Just Ordered Chicks (for October 2nd)! Ack!

[akelley]

Well, I got "the call" a moment ago! DH is picking them up from the post office since I'm at work ALL DAY. This is going to be the longest day EVER!

I'm glad I ordered from Ideal; they only spend 16 hours in transit. Although I might pick them up next time; the wait has been nerve wracking!

I'll post pics when I get some!

 

[cdstewart]

Thanks for the advice donrae!

The chicks are going outside at four weeks; it will still be plenty warm down here for them to go out without their heat lamp at that point.

I really do think this brooder will be plenty big enough; if I wanted to (which I don't) I could climb inside there and crawl around. The picture doesn't do a good job showing the size.

Either way, I will definitely look out for crowding issues as they grow

i had half as many chicks in a this large and it is definitely too small.. it would work for 2 or 3 weeks.. and then the fighting will start. don't fret though because you'll find that you'll make more brooders or find something that works better and you'll probably do as i did, use the extra stuff from the beginning flocks as sick bay's and specialty brooders/pens.. your first will always be your favorite though.. i have a hen house in tardis blue.. loved the one posted in this thread..looks a lot like that...
chickens grow waaaay faster and larger than you think.. in a very short time span.

 

[akelley]

Here they are! Sorry about the evil lighting, I'll get better pics once I'm home with them.

The EE in the corner with chubby cheeks has me cracking up!

 

[cdstewart]

Here they are! Sorry about the evil lighting, I'll get better pics once I'm home with them.

The EE in the corner with chubby cheeks has me cracking up!

i love their faces.. honestly one of my fav's.. can't wait to see them all set up!!!!

 

[akelley]

i love their faces.. honestly one of my fav's.. can't wait to see them all set up!!!!  

Me too! This is seriously the worst day of work EVER.I want to go home and play with my babies!

 

[cdstewart]

i've found that giving them lots and lots of attention makes them wonderful pets.. my first flock had a terrific mulberry tree in our back yard it was what they looked forward to every year. Their feathers were so shiny from being fed good food and getting lots of attention. My daughters used to sneak them back inside if it was raining.. we loaded them up for every hurricane, as evacuation for us is like a mini vacation.. no hurricanes in kansas though.

 

[chippysmom327]

A few things I learned from chicken keeping:

•No matter how prepared you think you are, they always find a way to prove you wrong!

•Assemble a first aid kit (even for chicks)! They always seem to get injured/sick at the most inconvienient times!

•Make sure you build a much larger coop than you need! Chicken math strikes no matter how much you think it won't! Trust me!

Welcome to the club!

Edit: Was just checking the chicken blogs I follow, and saw this! What a coincidence!
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/10/things-i-wish-i-had-known-before.html?m=1
I'm by no means saying you don't know how to care for chickens! Just helping you out the way I wish someone did for me when I started out!

 

[kpgoldstar]

Hi!
I am new to the chicken world as an adult too! I raised and showed chickens as a young teen in 4-H. That was in mild central California. I live in Arizona now so I have even more heat issues than you do! I will be getting my chicks from a feed store on Monday the 7th. I am only starting with 4. I own a business and work lots of hours but my home time is spent in my backyard, tending my garden. Having chickens share that precious time is something I have been thinking about for over 10 years.

I am getting mine on Monday! We have to drive 3 hours to our nearest BIG feed store. They have BO's that will be 6 days old when we can get there. They may also have some RIR's 3 wks old. We're not sure who or what our hearts will desire to purchase! Our minimum order for shipped chicks is WAY too many!! My coop will only hold 4. My brooder box is ready, my garage stays between 88 and 95 all day and night long and that is where I plan to keep them.
The temps in there will slowly drop along with their age requirements for heat.

We are planning to handle them plenty so they become members of our family. We were empty nesters about 14 years ago and got a Chihuahua. Had her for 12 years before she passed and that was so hard. Now it's been 1 1/2 years and we are ready for a new pet. Chickens!

akelley you got home, right?? How were the chicks?

Kristine

 

[akelley]

Yup, I got home! We had one chick DOA; we think it was trampled since the box was so small. But everyone else is thriving!

DH was not prepared for how cute they are. He keeps saying "they're just so...adorable." And they are.

I am going to leg band them today and take lots of pictures. I don't plan on breeding these babies unless I'm just really impressed with some of them, but I want to fine tune a records system; hence the leg bands.

They are drinking just fine and half of them picked at their fermented feed (the other half watched them). I think they're doing fine!

I did take a couple pictures last night:

A NOISY EE fluffball.

One of my SLW

Thanks for the advice Chippysmom! And the link; that's a good article.

Kristine: good luck getting your chicks next week! I hope you take pictures!

 

[novicepeeps]

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Mine should be coming today or tomorrow. I'm so nervous and excited. Fingers crossed for a nice loud box.