Hello BYC!
Hubby and I were looking at urban homesteading and really like the idea. On our little 1/2 acre, this year I am growing a garden (at least trying...), and have started making homemade bread (www.artisanbreadinfive.com is the best!). Of course the next step is chickens!! DH thinks I am crazy but will support me no matter what. Dog is like what the heck are these! They make the noise my toys make and I am not even trying! All he wanted to do was look in the box or lay beside it. We are trying to teach them that there is a difference between his birdies and mommies birdies and mommies birdies are off limits. May take a little time though...
So, I started my first flock yesterday.
I got 4 Ameraucana's, 2 EE's, 2 Buff Orphington's and 2 Black Frizzle Cochin Bantams. Ages ranging from 4 days to 1 week old. Got 10 hoping for 4-6 hens in the bunch. My Avatar is their 1st pic in the brooder playing in their sandbox. As soon as they realized I put that in, boy were they all over it! Sand everywhere, but as long as they are happy is all that matters. Hopefully I am doing everything correct. Got a brooder cardboard box 2.5ftx2.5x2.5ft. Lined the bottom with shredded newspaper topped with paper towels (may change to puppy pads though). Have their red heat lamp 95 deg at bottom of box. Got medicated chick starter and built a auto filling feeder out of 1-1/4 PVC which they figured out lickety split. I have water in a bowl now, I am currently making a PVC auto waterer with the red cups. I am not sure at their young age if they will be able to figure out about hitting (or even reaching) the little yellow lever to get the water. I'll just have to try and if they don't take to it, I'll just save it till they are a little bigger. Made them the sandbox today for dirt bathing. No pasty booty or anything major yet. All lively and wandering the brooder. I am thinking about getting the ACV (with mother) just as a preventative measure though. I am starting their coop/run this weekend. My boss (god bless her!) is letting me bring the brooder to work for a couple of days to keep an eye on them during the day. I figure by next Monday they should be good to go on their own during the day since they will all be over 1 week old.
The only concern I have is when I got the 4 Amer's, their bellies were very dirty/crusty. Almost like they were laying in their filth at their old home (they were 4-5 days old yesterday). Owner met me for the exchange so I didn't get to see how they were kept after hatch. Can I give them a little bath to clean their bellies?
Thanks to everyone for any input. I hope to enjoy these gals (hopefully) for a long time.
-STAR1270
Reno, NV
Hubby and I were looking at urban homesteading and really like the idea. On our little 1/2 acre, this year I am growing a garden (at least trying...), and have started making homemade bread (www.artisanbreadinfive.com is the best!). Of course the next step is chickens!! DH thinks I am crazy but will support me no matter what. Dog is like what the heck are these! They make the noise my toys make and I am not even trying! All he wanted to do was look in the box or lay beside it. We are trying to teach them that there is a difference between his birdies and mommies birdies and mommies birdies are off limits. May take a little time though...
So, I started my first flock yesterday.
The only concern I have is when I got the 4 Amer's, their bellies were very dirty/crusty. Almost like they were laying in their filth at their old home (they were 4-5 days old yesterday). Owner met me for the exchange so I didn't get to see how they were kept after hatch. Can I give them a little bath to clean their bellies?
Thanks to everyone for any input. I hope to enjoy these gals (hopefully) for a long time.
-STAR1270
Reno, NV
