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

[akelley]

novicepeeps I've got fingers and toes crossed! Waiting is so nerve wracking!

 

[chippysmom327]

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!

Too cute! You're welcome!

 

[kpgoldstar]

Update on my chicks! We will be picking up RIR's on Monday that are about 2 weeks old. The other feed store that said they would have 3 day olds of some breeds we were wanting didn't have them, or someone bought all of them as soon as they came in. I drove 3 hrs to get chicks and was SUPER bummed!! But we wanted RIR's to begin with and the store that sold all their chicks had BO's which I researched until I was blue in the face and decided to get them anyway then when we got there, they didn't have any!!

My choices for live baby chicks is extremely limited where I live so I am happy to get the breed I wanted originally even if they are not the adorable day olds! I will love and pamper my 2 week olds and they will end up just as friendly and personable as if I had gotten them as teeny, tinys! I will take pics when I get them!

Kristine

 

[novicepeeps]

Received our 25 having difficulty added pics will have to move over to my desktop to add. 1 is not looking like it will make it through the night all the rest are thriving. Curious on what my ten mystery female chicks are.

 

[chippysmom327]

I remembered another suggestion!

If you teach your chickens to come (for treats or just in general) with a certain sound, DO NOT use the same noise you use to call your dogs. I made this mistake, and the dogs come running at the same time as the chickens. That creates chaos. And it's not that the dogs are aggressive to the chickens, but they just panic having large dogs barrelling towards them.

 

[kpgoldstar]

I got them!! YAY! Super excited. 4 RIR's just about 2 weeks old today. They are absolutely adorable!! I asked for bands when we were there but they don't sell them. I was like Oh Well, maybe we can tell them apart. Oh yes certainly!! They all have different coloring especially on their heads so they already have nicknames until we can name them based on personality. We brought a box with construction sand with us and placed them in there for the 3 hour ride home. We asked about food or water but were told they would be fine.

It was apparent that they were thirsty and hungry because the incessant picking started just a few minutes down the road. Some were even drawing blood and I was in a PANIC! One was particularly aggressive and she was on the small side. I was hoping I had someone to call to make sure this was normal behavior. I picked them up a couple at a time and let them ride on my lap. They got so cozy and comfy with me. I would go about 20 minutes then trade them out for the other two in the box. The whole way home I did this. They were already showing so much character! We had one that is the biggest and she could fly up on the edge of the box. Another was just obsessed with traveling up my arm and getting to my shoulder so she could pick on my hair.

We survived the trip, got them into their brooder. They drank and ate like there was no tomorrow! It is 90 in my garage so I opted not to have a brooder light in there due to their age. They are happy and content, bellies full, roosting together and hardly a peep out of them.

Riding on my lap on the way home

Home and they have figured out how to eat!

One of my girls who insisted on riding my arm the whole way home!

Happy healthy, CUTE!!!!

Kristine

 

[chippysmom327]

Adorable! Glad they're healthy!

 

[akelley]

Yay! They're so cute! I'm glad you got what you wanted.

All mine are very different, in looks and personality. There's just too many of them to keep straight, so I banded them.

DH already picked out his favorite. He's gonna be real upset if it's not a roo. He's excited to pick our rooster once they get older...

 

[novicepeeps]

Your rirs look just like mine. We lost one with in the 1st 48hours so we are down to 24. But all the rest seem good. I do have some favorites. 1/2 of the 24 will be going to my grandfather once they feather. Do far I like my rirs the best temperment wise the seem calmer. The amerucanas are pretty nice tempered too. The barred rock I have are all bosy. I put my food containers up on some old Tupperware in the brooder at back high seemed to control the shavings/ poop in food issues we were having we have 2 kiddy pools in my dining room right now. I put a wire top because they were getting dangerously close to escaping. We put large twig/branches in for roosting they love that and love their worms and apples.

 

[kpgoldstar]

Mine are growing like crazy! All but one can fly to the top of the 12+" deep brooder box. We keep a screen over the top to keep them in. They haven't been too fond of table scraps. I tried some melon and lettuce. Then last night I cubed up tomato really fine and they wanted nothing to do with it. They all have names now, Leticia, Snoppy, Dottie and Lemon. I am having a blast with them!