i have no idea what im doing =]

lopezfamily4o9

Hatching
10 Years
Mar 10, 2009
2
0
7
ok so i decided i wanted to raise some chicken for fresh eggs in my backyard. i ordered 4 barred rock hens. should i get a rooster? i read that they protect the hens and such. and also can it be a different kind of rooster and introduced/raised w the baby chicks at the same time?
 
you don't have to have a rooster for eggs. Most predators will kill a rooster about as fast as a hen. If your limited on space or have neighbors that would be bothered by crowing I wouldn't get a rooster. BTW...Welcome to BYC. Good luck and hope i helped.
 
Hi! My five Barred Rock pullets that I got last August are doing great - and there isn't a rooster for miles around here! I do have a 6' tall chain link fence around their coop - and at night they are locked in the coop for safety.

I love how beautiful roosters are - and was tempted. But I think the noise would annoy my neighbors, and I didn't want to deal with the possibility of getting an ornary rooster - which would be my luck!

Good luck with you peeps!
 
great! is there good any advice for me?? im bringing them home as baby chicks and have a garage...should i keep them in there? like in a box? any advice helps =] i want to do this right.
 
They will need some sort of brooder (just basically a chickie play pen) and a box will work just fine for that. They will also need a heat lamp for awhile until they feather out. Enjoy your new babies and
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There are many here with much more experience than me...I have been thier student here for the last year
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Last August I started with five day old chickds purchased from my local feed store. It went easy & well - and I was HOOKED! On February 18th I received my order for 16 chicks from Ideal....then bought 10 more from my feed store...then bought 2 more from the feed store the next week - for a total of 28 right now (plus the 5 older girls)

Here is what I have done:

* I kept all my chicks in 2'x3' cages leftover from when my husband was a small child (there were two cages). They were crude, but were sturdy and safe - made with wood and hardware cloth.
* I hung an infrared heat lamp and adjusted it so one side was @ 90F and raised it up each week to lower the temp by 5F each week. They are at 3 weeks old today & my temp is at 80F and will stay there until they finish feathering out.
* The chicks stayed in the above mentioned cage until 2 and a half weeks - then I moved them to a larger "grow out" coop/run. They have 25square feet of space & plenty of room to grow and move around.
* I moved the heat lamp out with them (like I said, still at 80F) to this bigger nursery area.
* I have a hanging chick waterer and a hanging chick feeder....it's important to have chick sized items so they don't drown in their waterer - or even just get wet/chilled in it.
* I use pine shavings on the floor (beginning around the 3rd day). Prior to their 3rd day, I just used old towels so they could get thier legs under them...newspaper is slippery and shavings can be a challenge for their strength and coordination.
* I use chick starter WITH antibiotic (to prevent coccidiosis).
* I clean their waterer twice per day and bleach it once per day.
* I offer them a little bit of chick grit once per day.
* Keep drafts off the babies.
* Watch for poopy butts and clean with warm, wet washclothe as needed if needed.
* The sleep frequently for short naps during the day. When they sleep, they look dead...but they're fine.
* Sometimes you do everything right and you still lose some. It happens.
 
Read and learn as much as you can. There is a LOT of valuable info. on this site in relation to pretty much any topic. For my young chicks I am using a really large rubbermaid tote as a brooder with a heat lamp hanging over one end for warmth. I insist, to my husbands dismay, on keeping the chicks inside for the first few weeks at the very least. I know my house is much less drafty than the outside or in the garage. Too, young chicks can stress very easily and I figure the more comfortable and happy they are, the less stressed they will be when moved around.

Congrats on your new chicks and welcome!
 

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