happy new chicken owner!

[cyndirdh]

hi guys! i have been obsessively searching this website for months and now am a proud owner of 4 partridge rocks!! so, i told my boys we would have to build a coop before i would order chicks...ok, i shouldn't have let them come to the co-op with me, ughh. thankfully, my coop will be done this weekend or next and the chicks are only 2 weeks old YIPEEE

originally, i was going to order specific "friendly" birds from a recommended breeder but the boys just HAD to have chicks when they saw the cute little things cheeping in the box...the guy at the co-op was extremely laid back when i asked him for advice as we were buying the chicks and supplies, hmmmm. fortunately, the girls are doing really well, a little pasty butt in the beginning, they don't like us very much we hold them every day but they don't seem to be warming up..they only like us when we have a bug haha.

i guess i am blabbering on because i'm curious if getting chicks from the co-op is an ok thing to do?? the girls seem pretty healthy so far. also, i am wondering if the girls will become more friendly as they grow? or will they always run from us unless we have treats? it won't be the end of the world if they never like us, they are really entertaining just to watch. we bought them for the eggs and learning experience anyway.

oh yeah, one more question. we live in a neighborhood, most animals are well kept in their yards but i am wondering if i need to worry about an occasional cat that roams the neighborhood, will she try and kill my birds during the day while they free range in the backyard?

 

[lightchick]

I've never heard of buying chicks from a co-op but they will be fine around cats.
Most chickens (when full grown) can stand up to a cat. Just watch out for: dogs, foxes, raccoons, hawks, etc.

 

[cyndirdh]

so do you think it's safe to free range during the day? i have never seen anything in my neighborhood other than a possum or cat at night, but nothing has ever been in my backyard.

 

[lightchick]

Opossums are dangerous too. Your chickens should be fine if you keep an eye on them and lock them in the coop at night.

 

[BrendaJ]

You will need to watch for birds of prey as well. There are lots of predators. sometimes you dont realize whats in your area until you get chickens. Enjoy your new chicks

 

[cyndirdh]

so true brendaj! i let my little girls play outside while i worked on the coop and i saw two hawks, yikes!! thankfully i have a trusty and loyal terrior with little dog syndrome who alerts me of any susupicious activity in or around our backyard haha!

 

[jetdog]

so true brendaj! i let my little girls play outside while i worked on the coop and i saw two hawks, yikes!! thankfully i have a trusty and loyal terrior with little dog syndrome who alerts me of any susupicious activity in or around our backyard haha!

Buy a game camera and put it in your yard, you might be surprised what's coming around your yard at night, I have mine pointed at the coop and have got pictures of deer, dogs and a fox,I have never seen anything during the day.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

If you want to keep your chickies alive do not expose them to cats until they are at least fully feathered, halfway grown or much bigger than the birds cats routinely eat.

 

[lazy gardener]

When I got my chicks last spring, the cats would still try to catch them when they were full grown. It took a while. Every time the cats came near, I'd grab a chicken, and chase the cat with it, so the cat saw the chicken coming down over his head. Eventually, they got to the point where the chickens would investigate the cats, and try to peck at their tails. After that, it was a truce.

Even in the housing developments, there are wild and not so wild animals that lurk around both night and day, and everybody loves chicken. Fences are not necessarily a deterrent to a determined predator. You'll have to choose the management style, with risks included that you are most comfortable with. One thing to remember, is that chicken wire will keep a chicken in, but will not keep a predator out. Enjoy your chickies.

 

[lazy gardener]

When I got my chicks last spring, the cats would still try to catch them when they were full grown. It took a while. Every time the cats came near, I'd grab a chicken, and chase the cat with it, so the cat saw the chicken coming down over his head. Eventually, they got to the point where the chickens would investigate the cats, and try to peck at their tails. After that, it was a truce.

Even in the housing developments, there are wild and not so wild animals that lurk around both night and day, and everybody loves chicken. Fences are not necessarily a deterrent to a determined predator. You'll have to choose the management style, with risks included that you are most comfortable with. One thing to remember, is that chicken wire will keep a chicken in, but will not keep a predator out. Enjoy your chickies.

BTW, you have chosen a wonderful breed in terms of the birds being well cammoflaged to provide visual protection from predators.