First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[hamlette2002]

Hi, I'm Shannon! I'm a new chicken mama, with my first tiny backyard flock of 6. I have 5 barred rocks, and 1 possibly Old English Red chicks. They're so cute, and so far very healthy and active.

 

[Jensownzoo]

That's one of my black sex links doing the catwalk in front of him They're rapidly becoming one of my favorite breeds in terms of friendliness, but her name hasn't come to me yet.

In other news, pretty sure one of my golden sexlinks (Golden Buffs) is broody?!?! The eggs (Five!) were all warm when I gathered this evening and after everyone ate, she popped herself right back in the nest-box. Nothing is fertile since they don't have a roo with them, but definitely wasn't expecting it from a GSL.

One of the BOs was doing a wing-droop, neck arch, beak dragging the ground thing two days ago. Brought her inside and whatever it was fixed itself because she went back out this evening. She's the biggest bird and so fluffy that she may have just gotten a bit overheated. Also put the New Hampshire Red that nearly got her head torn/bitten off back with the flock. Her punctured cornea seems to have healed, the wound on the top of her head looks good, but I still can't get her to eat for me. Hoping some time with the flock will help her out. Or else I'm going to have to learn how tube a bird, I suppose. I'm definitely not getting enough Nutri-drench in her by dripping it in her beak with a syringe...she's lost too much weight for comfort.

This is "Big Daddy".

Such a big handsome comb! Looks like you're going to be buried in eggs once your girls start producing with thise breeds too.

 

[Serenashome]

Hi, I'm Shannon! I'm a new chicken mama, with my first tiny backyard flock of 6. I have 5 barred rocks, and 1 possibly Old English Red chicks. They're so cute, and so far very healthy and active.

Welcome!

 

[NewChickmom2016]

Our babies hatched 6/15/16 and we brought them home 6/25. I have learned so much from BYC! The MHP is working perfectly, the chicks LOVE their fermented feed and will hopefully learn quickly how to use the horizontal water nipples (the regular waterer is coming out today!).
We have 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Black Astralorp and 2 Ameracaunas. We are hopeful they are all female.....
(The frame for the MHP is an under shelf basket that a neighbor was getting rid of- two sections were cut off and the middle folded down for stability. I covered towels in press and seal wrap- works perfect! The towel is pulled back for the first photo.)
thanks for all the excellent information on this forum!
-Jerie

 

[Jensownzoo]

Adorable little ladies you have there!

 

[dchevrier]

So im going to be starting with some chicks in a few weeks. I live in maine so was looking for some chickens that can handle a cold winter pretty well. Was thinking of getting 9 hens and 1 rooster. The breed that seemed most appealing was the australorps sorry if my spelling is off. Looks like they are good layers and pretty timid. I have 2 grand kids that i know would love to play with them so dont want to aggressive chickens. Ive got my rubbermaid tote and puppy pads. Need to get some feed a lamp and some watering and feeding containers and think ill be all set to start.

Been watching coop design videos on youtube like crazy and cant seeem to find one that i think will suit my needs. If anyone can point me in a good direction for a coop that will hold 10 chickens comfortably i would appreaciate it. Any other advice for a new grower would be helpful as well. take care

 

[mamatink7]

Is it true that chicks shouldn't be out let out and about until 12-16 weeks ?

Someone on the fan page I have for the chickens told me I shouldn't let them out of the coop so young.

I don't really agree with that. We have a completely fenced in yard and we supervise them loosely while they are out and they get about 4 hours tops throughout the day of outdoor time, and they are already really well trained to go back to their coop when I need to herd them or around 6ish when they are settling in.

It kind of irked me that this person presumed to know more but I also want to know where she's coming from and if I should be aware of something I'm doing wrong with my chickens. Insights?

no offense but that person that said that was nuts!!!! As long as chicks are fully feathered, they can be outside either coop+run or coop+free range. You know your chick's so it's ultimately your decision and you happen to be correct HAHAHA.

 

[mamatink7]

So im going to be starting with some chicks in a few weeks.  I live in maine so was looking for some chickens that can handle a cold winter pretty well.  Was thinking of getting 9 hens and 1 rooster.  The breed that seemed most appealing was the australorps sorry if my spelling is off.  Looks like they are good layers and pretty timid.  I have 2 grand kids that i know would love to play with them so dont want to aggressive chickens.  Ive got my rubbermaid tote and puppy pads.  Need to get some feed a lamp and some watering and feeding containers and think ill be all set to start.  

Been watching coop design videos on youtube like crazy and cant seeem to find one that i think will suit my needs.  If anyone can point me in a good direction for a coop that will hold 10 chickens comfortably i would appreaciate it.  Any other advice for a new grower would be helpful as well.  take care

congratulations on your decision black austrolorps are wonderful! I have 6 of them. You want to search pininterest for ideas of cold winter coops. You also want to have a coop designs for 12, as the more space the happier chickens you have. Also check out coldest weather hardy chickens will help.(keeping chickens in a harsh northern climate is a wonderful start-- austrolorps are not mentioned, wyandotte, Ameracaunas are)

 

[NewChickmom2016]

Thank you!

 

[Blooie]

So im going to be starting with some chicks in a few weeks. I live in maine so was looking for some chickens that can handle a cold winter pretty well. Was thinking of getting 9 hens and 1 rooster. The breed that seemed most appealing was the australorps sorry if my spelling is off. Looks like they are good layers and pretty timid. I have 2 grand kids that i know would love to play with them so dont want to aggressive chickens. Ive got my rubbermaid tote and puppy pads. Need to get some feed a lamp and some watering and feeding containers and think ill be all set to start.

Been watching coop design videos on youtube like crazy and cant seeem to find one that i think will suit my needs. If anyone can point me in a good direction for a coop that will hold 10 chickens comfortably i would appreaciate it. Any other advice for a new grower would be helpful as well. take care

Might I suggest, instead of a lamp, instead using a heating pad? I raise all my batches of chicks with Mama Heating Pad, even brooding them outside in the run from the start, and have been absolutely thrilled with the results. Heat lamps scare the peewadding out of me....chicks put out so much dust and dander that before you know what's happened the entire lamp is covered in a fine, grey powdery layer. <shudder> Chicks not only tolerate a lot of cooler space, they need it! With a heat lamp everything gets heated - the walls, the floor, the brooder box, the feed and water, even the air and that dust settled on top of it. It's very difficult (although certainly not impossible if the brooder is big enough) to provide that cooler space. With Mama Heating Pad, the only thing that gets warm is the chicks when they scoot directly underneath into the cave. And I love that the chicks learn from day one that nighttime is dark and for sleeping, daytime is for playing, eating, and learning to be chickens! They sleep all night, from sundown to sunup! I think it makes for calmer chicks with less feather-pecking and noise, not to mention more sensible use of chick food because they aren't eating 24/7.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors

There is a coop section tab in the upper section of the home page. And check out the Learning Center, also tabbed up there. We built a 6X8 shed style building and used cattle panels for the run. Love it...no problems at all. You can click on the My Coop link under my avatar, but there are so many other great coops and designs out there that should work very well for the number and size birds you are starting with. So the only advice I'll offer is to build as big as you can. If you're like most of us, those 9 chickens won't stay being only 9 chickens for long - you'll see a pretty chicken and think, "Oh, I need to get a couple of those..." Before you know it, 9 + just a couple of those = 20 chickens!!

I lied. I do have another piece of advice for you, Decide on a plan and start building before your chicks even get there. I didn't. I got the chicks first, long before I'd settled on a plan for a coop and started the building process. I ended up with 22 chicks in my house for 5 weeks and darn near butchered them to pass them off as Cornish Game Hens before we got the coop going and I evicted them. Some folks love having chicks in the house for weeks and weeks. I DON'T and I'll never do it again.

Good luck with your new adventure!!