First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[Jensownzoo]

One of my 6 week olds clucked instead of chirping/peeping yesterday for the first time! Babies grow up so fast!

I keep waiting for one to crow. I figure with 21 chicks (that are supposed to all be pullets) and a 95% accuracy on sexing, there has to be at least one roo...

 

[easterpenguin08]

I'm a newbie to all this chicken stuff and my family where talking about getting chickens. How many chicks should I get and how old? And how long do they half to stay in the brooder if they were a day old? And what type should I get

 

[Jensownzoo]

I'm a newbie to all this chicken stuff and my family where talking about getting chickens. How many chicks should I get and how old? And how long do they half to stay in the brooder if they were a day old? And what type should I get

Why don't you tell us a bit more about your needs, goals, and capabilities in terms of chickens first?
Do you want them for eggs? Meat? Pets?
How big is or will be your coop and run?
What kind of climate do you have?
Etc. and so forth...

 

[montanaskd]

Well that was quite an experience. 2 days, 3 dead chicks. Researching the endless possibilities of what went wrong. My strongest one just died.

 

[realsis]

I'm a newbie to all this chicken stuff and my family where talking about getting chickens. How many chicks should I get and how old? And how long do they half to stay in the brooder if they were a day old? And what type should I get

all those things are up to YOU and what YOU want. I do suggest 4 or 5 females for a good little flock. if your looking for Eggs you might consider a good production breed that gives nice large eggs and is friendly and docile in personality. Such as The Barred plymouth Rock "Barred Rock" they give large brown eggs are great layers and docile personalities. They are quite beautiful too. If your not looking for eggs and want small pet chickens Silkies are great. I suggest you go to a hatchery website like Meyers that has pictures of birds and there personalities, types of eggs, and personal reviews of each breed to get a idea of what you want. Meyers website has each breed traits, and reviews you can access easily. Don't just read one review read SEVERAL this way you can get a better picture of each breed. Also you can see what the bird looks like and decide what your interested In from there. you can also see prices and get a more whole idea of exactly what breed suits you. Hope this helps. best wishes I suggest Meyers hatchery because they have LOTS of different breeds and actual pictures of each breed.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Well that was quite an experience. 2 days, 3 dead chicks. Researching the endless possibilities of what went wrong. My strongest one just died.

I am so sorry.

I am thinking that the length of the journey + only three chicks likely resulted in them getting chilled. It is just very hard to recover from that when you arevso small and newly hatched.

 

[montanaskd]

I am so sorry.

I am thinking that the length of the journey + only three chicks likely resulted in them getting chilled. It is just very hard to recover from that when you arevso small and newly hatched.

Thank you. I've thought about giving up after this wretched experience. But our coop is almost built. It has made me question everything that I did. I have read and studied for 2 months. I built a brooder out of a plastic tub knowing it would eventually become too small and then I would move them to a bigger one out in the garage. I have a cat and 2 dogs do I had to protect them. I had the brooder floor on one side at exactly 95 degrees. They were acting lethargic and not running around so I brought it down to 90 on my friend's advice. One part of me thinks there was probably nothing I could do, and one part of me is questioning everything I did. I'm even wondering if it was the save-a-chick electrolytes.

I'm going to never buy chicks in the mail again. I'm going to wait until they get some in the store. I think I'm going to go buy one of those cardboard brooder set ups and start them off in my garage next time,

 

[easterpenguin08]

Alrighty then thx for the help

 

[Jensownzoo]

I'm going to never buy chicks in the mail again. I'm going to wait until they get some in the store. I think I'm going to go buy one of those cardboard brooder set ups and start them off in my garage next time,

I hear you. I've got geese and keets on order from Cackle for sometime this summer, but I'm driving to pick them up instead of taking the chance with the USPS. Another option for you is to search out the Montana state thread on the site and find a local breeder. Find one with a good rep and you're bound to get better quality birds from them than you ever could with a large hatchery.

 

[kana9]

Thank you. I've thought about giving up after this wretched experience. But our coop is almost built. It has made me question everything that I did. I have read and studied for 2 months. I built a brooder out of a plastic tub knowing it would eventually become too small and then I would move them to a bigger one out in the garage. I have a cat and 2 dogs do I had to protect them. I had the brooder floor on one side at exactly 95 degrees. They were acting lethargic and not running around so I brought it down to 90 on my friend's advice. One part of me thinks there was probably nothing I could do, and one part of me is questioning everything I did. I'm even wondering if it was the save-a-chick electrolytes.

I'm going to never buy chicks in the mail again. I'm going to wait until they get some in the store. I think I'm going to go buy one of those cardboard brooder set ups and start them off in my garage next time,

I am so sorry for your loss. It is heartbreaking when you have done so much research and do not know what went wrong. I am glad you are going to try again with chicks from a farm store or a breeder. When you are choosing chicks, you can always request them to give you ones that are eating at the store. That way you are at least making sure you got a healthy one. Also, the employees at my local farm store will also check the chicks for pasty butt before putting them in the box for you to take home. Even then, I still ended up with two with pasty butt a couple of days later, so keep checking for that. I think mine got slightly chilled on the way home even though it was just a 30 minute drive. There are some suggestions on another thread here on how to keep the chicks warm on the drive home.

Also, you may be able to special order from your farm store to get the breeds you want. They do require a 5 chick minimum, though, so if you can only have 3 that may not work (unless you can share the order with a friend). They will then be shipped with all the other chicks to that store, making chilling less of an issue. My farm store had Speckled Sussex chicks last year. I love their personality so if you can find them I think you will like that breed. Good luck!