Hi, I am Scarlette!

[cmom]

You have been given some good advice. You will find a lot of good information here Good luck with your chicks and have fun...

 

[rjohns39]

Hi Scarlette and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to BYC Scarlette, thank you for joining the flock.

 

[UpstateChickenChick]

Thanks everyone! Here’s the start to our chicken coop!!

 

[Isadora]

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!

Hello, and welcome to BYC!
There's no reason not to handle the chicks within the first week as long as you're gentle. Obviously any young children/other pets should be supervised around them.
Takes about 6 weeks for chicks to fully feather out. This can take longer if the heat lamp stays at a high temperature which will signal to the chick's body to slow down the feather growth.
As long as you are hygienic, you don't need to worry about kids and diseases. Make sure they wash their hands after handling the chicks and you're good to go.
If they have enough room inside in their brooder, it won't affect their development, per se. Like I mentioned about the feathers before, having higher temperatures can cause their feathers to grow out more slowly than normal, But that's not necessarily a concern.