Hello,
My name is Nylorac. My mom and I recently bought 18 chicks. We got 4 buff Orpingtons, 5 Marans (2 silver cuckoo, 3 either black or dark cuckoo, can't remember which! XP), 3 Yellow Jersey Giants, 2 Faverolles, 2 Polish Crested, and 2 Sicillian Buttercups.
My mom has had chickens before, when she was in high school and again before i was born.
Before we got the chicks, I had been bugging her, cause I wanted some. She finally gave in when our local feed store was having their 20th anniversary party and they were selling chicks. So we were gonna get 12, but then they were all too cute and ended up going home with 18.
Before we got them, we had researched the breeds that they were going to have there. And chose the breeds we liked and that would work well with us. The lady said they were about 2 days old when we got them.
I love them to pieces! They are just about the cutest things I have ever seen! My dog is jealous, cause now he has to share the spot light!
We got them on June 6th. And today one of them died.
A silver cuckoo. We went out to our barn and found her on the floor of the cage. She wasn't totally dead yet, but dying. We tried to save her, but we couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. We held her under the heat lamp to warm her up. And my mom tried to give her something to drink, but she passed away in my mom's hands.
it was really sad. And we don't know what caused her to die, but the rest of our chicks are doing great!
Now that she's dead, i remember that yesterday she didn't look as good as the rest did when i picked her up. But we still don't know what caused her to die.
I have a few questions about my little chickities
1) We had them on shavings, that's what they came with. At first we had them in a small dog crate and they were fine with the shavings, they didn't eat them, they ate their food. today I moved them into a bigger space. Me and my dad built a barn for toy horses, and i put them in that with space to roam around. But today (the second day), they keep eating the shavings. One would scratch the floor and start pecking at it. Then she would pick up little pieces of shavings and eat them. Then most of the other chicks would come to see what the other one was doing. And they would start eating them too. I heard that they could die from eating shavings. They were eating the shavings since i put them in there. And all the time. I changed the flooring to paper towels, i didn't want anything to happen while i was gone for the night. Is it ok to switch them back, or should they stay on the towels?
2) Ok so after i put them on the paper towels, they start eating the food like crazy, they never really stopped eating. Is it ok for them to be eating all the time?
I think i'm being an over worried newbie! I just don't want another one to die!
I call my chicks chickities, that's why it's my username (for any one who was wondering).
Well, i think that is it!
Thanks to anyone who can help me with my little problem!
~Nylorac
My name is Nylorac. My mom and I recently bought 18 chicks. We got 4 buff Orpingtons, 5 Marans (2 silver cuckoo, 3 either black or dark cuckoo, can't remember which! XP), 3 Yellow Jersey Giants, 2 Faverolles, 2 Polish Crested, and 2 Sicillian Buttercups.
My mom has had chickens before, when she was in high school and again before i was born.
Before we got the chicks, I had been bugging her, cause I wanted some. She finally gave in when our local feed store was having their 20th anniversary party and they were selling chicks. So we were gonna get 12, but then they were all too cute and ended up going home with 18.
Before we got them, we had researched the breeds that they were going to have there. And chose the breeds we liked and that would work well with us. The lady said they were about 2 days old when we got them.
I love them to pieces! They are just about the cutest things I have ever seen! My dog is jealous, cause now he has to share the spot light!

We got them on June 6th. And today one of them died.


Now that she's dead, i remember that yesterday she didn't look as good as the rest did when i picked her up. But we still don't know what caused her to die.
I have a few questions about my little chickities
1) We had them on shavings, that's what they came with. At first we had them in a small dog crate and they were fine with the shavings, they didn't eat them, they ate their food. today I moved them into a bigger space. Me and my dad built a barn for toy horses, and i put them in that with space to roam around. But today (the second day), they keep eating the shavings. One would scratch the floor and start pecking at it. Then she would pick up little pieces of shavings and eat them. Then most of the other chicks would come to see what the other one was doing. And they would start eating them too. I heard that they could die from eating shavings. They were eating the shavings since i put them in there. And all the time. I changed the flooring to paper towels, i didn't want anything to happen while i was gone for the night. Is it ok to switch them back, or should they stay on the towels?
2) Ok so after i put them on the paper towels, they start eating the food like crazy, they never really stopped eating. Is it ok for them to be eating all the time?
I think i'm being an over worried newbie! I just don't want another one to die!
I call my chicks chickities, that's why it's my username (for any one who was wondering).

Well, i think that is it!
Thanks to anyone who can help me with my little problem!
~Nylorac