Having an "oh my gosh what was I thinking" moment

[kristaschics15]

Oh the dogs!! One of mine will just sit and sniff the chicks and the other one wants nothing to do with them! Lol

They will calm down but that doesn't mean you can EVER trust them. If the barking, or worse digging, becomes unbearable a super soaker is an effective deterrent (course I would never use one in cold weather).  I have six dogs and only trust one (the biggest and meanest....but also a livestock guardian).

Be careful about the coop especially if you have smart dogs. My elderly aussie figured out how to open the latch so he could get the chicken food, unfortunately another one of mine followed him in and he only cares about grabbing/killing chickens.  I now have 3 latches on it.

My dog will never be trusted with them. He's a lab and has a very high birding instinct. My neighbor wants to try him hunting this year because of it. I've been trying to introduce them to him but he's still obsessed. He put ones head in his mouth while I was holding her and as soon as I said no he turned loose. She just shook her head like "what was that???" So I'm super careful about it. I don't think he'll be the smart kind to get in the coop but he will drive me nuts with it for a while.

Talking it out in this thread has really been a sanity saver. I appreciate yall so much.

The chicks (5 weeks old) are sleeping in the very secure brooder on my back porch within my fenced in yard tonight.

 

[Oliver Douglas]

I guess we have been lucky to date. Bought four chicks March 17th, had to deal with pasty butt on three of them (they didn't care much for the warm water butt bath), but now are eight weeks old and the picture of health. Being retired, I was able to spend more time getting things together, already had a coop built before we took possession of the chicks. Finished up a tractor this week with my son's help, twelve feet by four feet, and are introducing them to the reality of outside life. Wife has been supportive (considering each bird has cost us $102 each at this point) and we figure the eggs from the Cuckoo Marans will be an interesting novelty to our neighbors.

 

[shodack]

I tried to get my step-dad to split a chick order with me, since he's planning on retiring this summer, but he's not quite ready for the commitment. Maybe next year

 

[donnajherren]

I'd be going nuts if we still had our babies in the house, too! The dust, oy. We got 15 chicks (9 from a breeder, and 6 from the feed store) but lost one little guy the first night. So we have 14. I figured I'd keep them in the house until they were a few weeks old, then brood them in the barn. Ha, no. LOL After three days, we set up the brooders in the barn.

Our two sets are 3 & 4 weeks old now, respectively, and I haven't been this exhausted since my second child (who NEVER slept) was born. But I can also tell that it's getting easier. So hang in there!

 

[kristaschics15]

Got the chicks moved out to the coop and they seem so much happier. I know I'm happier and it's only been a couple of days! I still have a lot of work to do on it but it's safe and liveable for them now.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Got the chicks moved out to the coop and they seem so much happier. I know I'm happier and it's only been a couple of days! I still have a lot of work to do on it but it's safe and liveable for them now.

What a great update - I am so glad that you are all feeling a bit more relaxed now.

 

[shodack]

I got mine out to the coop a couple days ago. They, and I, have been loving it. I had to bring them in tonight because temp is supposed to drop down to 30 and my husband is paranoid about putting the heat lamp in the coop, and they are so upset. They've already broken out of the brooder twice to roost. haha They only need to be in for one night, and then back out tomorrow morning.

 

[nordicacres]

Yeah! It does get easier. They need much less attention when they get older My oldest chicks are now 10 weeks old. In the morning I get up, let them out of the coop for the day, check food/water and refill as needed, check in with them whenever I happen to be outside, and then close up the coop at night. Super easy!

 

[kristaschics15]

They have been doing great. I have had to put them in the coop at night and they are slow coming out in the morning. I'm out of town this weekend and my friend is checking in on them for me so they won't get locked in the coop but once I get back home I will go back to putting them up every night.