Greetings from Flamborough, Ontario

[SarahS4]

Hi,
I got my first 4 hens late July. 2 Black silkies a hybrid and a White silkie Easteregg cross.
Unfortunately my 2 silkies didn't survive the winter. Both surviving hens have started producing eggs.
As spring approaches I am wondering how to expand my flock. I think hatching might be a bit above my skill level. Is it easy or hard to raise chicks from just hatched?

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC!
I find it's pretty easy to raise chicks if you have the proper tools/space.

Is your coop big enough to set up a brooder in it?

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi Sarah and welcome to BYC. Hatching is great fun and very addictive and easy Check out relevant resources in the “Articles” link below.

Here are some helpful links:

• Great go-to resource - Articles
• Insightful feedback on how members manage their flocks - Topic of the Week back-catalogue

Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[N F C]

Raising chicks is not too difficult under the right conditions. Check out some of the Articles Pork Pie has given you the link to for details. And always feel free to ask questions here:
Raising Baby Chicks

Best of luck expanding your flock!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello, Sarah, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
It's really easy to raise chicks if a hen goes broody!

 

[SarahS4]

Welcome to BYC!
I find it's pretty easy to raise chicks if you have the proper tools/space.

Is your coop big enough to set up a brooder in it?

I have a cedar Children's play house for a coop. It's difficult to get in and out of. In the spring I plan to build or buy a bigger Shed coop so I don't have to bend over and bang My head when I am inside. I'm thinking I would have to brood inside.

 

[drumstick diva]

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

 

[TwoShepherds]

Hello and welcome! I got my first set of chicks last May. It was so fun to watch them grow. I thought they were quite easy to raise, (much easier than a puppy, for instance) but that depends on one’s temperament, expectations, time, and situation perhaps. I set up the brooder in our garage (I personally wouldn’t want them in the house unless it was just a few and just for a couple days). I ordered mine through the mail, and I think for me that was the hardest part of the chick-raising process because I didn’t have any control over when they arrived and what happened to them during that time.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

So sorry for your losses. Silkies can be quite delicate and many do not do well in cold conditions. Good luck establishing a bigger flock.

 

[SarahS4]

Hi Sarah and welcome to BYC. Hatching is great fun and very addictive and easy Check out relevant resources in the “Articles” link below.

Here are some helpful links:

• Great go-to resource - Articles
• Insightful feedback on how members manage their flocks - Topic of the Week back-catalogue

Best wishes

Pork Pie

Thank you, I loved the article about brooding alongside the hens in the run or coop. The Mamma heating pad sounds safer than a heat lamp.