Hi, I am Scarlette!

[UpstateChickenChick]

Hi everyone!

I recently bought 8 chicks from Meyers. One ended up dying but others are doing well. I have a few questions for you all

1.) I read you should not hold the chickens for the first week is this true?
2.) How long roughly for them to develop all their feathers?
3.) Is there any diseases I need to worry about with having young kids around them?
4.) If kept inside all winter will these affect their development?

Heres a video of what my brooder looks like, let me know if I should do anything different! Thanks!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hey welcome to Backyard Chickens .. First wash hands you and kids after handling birds or eggs.. rest is easy. Dog crates make great brooders.. A tent of a heating pad that does not turn off will help real young

 

[BlueBaby]

Hello, and welcome! Good luck with your chick's!

 

[Everose]

Welcome to BYC!

I brooded my favorite chickens in a dog kennel, and I handle them from the start.

 

[Stefankeyes]

Hi. welcome to to the community. I'm also new here and have been welcomed warmly! im sure you will fit right in to the community!! I have subbed to your channel to see the progress you make. Best of luck to you!

 

[BlueBaby]

Welcome to BYC!

I brooded my favorite chickens in a dog kennel, and I handle them from the start.

My brooder is an XL plastic dog crate. There's no way to check and clean any poopy butt's on the chick's if you don't handle them.

 

[Kenneth Zweerink]

Welcome to BackYard Chickens. And a Big Hello from Eastern Nebraska !

 

[DobieLover]

Hello, Scarlette, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

1.) I read you should not hold the chickens for the first week is this true?

Not true. Just be gentle and make sure the chick can't jump off your hand from a height and injure itself in the fall.

2.) How long roughly for them to develop all their feathers?

6 weeks to fully feathered. Shorter when exposed to ambient temperatures.

3.) Is there any diseases I need to worry about with having young kids around them?

No. I would teach the kids the importance of not putting the chicks near their faces (chicks peck shiny things - think eyeballs) and to always wash their hands each and every time after handling the chicks or anything in their enclosure.

4.) If kept inside all winter will these affect their development?

Yes. They need fresh air and sunshine and to live in a normal circadian rhythm of light.
There is no reason not to brood them outside using a brooder plate. I raised chicks outside in early May in NY when night time temps dropped into the low 20s. They thrived. LOTS of fresh air and space and things to perch on. After a week, give them sod clumps to dig around in. They will start flying in the second week so make sure they cannot fly out of their brooder.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Welcome! I've always handled my chicks from day one and every one of them has turned out great! Good luck with your chicken adventure!

 

[silverhair67]

I have 3 chicks heading into their 3rd wk, I handle them everyday cleaning the brooder, water change and feeder cleaning, when I pick them I try to hold them close and talk, they seem to calm down, so holding carefully want hurt, but that's just me.