Getting chicks in two weeks!

[PigepenChicken]

i am a life long city dweller. Or was until 5 years ago. I dreamed of having chickens, but until recently I was too scared to try! Now I’ve committed myself to taking two chicks in a couple of weeks. I’m going to turn an old food bin into a coop. Somehow! And find something to make nest boxes out of. And a roosting spot. Anything else I should know about? Please share your knowledge. I already love them and I haven’t even seen them. I don’t want to do or not do something that may harm them.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC, and good luck with your chicks. Get your permanent coop completed. They will rapidly outgrow whatever you brood them in.

 

[Jay E.]

Welcome to BYC. Enjoy them. Check out the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, and not a lot of scraps if you want them laying.

 

[PigepenChicken]

Welcome to BYC, and good luck with your chicks. Get your permanent coop completed. They will rapidly outgrow whatever you brood them in.

You’ve already lost me. Brood? After they are hatched they can’t just go into the coop?

 

[Plip]

Welcome to BYC! Great to have you here!

When chicks are newly hatched, they need to be kept warm and protected (that's brooding). The first week, you keep them at 95 degrees f, and you reduce the heat by five degrees each week. They can go in the coop when they are fully feathered (maybe six weeks or so), although I'm not usually in a hurry to move them out there (and usually wait a bit longer).

 

[MrsMistyReal]

Welcome aboard to BYC family gr8 people tons of information loads of fun enjoy shake your tail feathers

 

[PigepenChicken]

Welcome to BYC! Great to have you here!

When chicks are newly hatched, they need to be kept warm and protected (that's brooding). The first week, you keep them at 95 degrees f, and you reduce the heat by five degrees each week. They can go in the coop when they are fully feathered (maybe six weeks or so), although I'm not usually in a hurry to move them out there (and usually wait a bit longer).

I just looked it up! Thanks so much. I’ll get something set up.

 

[BlueHenDel]

i am a life long city dweller. Or was until 5 years ago. I dreamed of having chickens, but until recently I was too scared to try! Now I’ve committed myself to taking two chicks in a couple of weeks. I’m going to turn an old food bin into a coop. Somehow! And find something to make nest boxes out of. And a roosting spot. Anything else I should know about? Please share your knowledge. I already love them and I haven’t even seen them. I don’t want to do or not do something that may harm them.

Good for you! You'll find tons of info here! Welcome!

Del

 

[Pork Pie]

Hello and welcome to BYC

Here’s a good link where you’ll find lots of information on almost every aspect of keeping chickens - from coop building ideas, to incubating eggs - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/


There’s a link on the page above to the Learning Centre - it’s a great resource. If you have a specific topic in mind, just type it in the search box - there's a wealth of information on past and present threads.


Each week, various topics are discussed, which can also be a great resource - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive


You can use this link to contact members in your area - Find Your State Thread


Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[Kiki]

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