I really want some chicks, HELP ME!!!

[starrmar006]

Yeah, darn those animals for not taking care of themselves better.

I don't really think chickens are for you...

Why are you saying this when it is just over trying to get a hen broody that is the only thing I am having trouble with!

 

[allosaurusrock]

No, you are having trouble taking responsible care of your animals. If you don't have time, money, or patience to take care of them, just don't do it at all.

 

[Birdinhand]

I think folks are hearing more about how you don't like to have chicks more than what you really want is chicks with a mother hen that will take care of most of the issues. I can relate, though I do understand the misread based on your emphasis.. I live in Wester WA and I have a few suggestions. increase the light in the inner coop. a hen won't likely go broody if she thinks it's still the middle of the winter. I added a few windows and bam, everyone starting laying like crazy. Give her an egg laying box that is tucked away, even maybe with a small curtain, some place she might think no one else knows about, a place to hide basically. if your hen is the broody type you'll find out. leave some 6-8 eggs maybe more, in her nest. you can get fake eggs for this so you can rotate out the real one's for food before they spoil. you could even add a light to increase the hours of light, this regulates ovulation. then when she has been sitting for a good 5 solid days and nights (not roosting) and shows that she is serious, grab some eggs off of craig's list, there are some relatively good sources in tuckwilla via CR. then at night swap them out and with any luck she will do all the regulating, get up once a day and eat and drink and take a big broodey poop... when it works, it's magic. I'd make sure she and chicks have plenty of room and I much prefer an outside brooder. I've had two batches of chicks outside since day one for about 3 weeks already this year. if you protect them from draft, they tend to do well.

 

[starrmar006]

All right, just so everyone knows My daughter (minor child) uses this site as a means for learning how to raise our chickens. I read the posts along with her but let her respond. I wan't her to grow up unafraid to ask questions even if it is over and over or sounds silly.

As a family this is a group effort and we have learned so much. Yes, she can't understand why you can't rush nature... and hens will go broody in their own time. She has done many hours of research just as suggested and I have to say she know more than I do at this point.

Yes, chickens stink and they poop, this was an unexpected part of raising chickens. All she has known is eggs and the chickens we eat come from the store.

It was very helpful to learn how to keep the chicks contained after we made a box with chicken wire, and to use puppy pads, genius!

I truly thank you for all your insightful posts and patients with her with her questions. Yes, the pet rock was funny after she learned what a pet rock was.

We have been successful for over 2 years at this adventure, but telling someone that it sure doesn't sound like it they want chicks when they don't know all the information is very sad.

 

[starrmar006]

I think folks are hearing more about how you don't like to have chicks more than what you really want is chicks with a mother hen that will take care of most of the issues. I can relate, though I do understand the misread based on your emphasis.. I live in Wester WA and I have a few suggestions. increase the light in the inner coop. a hen won't likely go broody if she thinks it's still the middle of the winter. I added a few windows and bam, everyone starting laying like crazy. Give her an egg laying box that is tucked away, even maybe with a small curtain, some place she might think no one else knows about, a place to hide basically. if your hen is the broody type you'll find out. leave some 6-8 eggs maybe more, in her nest. you can get fake eggs for this so you can rotate out the real one's for food before they spoil. you could even add a light to increase the hours of light, this regulates ovulation. then when she has been sitting for a good 5 solid days and nights (not roosting) and shows that she is serious, grab some eggs off of craig's list, there are some relatively good sources in tuckwilla via CR. then at night swap them out and with any luck she will do all the regulating, get up once a day and eat and drink and take a big broodey poop... when it works, it's magic. I'd make sure she and chicks have plenty of room and I much prefer an outside brooder. I've had two batches of chicks outside since day one for about 3 weeks already this year. if you protect them from draft, they tend to do well.

Thank you for taking the time to write an answer that is easy for her to understand. Directions: this is exactly what she has been looking for.
~starrmar006's Mom

 

[aart]

All right, just so everyone knows My daughter (minor child) uses this site as a means for learning how to raise our chickens. I read the posts along with her but let her respond. I wan't her to grow up unafraid to ask questions even if it is over and over or sounds silly.

As a family this is a group effort and we have learned so much. Yes, she can't understand why you can't rush nature... and hens will go broody in their own time. She has done many hours of research just as suggested and I have to say she know more than I do at this point.

Yes, chickens stink and they poop, this was an unexpected part of raising chickens. All she has known is eggs and the chickens we eat come from the store.

It was very helpful to learn how to keep the chicks contained after we made a box with chicken wire, and to use puppy pads, genius!

I truly thank you for all your insightful posts and patients with her with her questions. Yes, the pet rock was funny after she learned what a pet rock was.

We have been successful for over 2 years at this adventure, but telling someone that it sure doesn't sound like it they want chicks when they don't know all the information is very sad.

It IS hard when we don't know all the info, would have been good to know the whole story from the get go .
It's great you are teaching her to ask questions.
Maybe also stress the importance of supplying all pertinent background info so she isn't misunderstood,
and to understand how you won't get viable answers when you don't give said background information.

 

[junebuggena]

Where in western WA? I'm in Long Beach and frequently have chicks for sale once they no longer need supplemental heat. Even when you have a breed that is prone to brooding, it's no guarantee that your individual hen will ever go broody. And when hatching fertile eggs, you do need to be prepared to deal with any potential cockerels. Have you thought about what to do if the chicks that hatch all turn out to be males?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

It IS hard when we don't know all the info, would have been good to know the whole story from the get go .
It's great you are teaching her to ask questions.
Maybe also stress the importance of supplying all pertinent background info so she isn't misunderstood,
and to understand how you won't get viable answers when you don't give said background information.

Exactly!

There were many very genuine posts (my own included) geared towards sorting out the issues that were causing the negative aspects being expressed by the OP -- the frustration set in when every very valid suggestion (seriously, if they were followed you can have chicks that are brooded with no smell, limited mess and more enjoyment than stress) was disregarded, ignored, etc. This can be a teachable moment where you can encourage your daughter to, instead of arguing with suggestions, to ask more questions about the suggestions - to try to better understand that while she may think she has tried a particular solution perhaps what she did is not what the person trying to help her is suggesting. Instead of deciding that something won't work to ask for more information. It can be as simple as the reader thinking they have tried raising the water station, for example (as suggested to eliminate spillage which leads to a wet smelly brooder and eliminates the chicks filling the water station with bedding), when, in fact, she is not understanding just how high the water station needs to be raised to see an improvement on the problem you are trying to solve. Instead of saying she's tried everything she could say she raised the water station up and inch or two but it didn't help -- at which point we could suggest that the water station needs to be at least chest height and raised as the chicks grow to maintain that level.

 

[Birdinhand]

All right, just so everyone knows My daughter (minor child) uses this site as a means for learning how to raise our chickens. I read the posts along with her but let her respond. I wan't her to grow up unafraid to ask questions even if it is over and over or sounds silly.

As a family this is a group effort and we have learned so much. Yes, she can't understand why you can't rush nature... and hens will go broody in their own time. She has done many hours of research just as suggested and I have to say she know more than I do at this point.

Yes, chickens stink and they poop, this was an unexpected part of raising chickens. All she has known is eggs and the chickens we eat come from the store.

It was very helpful to learn how to keep the chicks contained after we made a box with chicken wire, and to use puppy pads, genius!

I truly thank you for all your insightful posts and patients with her with her questions. Yes, the pet rock was funny after she learned what a pet rock was.

We have been successful for over 2 years at this adventure, but telling someone that it sure doesn't sound like it they want chicks when they don't know all the information is very sad.

ah, this makes so much more sense now! I think you'll need to explain to her that we did not know who she was/is and that we simply did not have the context to place her comments. I would recommend placing a simple blurb in your signature in settings that explains that sometimes your daughter, maybe include her age, is writing the post, that way it will show up at the bottom of all future and past posts and help folks gauge the appropriate tone in their comments. I think it's cool that you are working on this together. I have a 6 and an 8 year old and I feel that raising chickens has significantly enriched our lives together. there is so much to learn and share. I think once we know if it's you or her posting, we can be more constructive.

 

[allosaurusrock]

This all sounds great, but minors actually aren't allowed to disclose their age on BYC. Not trying to be rude or pessimistic, but those are the rules.