Hello new friends...

[mom2mnem]

I feel like I've just opened up a whole new world to myself and my family with this little purchase of 6 baby chicks!!

Here are our little ones...

So - I have a couple of questions, surprise surprise! lol

1. The guy at Tractor Supply told us these chicks were about 10 weeks old. But I've been seeing some pictures around of people's 10 week old chicks and they sure do look a whole lot bigger than mine! They are Golden Commet pullets. Anyone have a guess as to their age based on that picture? Of course that was yesterday and I would swear they grew overnight!!

2. I came home thinking I had to baby these things like crazy and again, I've been all over the forum seeing how you can start feeding them lots of other things and take them outside already and all that! lol And videos of kids running around chasing and picking them up! Can someone just give me the lowdown on what we can/can't do with these (10 week old?) chicks?

 

[easttxchick]

They are DEFINITELY not 10 weeks old-go figure, someone from TSC gave you that info.

Maybe a week at the most would be my guess-they have very few feathers.
You can hold them(matter of fact you should to get them to imprint) and I took mine outside to play at about 3 weeks when it was really warm outside. I wouldn't give them treats til they are about a month old(nothing except their chick start until then).

ETA: I almost forgot-

!

 

[AnastasiaY]

Those look closer to 10 DAYS old. They haven't even their feathers in yet! I fed my chicks treats at maybe 2 and a half to 3 weeks and they were fine. Just make sure they've got grit. Very cute though!

 

[homeschoolmama]

Those look to be only about a day or so old. 10 weeks is paractically fully grown! You mostly just have to keep 'em warm, fed and watered and be amazed at how fast they grow and change, hpw funny they are to watch, how much they poop and how fast you fall in love w/ them!
Have fun

 

[abanjaf]

10 weeks old??!!! The guy at Tractor Supply needs a lesson on chickens!!! First of all, congratulations on your lovely babies! You are in for some fun!!! Chickens are totally addicting! If I had to guess, I'd say your babies are maybe a week old (maybe he meant 10 days, not 10 weeks?). Chicks are very resilient little creatures. Handle them gently as much as you like. They'll let you know when they've had enough My brooder is large enough so they have plenty of room to get away from the heat lamp if they need to (should prob be around 85 degrees for your babies). How is the weather in your neck of the woods? I live in Central Florida and the weather is beautiful out now, so my babies enjoy time outside for short periods. They also enjoy cricket rugby (aka catch the cricket). I usually wait until the babies are at least a week old before playing that particularly entertaining game! Enjoy your babies!

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

They look like my sex-link chicks...bet they were just a day or so old because mine had begun to have wing feathers by a week and at ten days was showing quite a few feathers.

He probably was a newbie...might be first time to deal with the chicks.

My girls are 3 1/2 weeks old and we are marveling at their HUGE feet

and how they look like buzzards since their fluffy is coming out and have not grown feathers to cover the bare spots.

 

[mom2mnem]

Wow am I ever feeling my newbie-ness!! Rather embarrassing to have even believed that. And now I wonder whether I just heard it wrong!

Here's a pic I just snapped of them...

So, no extras for now? Or is it ok to do some egg and/or crickets already?

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I'd say they're 5 days old...Congratulations and welcome to the wonderful whacky world of chickens!!

. . . okay, you snuck that second pic in while I was leaving my comment...so I change my guess to a week old

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Some boiled or scrambled eggs or yogurt with starter mixed in would be great but would hold off on the crickets til you can get some grit for them. I use sand from my garden for dust baths and peck at it so I'm now feeding my 3 1/2 week old girls beet and swiss chard leaves. They love the yogurt with starter mixed in...gobble it right down!

 

[ellieroo]

mom2 ...welcome and be warned chickens are a very serious addiction and we are a bunch of enablers!!

Love your babies they are only days old rather than weeks but that way you get all the joy of watching them grow!!