I said no babies, and now we have babies.

[Kanga77510]

I'm an enabler. I went to the feed store today for oyster shell and they had babies in the back. Another customer had hatched them out and probably sold them to the store. I came home and told Hubs. whoops.

Hubs went down and brought home three chicks. I've dubbed them Larry, Curly, and Moe. Not sure if we have boys or girls, or even the breed. But we have babies. I swore up and down we'd never have baby chicks. I'm practicing farm birth control: no roos! And now we have three chicks.

Are there any special things we should know? We've brought them in the house for the night, they're in a movable container. They've set up in our kids' bath tub (it's quiet in there, and no cats can get in). I'll post pics tomorrow. They're sleeping right now, and get ticked off when we wake them up.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Congrats. Hope you get the females. (so as to not throw off your birth control

)

 

[Happy Chooks]

Oh, and at least you can say YOU didn't get them.

 

[Luvducks]

Congratulations! Do you have a light on them for heat? They just need chisk starter feed, water and a light in the tub and good to go.

Do you know what breed they are?

 

[Kanga77510]

Quote:
Feed store clerk reckons they're old enough to come out from the lamps. We have chick starter feed, shallow water, and they're inside during the night. They're golden yellow right now. Not so much cottony yellow, deeper some how.

I have to say, they're super cute when they're little. My big girls freak me out a little, I'm a bit scared of getting pecked by them.

 

[gvntofly05]

Well if they are younger than 5-6 weeks the feed store clerk is wrong. They need heat. Mine babes are 6 weeks and I will still be giving them heat at night until they are 8 weeks.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Well, it's the next day...hope they're all ok. You chicks would need to be feathered out well (6 weeks or so) to be in temperatures less than 70*F. Go to the sticky area about FAQ on how to raise young chicks...loads of info! You'll need starter feed, heat source (ceramic light fixture w/red heat bulb is ideal), thermometer to monitor the heat, and a place to keep them secure. It'll amaze you how quickly they take to flying out of that tub! You can put them into your existing coop (after a quarantine time in your house) by making a caged off area in your coop to contain them (or a metal dog crate works great!) You can hang your heat lamp out there (chaining it to something secure...don't rely on the clamps!) They are so much fun to be around. Have fun!

 

[Soccer Mom]

I see that you're in Santa Fe, Texas. I'm in North Central Texas and my 4 week olds don't need heat lamps at night. It's just not that cold here. It isn't like raising chicks in Ohio.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

YEP, get at least a 100 watt light bulb on them. Lots of people use the red heat lamps.

Just be SURE that they can get away from the heat and that the temps do not go over

about 95 degrees F AT THE BOTTOM of your brooder.

Chick can die of over heating too.

It really is VERY important that they have heat. A momma hen would have her chicks running under her

for warmth. My mamma hen has five chicks and they free range about every day. BUT, at night you can

bet your egg that they are under her warm as toast. I know I peak.