First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[captivatedlife]

@collie1470 what so the zip ties denote? Am I missing some great scheme to take care of new chicks?! Cute babies BTW!

 

[Jensownzoo]

@collie1470 what so the zip ties denote? Am I missing some great scheme to take care of new chicks?! Cute babies BTW!

They're basically cheap and easy leg bands so you can tell individuals apart. You just have to watch them while the chicks grow and change them out if they get too snug.

 

[Jensownzoo]

I have 6 two week old Australorps. One of them has a single feather sticking out. Has anyone else seen this.

If you mean that just one feather that doesn't lie smooth against the body, then yep. It's common and may resolve with molt.

If you mean that the chick has only one feather to it's name...well, that may just be an age thing or someone could be picking on him/her.

 

[Jens Hen House]

We got our babies today and I'm so nervous to let them stay in the garage all night alone! I know they are well protected but I still worry the light may fall, somehow the cat will get them or just something bad. Please tell me I'm not crazy.

Also how well do they sleep with the light on all night? Our garage is pretty warm, 85ish as of now, we are supposed to have a cool front come in tonight. Do I need to have a light on all the time or just when the temps drop??

 

[Jensownzoo]

My daughters and I are excited to pick up our first ever chicks Wednesday. One red sex link, one Easter egger, one silver laced Wyandotte, and a copper Maran. The plan was to be able to tell the difference between all the eggs laid. We will be using a Pendulum to pick out our chicks for the clutches to determine if they are hens or roosters. Does anyone know at what age u know if they are a Roo or hen?

Depends on the breed. The sex-link? At hatch. The others yoi have a good chance od telling by 8 weeks old or so, possibly sooner. Some breeds are notoriously difficult to sex (e.g. Silkies) and you mostly tell when they either crow or lay an egg!

 

[andrea2chicken]

We got our babies today and I'm so nervous to let them stay in the garage all night alone! I know they are well protected but I still worry the light may fall, somehow the cat will get them or just something bad. Please tell me I'm not crazy.

Also how well do they sleep with the light on all night? Our garage is pretty warm, 85ish as of now, we are supposed to have a cool front come in tonight. Do I need to have a light on all the time or just when the temps drop??

Your not crazy mine are 5 to 6 weeks now and I still have em in the house. By this weekend they will be heading out to their coop. Granted I can see it from my bedroom windows it still not going to be a easy transaction for me. I may just sleep with em out there. Til they know the routine for sure. Yeah I am over protective but they are not just my food producers they are my babies. As for the light I keep mine on all the time for the first week. Making sure it is not too hot or cold and they have an are in which they can. Move to to cool off

 

[Jensownzoo]

Well free-ranging the 14-week-olds went a little better yesterday. They had half a day out and since I was able to stay until sunset, I was able to distract the goats with a treat, put a scoop of fermented feed in their pen, and called 15 of them in voluntarily. Only had to run around and catch 5, which is a vast improvement! So, the lesson is that until I get the coop/run finished, no free-ranging unless I can stay until they are thinking about finding a roost for the night. Unless I need the exercise, I guess!

 

[Ainee]

We got our babies today and I'm so nervous to let them stay in the garage all night alone! I know they are well protected but I still worry the light may fall, somehow the cat will get them or just something bad. Please tell me I'm not crazy.

Also how well do they sleep with the light on all night? Our garage is pretty warm, 85ish as of now, we are supposed to have a cool front come in tonight. Do I need to have a light on all the time or just when the temps drop??

There's a thread about "Mama's Heating Pad" on the BYC site, and also mentioned earlier in this thread I believe. It describes how to warm the babies with a heating pad instead of a lamp. So no fear of the lamp dropping, and it's dark during night hours. I don't have my chicks yet, so I haven't experienced it yet, but many people seem to like it. Until I get my own I sure am enjoying everyone's pictures and tales!

 

[WendyLB]

I have been lurking for awhile so I figured it was time to introduce myself. We got our baby chicks about 2 weeks ago from Rural King, a local feed store, and so far they are all doing well. We have 2 Americaunas, 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 2 Rhode Island Reds, and 2 Buff Orpingtons. This is our first experience raising chickens and I am most worried about one or more of them turning out to be roosters. In Indianapolis you can only have one Rooster and I am very worried about our neighbor who always complains about our dogs. I can only imagine how he would react to a rooster crowing.

I love this site and spend all my idle time here learning as much as I can about raising my babies.

Wendy

 

[MiniIndyRanch]

I have been lurking for awhile so I figured it was time to introduce myself. We got our baby chicks about 2 weeks ago from Rural King, a local feed store, and so far they are all doing well. We have 2 Americaunas, 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 2 Rhode Island Reds, and 2 Buff Orpingtons. This is our first experience raising chickens and I am most worried about one or more of them turning out to be roosters. In Indianapolis you can only have one Rooster and I am very worried about our neighbor who always complains about our dogs. I can only imagine how he would react to a rooster crowing.

I love this site and spend all my idle time here learning as much as I can about raising my babies.

Wendy

The one rooster rule here is what keeps me from buying another chick or two each time I stop into Rural King! I chose to order through a hatchery to increase my chances of no males in my flock! There is a neighbor down the road from me that has a rooster and I can't imagine the residents of the subdivision behind us being too thrilled with another rooster in the area.