First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

Hi all, I'm new here! *waves* We picked up our fluffers on Friday night and we've been having a blast. We have 5 chicks: two Comet/RIR mix, two Barred Rock, and one Araucana. They're all really sweet and friendly and I can already telling they're growing. I was pretty freaked out by having a heat lamp in the house, so they're living upstairs on a balcony over the livingroom (warmest place in the house) and are perfectly warm with a red 90w flood lamp. This afternoon I placed an Amazon order to stock up my chicken first aid kit.

We've been outside the past two days and they love it. They've also already learned to come when called (aka when they hear me shake the treat container), so they have some supervised free ranging to look forward to in a few months.

What would a chick post be without photos?


Clockwise from bottom left: Magic Heart, Bird Person, Dave, Spaceship, and Cheeseburger


Nap time!




More napping


Looking forward to being on this crazy journey with y'all! (I already see how this can be addicting...)
 
New to chickens! We started with 6 but have lost 2. I'm concerned now I may lose more. The others were healthy in the am and dead by bedtime. I'm feeding medicated food but still concerned they could have Cocci. They are two and three weeks old now.
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Noticed one of my Silkie chick's heads looked different this evening. Is this normal, or has this one been pecked? They seem to get along fine. They're growing so fast!
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We have 5 Silkies & 1 Barred Rock. They're about 4-5 weeks old. I've spent lots of time with them since we got them (just 1 or 2 days old) I make a clicking/clucking sound every time I feed them & talk to them. I also give them plain yogurt & chopped, hard-boiled eggs, which they go crazy for. I put my hand up to them with feed or egg on it, & the BR & 2 of the Silkies will eat out of my hand. The BR is actually the tamest. I pick them up gently, without grabbing. They aren't crazy about it, but are getting better. Just moving along slowly & they do recognize me. It's cute! It's been so fun watching them grow & change!
Is anyone else having issues with their chicks not warming up to them? Mine seem to go back and forth and one will be more skiddish than the other one week. Then the next week the other one is the skiddish one. Lol
 
Hi all! I'm so excited to be raising chickens! Our friends incubated eggs from their flock and offered some chicks to us. Not having a lot of space we only took 3: 2 buff orpingtons and 1 barred rock/buff orpington mix. They hatched Easter weekend, so they're about 3 weeks old now. We named them Egglantine, Henrietta, and Annie Yolkley, but Annie is going to have to change her name. It's become pretty clear that one of the orpingtons is a rooster, which we're a little bummed about because we won't be keeping him, even though he is the most docile and calm one.
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We have 5 Silkies & 1 Barred Rock. They're about 4-5 weeks old. I've spent lots of time with them since we got them (just 1 or 2 days old) I make a clicking/clucking sound every time I feed them & talk to them. I also give them plain yogurt & chopped, hard-boiled eggs, which they go crazy for. I put my hand up to them with feed or egg on it, & the BR & 2 of the Silkies will eat out of my hand. The BR is actually the tamest. I pick them up gently, without grabbing. They aren't crazy about it, but are getting better. Just moving along slowly & they do recognize me. It's cute! It's been so fun watching them grow & change!


I'm kind of glad to see that I'm not the only one who has Silkies that are a bit less tame than another breed. Our BOs were so much more interested in attention at the age the Silkies are. It's hard to believe they're one of the more....attentive breeds lol. They're so frisky.
 
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Ok so I'm almost feeling like I doomed myself as a first time mom for "wanting all the pretties" and getting a super mixed flock. It is nearly impossible to compare anything (feathering, combs, coloring etc) because all of my babies are different I only have a couple doubles. But went out to take care of them after I woke up today and my favorite one (I know everyone says that) has pink wattles at 3 weeks, appeared overnight
1f629.png
... I've had my suspicions but I wasn't for sure. He's my only Cochin and now he must go
1f615.png
I'll give him more time to be certain but dang it isn't that just the luck.
 
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Ok so I'm almost feeling like I doomed myself as a first time mom for "wanting all the pretties" and getting a super mixed flock. It is nearly impossible to compare anything (feathering, combs, coloring etc) because all of my babies are different I only have a couple doubles. But went out to take care of them after I woke up today and my favorite one (I know everyone says that) has pink wattles at 3 weeks, appeared overnight
1f629.png
... I've had my suspicions but I wasn't for sure. He's my only Cochin and now he must go
1f615.png
I'll give him more time to be certain but dang it isn't that just the luck.

Feeling the same way, I fear my favorite, my EE (Marshmallow) is a roo.
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