First time parents (to chicks), and first time posting on here. We just got our first batch of babies last week -- 2 RIRs, 2 Plymouth Rocks, 2 Golden Lace Wyandottes (because the Silvers didn't come in), and 6 Buff Orphingtons (1 didn't make it through the first night).I thought we were going to start small with maybe 6 total chicks, but they were just so doggone cute -- and I still didn't get my Silver Lace Wyandottes, which I wanted the most. Well, today we found out that a whole bunch of the Silver Laces came in at our feed store and we now have 4 more babies!! Then my husband ordered 6 Jersey Giants (for meat) and told me not to get attached to them. Ok to get attached to the others. Now all we have to do is get the coop built!! We have the babies in a big tub that is for watering cattle, I think. I read that its ok to feed babies organic yellow corn meal, so we bought some, and mixed it in with their food and put it in the food processor and the babies went crazy over it. Hope that's ok to do. The week old ones are starting to get little tail feathers and its amazing how much they have grown. Didn't realize until we put the new babies in with them. Watched to be sure everyone would get along, so far, so good. We have read and looked and done all we know to do to see what kind of coop we want to build. It's been a toss up between stationery or mobile. I think we are going to do a stationery coop with a mobile playpen that can be attached. There are lots of varmits around, so we have to secure the girls real good. Lots to do pretty quickly, but so far, loving these babies!!!
