Hi from Newbie in Thailand

[M To The Maxx]

from Lutz,FL!

 

[4-H chicken mom]

and

from Ohio.

 

[thailand]

Hi again,

Wow - what a friendly group you are!

Thanks for the huge warm welcome. I feel like I'm going to have good friends guiding me all the way with chickens - which is hugely comforting because I know absolutely nothing. Well, I got an unexpected "yes go ahead" from my lovely husband who is currently overseas at the moment. Now I don't know whether I'm more scared or excited at the prospect!

This morning I went back to the shop and there are actually 5 x chicks. They have had 2 lots of innoculations for New Castle disease and something else (to do with their throat??). They are 3 weeks old and their colouring is Light. Previously I said they weren't fully feathered - I was wrong, they indeed are. Seems the owner of the shop is a foreigner (not Thai) and owns a chicken farm. He has just recently imported some Brahma chickens and has started developing the breed here. This afternoon he is bringing in another 10 x younger chicks for me to look at. Now I just need to figure out in a hurry how to tell boys from girls! I really only want girls. Any help anyone??

A special hi to Wild Trapper. We also live in the North of Thailand. What Hilltribe is your DIL from? We are fostering Akha and Thai Yai kids. If your DIL's parents live anywhere near Chiang Mai, then you could let them know that we now have Light Brahmas for sale here.

Here's some photos of the 3 week old chicks in a cage at the petshop. I guess it's too hard to tell if they are females or males?

Thanks everyone

 

[big medicine]

If the Brahmas there are similar to the ones here, a very good indicator of sex at a early age is the rate of feathering. Pullets will feather out evenly, while cockerels will remain fuzzy on the shoulders while developing feathers over the rest of the body. A second trait is cockerels will ussually have a more upright stance. Hope that helps. From what I could tell from the photos, appear to be pullets.

 

[thailand]

Hi Big Medicine,

Thanks for your reply. Apparently these ones have been imported from The Netherlands.

When you say "cockerels will remain fuzzy on the shoulders", by fuzzy do you mean they will still have some yellow baby feathers? I really am very green

And the pullets will be more squat right? I'm guessing that as a first-timer it might be safer for me to buy these 3 week olds instead of younger ones right? What do I feed them once I get them home? I will probably buy a large dog crate like the one they are in at the pet shop and keep them in that for a while until I get a coop sorted. I'll buy a hanging waterer - but is it better to have a hanging food holder also or a metal triangular feeder on the floor?

Oh...so many questions

 

[big medicine]

Yes the cockerels' shoulders will still retain the chick fuzz while they feather out every where else.

I don't know that I would call the pullets so much squat as they have a natural looking stance, it's just that the cockerels ussually have a more upright/vertical stance.

Older chicks would be the safer bet, possible to have a reasonable guess as to sex, less suseptible to chill.

As to feed, what is available there ?

I like a hanging feeder personally, you can raise the feeder as your birds grow, resulting in less feed being raked out. If rodents are an issue, they can be raised at night to keep mice out of the feed.

 

[thailand]

Thanks for that Big Medicine.

Well - I've gone and done it now! I've just bought my first ever chickens. Three Brahma chicks 3 weeks old. I've attached photos (not the same chicks as in my previous photos). Anyone want to guess if they are pullets or cockerels for me please?? Oh, I do hope that at least two of them are pullets!

Also, I very hurriedly bought the big pink cage for them as a temporary home. It seems like I'm missing something though - it just doesn't look snuggly enough for them. Ideas anyone? Maybe I'm just used to raising kittens and rabbits. Do I need to do anything with the bottom of the cage or is it ok as it is? Should I add some cardboard to make it easier for them to walk on the bars? And, should I perhaps install some kind of perch for them yet?

Temperatures is another biggy question. It's 7:40pm at night here in Thailand and the temperature is 31 degrees celcius. I know that I need to be careful not to chill them, but it really is hot and so I've got a fan on in the spare bedroom upstairs where I'm keeping them. Is this ok?? They have been panting almost constantly since I brought them home an hour ago. They have been drinking water ok, but are still panting on and off. Is this ok? Are they just settling in perhaps? One of them seems to sneeze (think it's a sneeze or it could just be a cackle sound) occasionally. It's the biggest of the babies. For all I know it could be the beginnings of a baby rooster trying to crow!

Note on poops: all appear to be normal I guess, but the one that makes the strange noise has quite watery poop and it's all green. Is this ok?

I have not had time yet to organise a heat lamp. At this age do they still need one? With all the panting going on I'm thinking this would be a very bad idea. They had a heat lamp in their cage at the pet shop. It's hot here now, but in the early hours of the morning it still gets quite nippy. What do you all think? Advise please!

I'm on a very steep learning curve here and I don't want to be the cause of these babies dying. I'd like all the advise you can throw at me please.

Many, many thanks,
Angela

 

[Wild Trapper]

Angela, your chicks look very nice. They also look too hot, (panting). Since they are well feathered, they probably do not need additional heat. Just keep them out of cold drafts. My son and DIL said it is getting hot over there now. To me, it looks like all your chicks are female, but I have never owned that breed, just from the comb appearance. I've rarely been fooled at that age of what gender they are. I will be sending a PM as soon as I gather up a bit more information from my DIL about Thailand.

 

[BayouPoules]

Hello and welcome from Louisiana!


Gotta agree,. they look too hot.

 

[Desert Rooster]

Hello

from Hesperia, Ca and