I've been reading all day. Wow, it just seems like so many things can go wrong with baby chicks. Do I need to get them medicated feed? I can't seem to find it except online. Should I stock up on Sulmet? Will they all get cocci? Or something else that I won't have a clue what it is? Will I be back and forth to the vet? I can't afford a lot of vet visits. I thought chickens were hardy and easy to raise. I'm really intimidated now.
no need to worry they do real well. i raised one batch on medicated feed, and one batch without the medication. both did equally well, and i havent ever been to the vet. Dont get to intimidated they are so much fun, dont let them become so much work that you dont enjoy them any more and you will be just fine
Quote:Take a deep breath and a vallium... I have chicks that were hatched by a broody hen, she didn't own a hygrometer or themometer, didn't stand the eggs with the air cell up, and got up off the eggs for 15 minutes at a time to eat & poop, and all 5 chicks hatched out perfect. They've been on non medicated starter and they are very healthy and growing like crazy. I think the more you obsess over it the more will go wrong, including a case of nerves for you. Nature works just fine on its own, and because you'll be paying attention to heat & humidity the odds will be stacked in your favor.
Yeah, lol, these message boards are a double-edged sword! Great information and so much help...but so many 'help me!' posts, too. I absolutely need valium.
Also, make sure to start learning to take digital camera classes where you can point and focus with one hand, and then pose a small 2 week old chick on the other while holding some crumble on your nose to make the chick pose just...riiiggghtt...
You must be a guru then , right ! I'm still trying to get into the "zen" of the camera . Oh who am I kidding ...I don't even know what zen means , let alone how to operate my new camera . At least I can look at the pics and delete them !
I know what you mean, Ebony. I think I've read waay too much and I'm freaking out thinking I'll do something wrong and kill them all. well I don't have them yet, but anyway, I just have to keep remembering when I was little and my mom and dad raised chickens in the 40's and 50's without any of today's modern conveniences and they managed alright. And they would get 200 chicks at a time. Of course, most of those were put in the deep freeze when they were big enough. We would have 200 peeping babies near the pot-bellied stove in the kitchen. What fun for a 5-year-old! When they got too big for the kitchen they went into the old coop and my dad would sleep out there with them if it was going to be really cold and keep them warm somehow. I don't have my parents here now so I cant ask them any questions. I just keep telling myself it will all fall into place. Wish me luck!