat bulb, also in the reptile section. If your chicks are clumped under the light, they are too cold. If they are all clumped as far away from the light as possible, they are probably too hot. Your chicks should be exploring the whole brooder, eating, drinking, and napping occasionally!

Chicks being shipped- CALL YOUR POST OFFICE! It is very important to call your post office at least a week before your chicks are shipped to let them know they will be there soon. Also, call the day your chicks are supposed to arrive. My *very first* chick shipment arrived and ended up staying over night because the phone number on the box was one number off. I called the week before but assumed that everything was OK even though I had not received a call the day of delivery. They ended up bringing them to me the next day but they were nearly dead. I lost all but 1 out of the 5 that I had ordered. I should have called the day of to check on the delivery status of the chicks.

I am sure there are lots more questions you have and I am sure you can find lots of help and answers on this forum and in books. I suggest "Keeping Chickens with Ashley English" as a good book to start. Ashley gives great practical advice for first time chicken owners and even a whole plan for building a chicken tractor and nest boxes. I found, and still find, this book to be both a pleasant and helpful read.

I hope this helps and feel free to ask away! Don't let the forum labels fool you (mine currently says "New Egg" as some of us have done this for years and have only become members recently)

Happy Chickens!

 

[Brechin]

OH YEAH! And remember not to spray chemicals or use harsh cleaners near your chicks, in their brooder, or on your equipment (someone sprayed Ortho Home Defense bug spray inthe garage where I kept some chicks, killed all but 2 before I realized what was going on). Keep the feed in a sealed container so it wont become contaminated and harm your chicks.

Happy endings are possible! Just do lots do lots of research, ask lots of questions, and make a list of important things to remember until you get the hand of raising chicks.

Soon you will be a pro!

 

[Amanda15]

Thank you so much! All of the information that you gave me was very helpful

 

[Brechin]

No problem! Anytime

 

[Hillschicks]

As for what will they be like when they arrive... Adorable... Lots of peeping... And just standing around peeping some more... They'll walk, eat and drink (not that they need to, but they will be capable) ... Welcome to chickening, you'll have alot more questions lol

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

 

[kdwag]

I read and read and read everything I could including the posts on this site. Just about anything you need to know will be answered by someone here. Welcome to chickens. I LOVE mine.

 

[Amanda15]

Thank you