Leaving My Chicks or... Waiting?

[AnimalGeek23]

Sorry to say this but I would wait. My reasoning is a bit more morbid. What if something were to happen and the chicks die? Your friend would be put in the position of having to tell you that something happened to them. Plus what if an emergency comes up and they can't check up on them?

Thanks for being thoughtful! That’s a good reason. I think I might wait.

 

[TheYLWFlock]

Wait. Trust me, you WILL make time. Also, get at minimum 4. At least one, if not more will be cockerels and I think chickens should at least be in groups of 3.

 

[annek]

I can't tell you how irresponsible it would be to get chicks now. I can't imagine leaving them for a week without checking on them. They need fresh water every day. If something happens and water leaks out or tips over they will die in short order. At one month old they still need additional heat, what if the light bulb burns out or your electricity shuts off or the bulb explodes. These are real concerns for chicks. If they were adults it would be maybe okay but I still would never leave my full grown hens for a full week without checking on them. Believe me you will have chickens for a long time, a few months will not make a difference to you but could be deathly to a chick.

 

[AnimalGeek23]

Ok! Decision is made! I shall wait.
Oh, and cockerels are illegal here. Too loud and everything. Ugh.

 

[keesmom]

Do you have a coop ready for them?

Are you away every summer?

 

[Pugsabi]

Ok! Decision is made! I shall wait.
Oh, and cockerels are illegal here. Too loud and everything. Ugh.

Plus won't it be something to look forward to once you get back? Cockerel are illegal in my area too(unless you have an acre+ of land) even though I can hear there are some in the area. I would try to get your chicks locally (check Craigslist too) because a lot of hatcheries, such as ideal, send their chicks with packing peanuts made-up of baby boys to keep your girl chicks warm. So you might order 3 chicks and get 27 packing peanuts that you will have to make homes for! Sometimes you can request heating pads instead but I think that costs extra. Luckily we have a few feeding stores here in Texas that have chicks year-round but I'm not sure about your state. Just a heads up.