Is it really this complicated? Feeling a bit overwhelmed!

[chickknitter]

I have 10 chicks 2 1/2 weeks old. All pullets(I hope) not too complicated. I am waiting for my coop to arrive. The care of the chicks is much easier than I thought. I knew they would be inside for a month or so(we are near Boston) so I didn't feel rushed to get the coop right away. First we were going to build one, then buy one. It is a small coop but says it is for 6-10 chickens. It has 6nesting boxes but I read they al, use the same 2-3 nests! I am glad I got them when I did. We will still have to build a run even though we have a large yard. It abuts woods and there are coyotes and hawks and such. So I will let them run free when we are outside. I also am going to clip their wings so they don't get stuck up in the trees. I was afraid after reading a book on raising chickens but it is soooo easy. Just clean water, medicated feed at first, and a warm light. Just make sure you have BIG boxes to be ready for when they grow and start flying up to the top! Just putting my arm in to get the water or food dish, they fly up to perch on my arm. They grow sooo fast! Can't wait til they can get outside and explore. I may have to steal a stall from the horses!! Don't wait, just do it.

 

[liljunie]

I completely understand your dilemma. I wanted to start a SQ silkie flock and read 4000 posts on genetics and showing. What I learned is most people don't sell their good hens!! I decided to hatch eggs. That is a big stress in itself. We had a hurricane and lost power and lost more than half of my hatch. Then we had a blizzard and a tree fell and knocked down my fenced in garden that was going to be the chicken area. I have 10 chicks in my finished basement and 30 eggs in the incubator. I bought a large doghouse that is easily converted to a coop. Also bought a 10x10 kennel...again temporary until my dream coop and run can be build.

So fun though!! I am having a great time hatching and watching them grow!

Not a cheap endeavor!
$100 for eggs
$269 kennel
$200 dog house
$250 replace a Genesis incubator I borrowed and ruined
$100 brinsea incubator

$900 I didn't realize it is that much!

Forgot:
brooder lights
feeders
waterers
chicken feed

 

[PatQ]

I haven't read through the whole thread yet, but you can just get 4 chickens from My Pet Chicken - a great way to start - you can even get 4 different breeds of your 4 chickens - 1 of these and 1 of those - such fun! Good luck in your adventure

 

[FatherofFlowers]

This is my and the hubby's first year doing this, and we did a lot of research for a while before finally throwing ourselves in. We already have the chickies at home in their brooder, and we're building our coop at the end of the month, but we already know what we're building, and I can build it in a day/weekend and already have the blueprints drawn up. We're going for a standard 8x9 stock panel hoop coop tractor, which I am in love with for all the reasons people generally like them.

Point is: We have a game plan. So I wouldn't suggest doing this without said game plan ready to go into effect

On that note: mypetchicken.com allows you to order 3 day old chicks and most of their stock is limited for the next few months, and then they have almost everything available to order. I'd consider that an incentive to hold off, order some, and be prepared

Trust me, I understand the frenzy. I'm having the same issue with wanting to start up rabbits at the same time as chickens, but instead I'm forcing myself to cool off and just enjoy things a bit at a time.
What's more, if you wait, you can cruise around on here (and elsewhere) for a while and really figure out exactly what breeds, coop, etc you want. Which, imo, is the way to go (making myself slow down on getting the chickens gave me the time for find out about EE's and be able to have them in my flock, instead of finding out about them after getting the babies and having to wait until we brood again next year).

 

[Kernel Cluck]

I here your question. My wife and I started our "gang" last year. I built the coop from the ground up. My 2 week project took 2 months. We got chicks and it was a scramble to have the coop ready for them as they grow. My advice echoes what others have said: 1.) build the coop first. ( I watched my neighbor scramble late into the nights to build a coop for chickens that he had for many months.) 2.) You can order small #'s of chicks. 3.) Build your coop large, I mean LARGE. In retrospect I wish I had made mine twice as large and have been trying to figure out how to add on ever since. 4.) Lastly, this is just a suggestion.. I would put alot of thought into coop placement. Not too much sun, not too much shade. Ours is against a large grove of pine trees for a wind break from the cold Wisconsin winds. Good luck and

 

[adgcountrygirl]

I think you are wise to start small if you aren't sure what you want or need. (You can always expand later.) If you end up ordering online, find a friend who either also wants to order. You can order together if the order total is 15 or more. I order from Murray McMurray and their minimum order used to be 25. I ordered with my Father in-law and a friend from church. It is getting more and more popular in our area to have chickens, so right now it is easy to find someone to order with. (I hope it is getting popular in your area too!) Good luck!

 

[muscovylove]

I knew someone who bought too many chicks, hoping to sell them when they were 16 weeks. That gave me enough time to build a smaller coop and do some research. I visited the chicks every once in a while, but I was fine with someone else doing the raising! That was my first five hens. Two years later I decided to expand the flock and so I built onto the coop I had, and then got some week old chicks from a great store here in town. I bought 5 more hens, but have also added 7 ducks. The biggest step for me was building the first coop, and everything else sort of evolved out of that. Good luck!!!

 

[CoolClucker]

Wow! Thanks so much for all the replies! I feel a lot better now Think I've got a game plan developing and feel excited again about my up and coming chicks! Thank you all !

 

[Ashley1]

I'm in the same boat as you are.We're moving too (hopefully). Untill then, we're just waiting and doing research. This thread helped me alot and just proved to myself that I'm on the right track. I was going to start out with 15 chicks from a hatchery. But, since I've read this whole thread, I think I'm going to cut it down and buy pullets from the locals here.

I do want to say this: Thank you for posting this. This has really helped alot!!

Good luck to you!!

 

[Madnative]

It is to some degree!​

I have 4 grown chickens bought as adults, but these are my first baby chicks​

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I just Got my first 8 pullets.. They are doing great! I have them in a VERY LARGE rubbermaid bin.I have a small hook in the ceiling suspending the heat lamp, a remote temp sensor so no matter what I know what temp the cage is 24- 7!, A water trough and a feed trough all placed in the bin with the wood shavings from the store.I did booty wash them in very luke warm water, they did say that poop can get stuck on them and cause an impaction so i am being very cautious! so far so good ! getting bigger and each minute passes! ​

Also have bits of chicken grit and starter food. And a good watchful eye! ​

Will let you know ! ​

Staci​