First Time Chicken Mama

[firsttimechickenmamainRI]

Hi all! I'm brand new to raising chickens after my husband talked me into it after 3 years of discussion!! We brought home 12 chickens (couldn't buy less!) but living on a half acre lot, we're planning to raise only 6 of them (only allowed 6 max per acre).

1 died after a week. Chippy, RIP, didn't eat much and seemed to have respiratory problems from the get go. But at about 4 weeks, we have 11 healthy girls. We had to scramble to find a back up plan for the 5 who won't stay with us when our first person who offered, backed down.

We think we have a few of each of these breeds: Buff Orpington, Red Cross (RI Red crossed with something?), Plymouth Rock, and Isa Brown. The reds and Orpingtons are bold, the rocks are skittish, and the isa's are quiet and gentle. I'm getting to enjoy them way more than I thought I would!

I love the chicks but honestly can't wait to get them out of the brooder in the basement and out into the coop. The poop factor alone is more than I can bear in my home!!! This terrible chilly and rainy weather is not helping though. We got a coop to assemble (not enough time to build one from scratch) and are hoping to get it together this weekend.

Question: Can I put the 4-5 week old chicks in the coop if I put the heat lamp out there with them? Our brooder boxes are getting crowded and the basement smells like a barn, but the temperatures have been about 45-55 and don't look like they're warming up anytime soon.

Thanks for any guidance... I'm so very green in this adventure and would love any suggestions!!!

 

[Leahs Coop]

Hello, and a warm welcome to Backyard Chickens! It's great to have you here with us! I'm so sorry to hear about your loss! It's so sad loosing one

There are a lot of helpful members so hopefully they'll answer your question soon!

 

[Wezdin]

Welcome to BYC! yes they will be good in the coop with a heat lamp i know how it is with currently having 9 in my garage! If you want some confirmation on breeds feel free to post here and we will give it our best shot!

 

[Meatpies]

Wish you luck with your chicks!!!

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens, the pulse beat of the chicken community.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
May I ask how large your coop is? I know you said you didn't have time to build one but those pre-fabs are always severely overrated for the number of birds they can hold.
You may want to consider a shed to coop conversion if it isn't too late.
Your chicks can go outside now with a heat source if they are not fully feathered. Heck, my 4 and 11 day old chicks are in the coop right now snoozing under their brooder plate!

 

[BlueBaby]

Hello, and welcome! Glad that you joined! Good luck with your chick's!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. They'll be fine outside with a well secured/safe heat source.

 

[CarpCharacin]

Welcome to BYC! We're glad you decided to join our wonderful community!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi and welcome to the Insanity! Uh, oops, I meant welcome to the COMMUNITY! Yeah, that's right. You are henbarking on a rich adventure that will bring you much joy and pay many dividhens! You will discover what eggs are meant to taste and look like! You will carry on intelligent conversations with jungle fowl and their keepers. You will learn an entire new concept, not carried in any school curriculum, called " chicken math." Like an alcoholic you will discover that one is too many, and too many are not enough. You will covet breeds you never imagined existed. Blue and lavender, silver and gold and black, frizzled and curly await your inspection. Meat birds or egg production, what's your pleasure? What about feather patterns? We got laced birds and penciled ones, beauty to steal your breath away. And eggs! You can get white eggs , or eggs in shades of blue to green or olive. Or brown eggs from lightest pink to dark chocolate! Birds range in size from tiny Bantams to Jersey Giants. Fun to pick your flock! There is no end to the Joy of Chickening!