I've been reading discussions here for the last few years, getting great advice and tips on building hen houses & coops, feeding & watering systems, breeds, diseases, natural approaches to chicken health, predator control, and more, but I finally decided to join to add to the knowledge base. We have 3 children, 2 small dogs, and 7 cats. We took the leap into raising our own laying flock in 2015.
Around Easter my husband & kiddos purchased a variety of 7 chicks at a poultry swap (straight run). We culled the aggressive White Leghorn rooster earlier this summer and gifted the other Easter Egger rooster & hen to friends, so now we have 4 laying hens left. Just received 16 day old chicks in the mail on July 22nd, 2016 and are working on our new flock. There should be one Buff Orp cockerel and all the rest are pullets, but the hatchery threw one extra in, so we'll see what it turns out to be.
Today being the 28th (and our youngest daughter's 6th birthday), our chicks are now 8 days old. One pullet baby (a Speckled Sussex) was not doing very well, presenting with lethargy, split wings, and cold not get up and walk. She shuffled about like a bat with a broken wing and was very thin.
I did not give up on her and it looks like it's paying off thanks to everyone sharing their experiences with sick chickies here at BYC and also through other articles and forums online. It is my desire to give back in appreciation by sharing our successes and stories back in the hope that if someone like me were in need of some advice, ours may be just what they need.
Looking forward to meeting you in the future.
Shannon Cila
aka BusyBanty
Around Easter my husband & kiddos purchased a variety of 7 chicks at a poultry swap (straight run). We culled the aggressive White Leghorn rooster earlier this summer and gifted the other Easter Egger rooster & hen to friends, so now we have 4 laying hens left. Just received 16 day old chicks in the mail on July 22nd, 2016 and are working on our new flock. There should be one Buff Orp cockerel and all the rest are pullets, but the hatchery threw one extra in, so we'll see what it turns out to be.
Today being the 28th (and our youngest daughter's 6th birthday), our chicks are now 8 days old. One pullet baby (a Speckled Sussex) was not doing very well, presenting with lethargy, split wings, and cold not get up and walk. She shuffled about like a bat with a broken wing and was very thin.
I did not give up on her and it looks like it's paying off thanks to everyone sharing their experiences with sick chickies here at BYC and also through other articles and forums online. It is my desire to give back in appreciation by sharing our successes and stories back in the hope that if someone like me were in need of some advice, ours may be just what they need.
Looking forward to meeting you in the future.
Shannon Cila
aka BusyBanty
Shannon 
Congrats on your new chicks and I hope your runt one makes a full recovery with all the TLC from you 
Wishing you the very best of luck for the future and enjoy your time here on BYC 
