First time chicken owner!

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ruthiegirl

ruthiegirl

Hatching
May 24, 2015
5
0
9
Hi all! About 5 weeks ago my family took the plunge, found a great chicken coop on craiglist, bought six chicks at the local supply store, and built a run. They are about 8 weeks old now- and so far so good. We love having them!

I still have no idea if they are roos or hens- I am not sure how long until we know. They seem to be doing great, but my biggest concern is how much rain we have been getting in my area. It has literally rained almost every day for the past three weeks. They are always so wet and dirty on their undersides- should we be cleaning them? I also feel like I can never get the coop as clean as I want it- but again everything is so wet around here.

They seem to be eating and drinking just fine- and it is crazy how fast they grow. I am excited about this new adventure and I love there is a community to support us.
 
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We're glad you decided to join Backyard Chickens!
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Feel free to ask any questions you may have.
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You should post in the what breed or gender section of the forum: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this

Your birds should be fine if they have access to a dry place where they can get out of the wet and rain.

Enjoy your flock!
 
Hi :welcome

Glad you could join the flock! Lovely to hear you are enjoying your new chicken adventures. Yes the rain and dirt can be a real pain both for you and your chickens. Would you be able to add a roof so your run is covered and dry? I did have the same problem last year but I was able to move my runs onto a concrete/slab bed area to combat the mud. Here is a nice article on fixing a muddy run ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run
I hope it helps you a little with your problem.

You could post some pics in the what breed gender section of the forum for help with identifying your chicks ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this

Wishing you the very best of luck and enjoy BYC :frow
 
You said you wanted to know the gender? If you can give us pictures we may be able to identify the sex. What did you put down on the run! Sometimes sand is a good answer, since it's absorbs water, dries quickly, and can come of their feathers easily.And do you have a roof to the run that is weather resistant? Because that can help. Allot of problems. You also may want to put a tarp at the exposed areas where rain can come in so it doesn't make them cold, or get them wet at all. Hope this helps.

And were happy you joined the flock!:welcome
 
Last edited:
Casper101Popcor said:
You said you wanted to know the gender? If you can give us pictures we may be able to identify the sex. What did you put down on the run! Sometimes sand is a good answer, since it's absorbs water, dries quickly, and can come of their feathers easily.And do you have a roof to the run that is weather resistant? Because that can help. Allot of problems. You also may want to put a tarp at the exposed areas where rain can come in so it doesn't make them cold, or get them wet at all. Hope this helps.

And were happy you joined the flock!:welcome
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And the chicks usually will go up into the coop to be away from the dampness form the rain. Do your chicks have access to the coop during the day?
 
The coop is sturdy so they can get out of the rain. The run is partial shade so again they have some coverage. Thanks for all the ideas!
 
Hi, welcome to BYC!

Do you know what breed your chicks are? If not, the same forum that will identify their gender for you will be able to help out with the breed.

Glad you are enjoying the chicks, you're right...they do grow fast, hope you're taking lots of pictures.

It's nice to have you join us!
 
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Definitely check out the breed and gender link provided above. I'm glad you are enjoying your flock! They sure are fun to raise and amusing to watch. Sounds like they are settling in just fine. It is raining here a ton too. Super muddy everywhere
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Chickens are quite good at removing mud and such from their feathers so I wouldn't worry about cleaning their undersides.
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