Hello everyone! New member. First time raising baby chicks. So I got four babies yesterday. I wanted them for pets for myself and my two grand kids.

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Leelynns0624

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Apr 12, 2023
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Hello everyone! First time raising baby chicks. I got 2 Barr rock and 2 ISA Brown. I got them as pets for myself, but my grand kids age 5 and 6 say they are theirs.and even named them. Looking forward to an adventure learning to raising these babies with them.
 

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Leelynns0624 said:
Hello everyone! First time raising baby chicks. I got 2 Barr rock and 2 ISA Brown. I got them as pets for myself, but my grand kids age 5 and 6 say they are theirs.and even named them. Looking forward to an adventure learning to raising these babies with them.
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Welcome to BYC!!
 
Glad to meet you, LeeLynns, and welcome to BYC. I hope you and your grandchildren enjoy those birds! I presume you know that everybody handling poultry needs to wash their hands afterwards (and once the birds are out in an outdoor coop and run, change shoes before trotting into the house or wider world!).

Also, if your little flock turns out to have a rooster (less likely with the breeds you picked), keep your grandkids away from the chicken yard once the rooster hits puberty (starts to crow). Roosters are all about protecting their ladies, and once they grow up, they take it very seriously. The sweet, friendly chick of yesterday can become a terrifying attacker if a child runs or romps through the flock. And roosters can reach the face and eyes of a 5 or 6 year old. Teach your grandkids to handle the chicks carefully now, and to be quiet and respectful around the flock, and make sure all their memories of chickens are going to be happy ones!

Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. All articles are short, have illustrations, and reviews, which are often worth looking at for the comments.

1. Intro to chicken keeping

2. Common mistakes & how to fix them

3. Ventilation (important to chicken health), with helpful links to coop designs organized by climate (because what is just right for my New England hens won't work for my brother's Arizona chickens)

3(a). Farmers Almanac on Building Coops (Includes size requirements!) Allowing plenty of space for chickens is really important because, even as chicks, they will start pecking each other or plucking their own feathers, or become unhealthy if they are overcrowded. Here is a link to Colorado State Extension's publication on space and temperature requirements for chicks as they age.

4. Predator protection for new & existing coops

5. Dealing with a muddy coop and run

6. First Aid kits for chickens

7. BYC Lists of Chicken Ailments and Cures

To look for articles on your own:

A. Use the SEARCH button, but use the Advanced Search choice, and select ARTICLES at the top of the box. Just enter your keyword(s) and scroll through your results!

B. I find it helpful to notice the rating and reviews. All articles are by BYC members, and all the reviews/ratings are as well. The ratings help a newbie like me sort the most useful and reliable articles.

C. You can bookmark the articles or posts you think you want to refer to again using that bookmark icon at the top of articles or posts. You can find them again by clicking on your own avatar and looking at the list of bookmarks you have built up!

Notes about where to put a coop:

1. As far as you can, put a coop and run on high ground, that drains well, so you won't have so much muddy coop problems. Chickens need to be dry, dry, dry.

2. As far as you can, put a coop with the ventilation lined up with your prevailing breezes, and away from the direction of your storms. If you are not sure of these (who is these days?), check with your local National Weather Service website.

3. As far as you can, arrange for some sort of shade over your coop and run. Preferably deciduous so the girls will enjoy winter sun, but summer shade.
 
Boppo said:
Glad to meet you, LeeLynns, and welcome to BYC. I hope you and your grandchildren enjoy those birds! I presume you know that everybody handling poultry needs to wash their hands afterwards (and once the birds are out in an outdoor coop and run, change shoes before trotting into the house or wider world!).

Also, if your little flock turns out to have a rooster (less likely with the breeds you picked), keep your grandkids away from the chicken yard once the rooster hits puberty (starts to crow). Roosters are all about protecting their ladies, and once they grow up, they take it very seriously. The sweet, friendly chick of yesterday can become a terrifying attacker if a child runs or romps through the flock. And roosters can reach the face and eyes of a 5 or 6 year old. Teach your grandkids to handle the chicks carefully now, and to be quiet and respectful around the flock, and make sure all their memories of chickens are going to be happy ones!

Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. All articles are short, have illustrations, and reviews, which are often worth looking at for the comments.

1. Intro to chicken keeping

2. Common mistakes & how to fix them

3. Ventilation (important to chicken health), with helpful links to coop designs organized by climate (because what is just right for my New England hens won't work for my brother's Arizona chickens)

3(a). Farmers Almanac on Building Coops (Includes size requirements!) Allowing plenty of space for chickens is really important because, even as chicks, they will start pecking each other or plucking their own feathers, or become unhealthy if they are overcrowded. Here is a link to Colorado State Extension's publication on space and temperature requirements for chicks as they age.

4. Predator protection for new & existing coops

5. Dealing with a muddy coop and run

6. First Aid kits for chickens

7. BYC Lists of Chicken Ailments and Cures

To look for articles on your own:

A. Use the SEARCH button, but use the Advanced Search choice, and select ARTICLES at the top of the box. Just enter your keyword(s) and scroll through your results!

B. I find it helpful to notice the rating and reviews. All articles are by BYC members, and all the reviews/ratings are as well. The ratings help a newbie like me sort the most useful and reliable articles.

C. You can bookmark the articles or posts you think you want to refer to again using that bookmark icon at the top of articles or posts. You can find them again by clicking on your own avatar and looking at the list of bookmarks you have built up!

Notes about where to put a coop:

1. As far as you can, put a coop and run on high ground, that drains well, so you won't have so much muddy coop problems. Chickens need to be dry, dry, dry.

2. As far as you can, put a coop with the ventilation lined up with your prevailing breezes, and away from the direction of your storms. If you are not sure of these (who is these days?), check with your local National Weather Service website.

3. As far as you can, arrange for some sort of shade over your coop and run. Preferably deciduous so the girls will enjoy winter sun, but summer shade.
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wow that was super helpful
 

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