Is it really this complicated? Feeling a bit overwhelmed!

[ChickenSkin]

It is not that complicated. Chickens are one of the easiest farm creatures to take care of. That being said. BUILD THE COOP FIRST!!!. I ordered 25 chicks from McMurry hatchery and am down to ten. Getting rid of birds is easy. You'll find more chicken people than you need to give away or sell the left overs. I had no problem with that. Now the problem. I ordered them last September they have been living in my garage until I built the coop. I have PLENTY OF TIME! Well it didn't get built before winter hit and now my garage has a thick layer of dust all over it. I'm going to have to get in there this summer with a dust mask, ventalation fan and compressed air to get all the dander out of my garage. Not to mention my prized 1964 GTO looks like I've left it in a barn for 40 years. If you end up with 4 chickens you'll end up getting 4 to 3 eggs a day if you pick a good breed, feed and care for them well. For GOD SAKES BUILD THE COOP FIRST!

 

[ang13]

How do u keep the baby chicks from getting the pine shavings in their water dish?

 

[CarolynF]

How do u keep the baby chicks from getting the pine shavings in their water dish?

Elevate their waterer or switch over to a nipple waterer. I've seen watering nipples in plastic bottles as small as pill bottles, but I'd go for something a bit bigger, since they'd drink that awfully fast.

If you do a quick search here on BYC for nipple waterer you can find quite a bit of information. I think the push-in type are probably the most practical. Mine are screw in and it's a challenge to get them seated well enough that they don't drip all the time.

Good question!

 

[CarolynF]

I am brand new to this, and am looking into what it would take to start a small flock. It doesn't seem like anything I couldn't learn, but it is starting to get complicated. Right now there are baby chicks everywhere for sale, but I can't bring them home yet because I don't have a coop. And once they come home the timer starts ticking. I am not sure if we're buying or building yet, and the latter will take who knows how long. I was thinking if my window to buy the chicks in stores runs out, then I can just order day old chicks online. But eveyone wants a minimum order of at least 15 and I don't want that many yet. I'm thinking like 4 to start. Ok, so maybe incubating? But incubators can get costly, and there is no way to determine how many chickens I will get and what sex. I really prefer to start with females as I hear males can be mean and I want fresh eggs. So if I incubate and get males, then what?I'm not trying to be overly picky, just simplify to start so I can learn the ropes.

So I'm kinda pulling my hair out a bit, thinking maybe I decided too late in the year. I dunno should I just scrap it and try next year? Am I am making this overly difficult? lol.. !

Any experienced chickeners have any words of encoragement/wisdom?

First.... relax, you sound like me!

Chicks are available most of the year, with winter being the lowest availability. You might also want to start with 3 month old birds rather than tiny chicks. But remember, if you get birds from multiple locations you'll need to keep them separate for 3 weeks to make absolutely sure they aren't bringing health problems in with them.

Second.... find an active thread here on BYC that's fairly close to your location and start chatting with "locals". If there isn't a group that labeled as being real close search farther afield because geography doesn't play as big a part in on-line conversations as it does in person. The idea being that you want to get in the loop and find out where reputable breeders are in your area. It's SO much easier to buy from local breeders than it is thru mail order. Generally speaking you'll get better quality birds, won't have the minimum order issues, avoid shipping, avoid post office issues, and have a local support network. I participate on the WA state thread, it's super fast moving and we welcome folks from all over the country to take part. It's informational but won't have much information about breeders in your area.

Third.... figure out how many eggs you want per week to determine the minimum number of hens you'll need. Figure maybe 3-4 eggs per hen per week, because they will always find one reason or another to go on strike at various times during the year. One gal might lay 6 eggs a week this month, then molt or try to go broody and stop laying for a few weeks, another one might just get lazy. Not all breeds are heavy layers, and not all birds within a breed will lay at the maximum rate people talk about.

Four.... Build your coop and a secure pen before you get the birds, and build them both larger and more secure than you think you need. I read WAY too many accounts of weasels, racoons, dogs, hawks, eagles, etc. getting into pens and coops!!!!! Pens should be at LEAST 10s.f per hen (I ended up with more so I wouldn't feel guilty on days they had to stay in the pen all day) and coops 3 s.f. per hen. Roosters need more room. Bantams get by with smaller spaces. Make sure you have plenty of ventilation for them. Go to the section on BYC about building coops and spend lots of time reading and planning. It's SO much cheaper and easier to do it right the first time! Remember, chicken wire keeps chickens in and keeps nothing out!

Now... enjoy the process, it really is worth the prep. Chickens are such a hoot!

 

[Hillschicks]

Dont over complicate things... They are chickens, they need 3 things... Food, water, shelter ... For the first 2 or 3 weeks they can be in a box or rabbit hutch till they grow feathers.. Then they need a small shack, it doesnt need to be fancy... It needs to make them feel safe... Food and water dish and thats it

And there is really no too late in the season in my opinion... We got 3 chicks mailed here on september 25 last fall in michigan... They are happy and healthy

 

[Hillschicks]

Also, i dissagree with the people saying get 3 month old pullets IF you intend them as pets... Much better bond in they've known you since day 1 or 2 of their life

 

[new chick 203]

You can order a smaller quantity from MyPetChicken.com or find them locally, so don't worry about that. look at the coop section, find one you like, build it and get chicks. Easy peasy!

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Also, i dissagree with the people saying get 3 month old pullets IF you intend them as pets... Much better bond in they've known you since day 1 or 2 of their life

X2. If you are around them a lot when they're younger, they'll be much friendlier when they get older.

 

[mairikra]

You should definitely have a coop and run before buying chicks. I also built a brooder box for chicks with a heat lamp that won't fall, and a wire bottom with pull-out tray for cleaning. My chicks stayed in the garage in the brooder box until they were old enough for the coop. Than stayed in the coop until they were large enough to be out in the run.

Where are you located? There is a place on the Internet that sells only a few chicks at a time, and they have all the supplies you could need also. My Pet Chicken will sell as few as three chicks if you want small quantities. However, watch out for "chicken math." I started with just a few, and have ended up with 14! Chicks are so cute, it's hard not to buy more!

I bought pullets only, because I didn't want my neighbors complaining about rooster noise. Believe me, there is no way to make roosters not be noisy!

Right now, it's spring here in Texas, and the hens are laying 14 eggs most days, but other times of the year they molt, or get broody, or just don't want to lay, and I get much less eggs. They also quit laying if they get frightened, like if they get chased by the grandkids, or a dog tries to get in the run, or a hawk hits the top I have on the run. Those things happen pretty seldom, thankfully!

 

[Tarac]

I'm kinda new- had a small flock for a while, moved and am just starting again. It's not so complicated as it is more expensive than you would think. I built my coop out of salvaged materials down the shingles and hinges, converted a kennel into a run for outside time when I'm not home and that was all for about $100 (kennel was free). Big expense is going to be the wire or whatever material you choose to keep them safe from predators when they are unsupervised. I considered swapping out part of the roof of my coop for wire but decided to put it off because more wire is just to pricey to give up the roof on my run (also I'm in Florida so at least part needs to remain shaded). Chicks for the new set up are in the egg right now, due a few days before Easter. A local member offered to incubate eggs of the breed I wanted so I could just buy the chicks from her when they hatched. Connecting with local chicken folks is very good advice. And it's very easy with the internet and forums like this one.

It's not so complicated, they are pretty easy to raise but I would recommend factoring in time to get materials together to make your coop/run/etc. and definitely do that first- encourages a better looking and more secure and functional coop if you think it out before you are in a race to finish before the chickens take over your house.

If you want to guarantee only females and not deal with getting rid of roos then buy pullets. I worked out a deal with the member who is incubating eggs- we will both actively pursue selling roos (which are not allowed in my area) and the money made will go towards her incubating projects. If they take too long to sell on my end (i.e. they start trying to crow) then she will house them until they find new homes. If you are interested in a "desirable" breed it shouldn't be too hard to unload the roos. The members on this board are very nice, it's a great place to start looking for local help and resources indeed.