Hello FlufferChick
and all the other poultry parents.
My apologies for not getting back to you sooner as usual life gets in the way around here. Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions I never thought of the jar lid what a great idea.
So as of Sunday the 10 of Aug. We became Poultry Parents. we purchased our chicks from Palmer feed in downtown Orlando, We picked up our allotted 4.
Chicks may not be accurate probably more like Pullets would be more accurate? I believe these gal's are about 6-8 weeks old and have majority of their feathers with just a little fuzz just barley discernable on the back of their heads.
After the discussion I had with the C.O.E. (chief of everything) several days before as to the need to keep them inside, which didn't go as smooth as I was hoping. I announced that I was going to go and pick out the birds to bring home, this was on a Friday. I was met to my astonishment
with a disappointed reply of "I can't go with you?" So we were scheduled to go on Saturday but had to postpone till the next day.
We got to the feed store and were met with a loud cock-a- doodle do welcome upon exiting the truck along with a Moo hello from another pen.
My wife made a bee-line to the enclosures and started peeking into each housing unit to check things out.
We also were greeted and started talking to several other enthusiastic customers and the day progressed smoothly from there. treating her to lunch at the Old Cuban Café probably didn't hurt ether.
Once in the store we found the display of what was left of their supply of birds. My wife started exploring the different bins and asked what I wanted? Of what was left we settled on 2 Americana for their Easter eggs and 2 Buff Orpington's. I really think my wife likes the idea of later on she can sit and pet them.
I know I said in an earlier post that I was not going to get the Buffs do to the heat here in Central Florida, but after talking to the owners son who has Buffs in his personal coop he told me just be sure to have abundant shade for them and a water bath and they will do fine. I asked about frozen water bottles in the bath and he said he didn't do that and his girls showed no sign of heat stress. That's still a part of my future care plan.
Got the girls home, placed them in their new home 30"x48"by 25"tall chicken wire enclosure covered in card board. HW cloth for a cover (was concerned about our cat ether trying to jump in or lay on top.)
Turns out the cat could careless ether way. She sits on the floor under the enclosure table as if to say "You stay up their and I'll stay down here."
My biggest concern was that they are in a 76 degree room so I placed the heat lamp about 30 inches above them to watch and see what happens. At first they played under it for a while then migrated away. 10 pm they were still chirping to beat the band and not settling down. Hmmm!
I got to thinking about the environment they had come from plus the fact they were still stressed. I made the decision to shut off the heat lamp as they didn't have one in the store and covered the top of the enclosure with card board. In less then 10 minus the chirping stopped and they settled in for the evening.
Day 2, to of the Birds kept trying to jump/fly out through the cover. Concerned that they were going to get hurt it suddenly occurred to me that in the store they could see out the side of the small enclosure they were kept in. I folded down the cardboard on one side and removed the cardboard from one end. As soon as I did that they stopped trying to escape and settled right in.
Each night I replace the card board and cover the top; turning off the light in the room to give them a cozy dark environment to settle in to sleep. It has worked well for the last three nights. Even when we talk near the cage in normal volume or walk by, hardly a sound is heard, just a gentle occasional peep.
Day 3 my girls greet me in the morning when I uncover their home and they are alive and seem to be thriving. Oh I forgot to mention they were introduced to watermelon on day 2. Not quite sure what it was they eyed it suspiciously. One of the Buffs got brave and challenged the piece stuck in the wire mesh and before long it was reduced to pieces parts.
So that was the start of being a new chicken Dad. I got to tell you I was nervous but it all seems to be working out. The girls will go out to their new home in about a month, that reminds me I got a door to build Talk later.
Stay Clucky!
Thank you again this will help during the discussion,
