Hello BackyardChickens.com!
I'm Opalescent, and just yesterday I got my very first chicks; They are all still unnamed (We're thinking some beautiful old-fashioned names like Beatrice or Ethel, Bertha, ect) but there's a Silkie (what I've always wanted), and Aracuana for my mother since she's always wanted a chicken which lays blue eggs, and a Silver Laced Wynadotte simply because they are beautiful birds and supposedly adequete egg layers.
My mother had chickens when she was little, so there is someone more experieced than myself monitoring them, but I thought it would be a good idea to join a community and just get some basic advice and check to make sure everything I'm doing should gets the chicks off to a good start.
When they arrived yesterday, we let them settle in to a 1x3 sq.ft. cage and gave them water with electrolites and medicated chick feed. The shavings are kiln-dried and the person we bought the chicks from said we shouldn't have a problem with the chicks eating the shavings.
The Aracuana was exhausted the first day, but all of them ate and drank over the course of the first hour. We simply let them be and adjust to their new home.
Today, the second day, all of them were extremely perky and cantankerous, still eating and drinking regularly with no dropping stuck to their behinds. Later in the afternoon, we placed our hand in the cage and let them eat food from it and walk over it. None seemed to be the least bit perturbed, but we didn't push them. They've already started scratching, and whenever one (usually the Wynadotte, who seems to be the bravest of the bunch) explores something, they all come running over to see it. It's really cute.
So, does everything seem alright? Is there anything you would suggest or even just some simple tips and pearls of wisdom for a first time owner? Anything is appreciated, and I'm so excited to be here and get to know some other poultry people!
I'm Opalescent, and just yesterday I got my very first chicks; They are all still unnamed (We're thinking some beautiful old-fashioned names like Beatrice or Ethel, Bertha, ect) but there's a Silkie (what I've always wanted), and Aracuana for my mother since she's always wanted a chicken which lays blue eggs, and a Silver Laced Wynadotte simply because they are beautiful birds and supposedly adequete egg layers.
My mother had chickens when she was little, so there is someone more experieced than myself monitoring them, but I thought it would be a good idea to join a community and just get some basic advice and check to make sure everything I'm doing should gets the chicks off to a good start.
When they arrived yesterday, we let them settle in to a 1x3 sq.ft. cage and gave them water with electrolites and medicated chick feed. The shavings are kiln-dried and the person we bought the chicks from said we shouldn't have a problem with the chicks eating the shavings.
The Aracuana was exhausted the first day, but all of them ate and drank over the course of the first hour. We simply let them be and adjust to their new home.
Today, the second day, all of them were extremely perky and cantankerous, still eating and drinking regularly with no dropping stuck to their behinds. Later in the afternoon, we placed our hand in the cage and let them eat food from it and walk over it. None seemed to be the least bit perturbed, but we didn't push them. They've already started scratching, and whenever one (usually the Wynadotte, who seems to be the bravest of the bunch) explores something, they all come running over to see it. It's really cute.
So, does everything seem alright? Is there anything you would suggest or even just some simple tips and pearls of wisdom for a first time owner? Anything is appreciated, and I'm so excited to be here and get to know some other poultry people!
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