peepsnquacks
In the Brooder
Hi!
First, one of the threads I read when I found this site, talked about "chicken math." Well, let me tell you, it is all true...ha! We started off with six assorted chicks, and three ducks. The next day we went back for three more ducklings. (Pekins) About two and a half weeks later, once we had moved these guys to an outside hoop coop, we went back and got six Leghorns, (3 pullets, 3 straight run) and a Bantam which we FELL IN LOVE with. So....a few days later, we waited for a new shipment and went back for more bantams....they didn't have any, so we got SIX MORE assorted straight run chicks. I've lost count now, is anyone keeping up?
And....we still plan to get more Bantams, then I think we'll be done, and just hatching our own chicks from this point on.
We have had three mishaps. One, someone left the door to the room with the brooders open, a cat got inside, lost a chick. Two, we put a small pool in with the ducks, with plenty of concrete blocks and ramps inside in case a chicken got in, still had a chicken drown. And three, the dreaded "pasty butt" which we did not learn about until it was too late. My husband and I have learned SO much from BYC....and from our own trial and error....I am even considering printing out a sheet of info for our two local feed stores for them to give out when they sell chicks and ducks. If we had known some of these things ahead of time....two chicks would still be with us.
So, in just a very short time, we've become a chicken ranch, haha...we also have two donkeys and some cats. The donkeys LOVE the ducklings, they like to stick their nose in the middle of all of them and let them pick at their whiskers. Hilarious to watch. They are their "little fuzzies" and they are super protective of them, running cats off and who knows what else in the night, although our coop is highly protected from predators.
The other funny story I have to share, is that ONE of our ducklings, (3 weeks old) has learned to quack, while all the others still peep. It is so funny to hear. I'm sure the old timers on here have experienced all of these things, but to me and my family, we are in a wonderland of new fun and love with these little fuzzies. So happy we started our "flock". And....so grateful there is a site like BYC to help us figure out how to take care of them!!
If you've read this far, thank you, nice to meet you, and I look forward to reading all the threads and maybe someday contributing some of my own knowledge!
xoxox PeepsNQuacks
First, one of the threads I read when I found this site, talked about "chicken math." Well, let me tell you, it is all true...ha! We started off with six assorted chicks, and three ducks. The next day we went back for three more ducklings. (Pekins) About two and a half weeks later, once we had moved these guys to an outside hoop coop, we went back and got six Leghorns, (3 pullets, 3 straight run) and a Bantam which we FELL IN LOVE with. So....a few days later, we waited for a new shipment and went back for more bantams....they didn't have any, so we got SIX MORE assorted straight run chicks. I've lost count now, is anyone keeping up?
And....we still plan to get more Bantams, then I think we'll be done, and just hatching our own chicks from this point on. We have had three mishaps. One, someone left the door to the room with the brooders open, a cat got inside, lost a chick. Two, we put a small pool in with the ducks, with plenty of concrete blocks and ramps inside in case a chicken got in, still had a chicken drown. And three, the dreaded "pasty butt" which we did not learn about until it was too late. My husband and I have learned SO much from BYC....and from our own trial and error....I am even considering printing out a sheet of info for our two local feed stores for them to give out when they sell chicks and ducks. If we had known some of these things ahead of time....two chicks would still be with us.
So, in just a very short time, we've become a chicken ranch, haha...we also have two donkeys and some cats. The donkeys LOVE the ducklings, they like to stick their nose in the middle of all of them and let them pick at their whiskers. Hilarious to watch. They are their "little fuzzies" and they are super protective of them, running cats off and who knows what else in the night, although our coop is highly protected from predators.
The other funny story I have to share, is that ONE of our ducklings, (3 weeks old) has learned to quack, while all the others still peep. It is so funny to hear. I'm sure the old timers on here have experienced all of these things, but to me and my family, we are in a wonderland of new fun and love with these little fuzzies. So happy we started our "flock". And....so grateful there is a site like BYC to help us figure out how to take care of them!!
If you've read this far, thank you, nice to meet you, and I look forward to reading all the threads and maybe someday contributing some of my own knowledge!
xoxox PeepsNQuacks
