Let the Controversy Begin!!

[Laurajean]

Quote:
Honestly, I feel confident in her advice. She's well known in this town as far as chickens go, I've spoken to several people about chickens and they always ask if I know about her. I feel fortunate to have her expertise in various matters.

I posted something a while back about her, and someone left a very know-it-all response saying "I don't care what your supposed chicken lady says.... blah blah blah", and I was really taken aback.

I totally know what you mean about how I feel when reading the responses. When people I know aren't sure what to do, I tell them to flip a coin. If the result satisfies them, great. If they don't like the coin flip results, then you know you feel the other way!

I only ask because I try to be very open minded, and I do value her opinion as well as all the folks here on this board. I like to try and weigh out opinions and see how I feel about them. So although I am curious as to what folks here on the board will think, I do tend to trust her and as Sunny Side Up said, I do feel fortunate to have her as a local consultant. Not sure how her boss would feel if he knew how many times I've gone in there to buy something and left without it due to her advice, lol, but I appreciate her honesty!

 

[StormyMoon]

When I couldnt take my chicks out side, I brought outside in to them in their brooder.
I layered it with nice loose dirt fresh from out side and grabbed up a bunch of grass and let them go to town on it. They loved it and I didn't have to worry about them getting chilled. They are alive and kicking back out in the coop now that they are fully feathered. I do still give them some small amounts of corn masa ( the kind for making tortillas ) they just love it but they will flick it all over the place lol and rub their beaks on your pants then pick at your leg to get what they rubbed off.

 

[shelleyd2008]

My hens take their chicks outside when they are 2-3 days old, so I don't see why it would be any different for us. Granted, the chicks can crawl under mama if they get cold, but if you watch them they should be fine.

 

[SeaHen]

I would never have thought twice about this because my banty hens have taken their chicks out into the world from the day they hatch, but last month I watched 5 little ones drop like flies when their mom led them out in the rain and they got chilled. We were able to revive 3 of them by warming and drying immediately with a blow dryer, but it all happened so quickly and scared me so much that I didn't let my store-bought chicks outside during the day until they were feathered, even for short sunbaths. I realize chicks out in the rain is a totally different scenario than chicks out in 80-degree sunshine, and I don't think it's necessarily healthy to be as cautious as I was. My instinct agrees with what most of the other posters have said; however, the fact that you trust this woman's knowledge and experience is what matters. I say follow your gut feelings.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

You know, there are so many different methods to how people are raising their chicks, and apparently successfully too, that it can get really confusing (I'm new at this too). But it goes to show that there is not just one way to do it.

 

[Dust Bunny]

Quote:
said everything i was going to say... your fine

 

[SkyWarrior]

I can see your Chicken Lady's point. I've read elsewhere the same things she said. When I got my chicks, it was too cold to even consider bringing them outside -- and right now, I don't have enough protection for them if I did. I do feed treats, but

I think that's my prerogative. I give chick grit too. If I were simply feeding my chickens nothing but feed, I think that would make sense. But I'm not and I figure feeding them other things might be helpful. I give my chicks dandelions, grass, bread, leftover salad, rice and scratch along with their food. They catch bugs, too.

I think that people have to do what they feel is best for them. I would think if I were you, I would ask your Chicken Lady why you need to do that. Sometimes there's a good reason for it and sometimes it's because "that's the way we've always done it." I would be curious what her answer would be.

 

[dutchhollow]

Whatever works for you is what is right. There is no 'right' way to do things with living animals. I have had broody's hatch chicks in January here in below freezing temps. I have never fed grit to any chicken, and I am sure there are things that chickens can eat that can harm them, but I always chuckle when I read the topics 'can my chickens eat '''''", mine eat anything that comes out of the fridge or closet that we don't eat, after seeing them eat the things they eat when out ranging, I don't worry about it. So do what makes you feel good and comfortable, that is what is 'right'.

 

[zatsdeb]

I bet there are a ton of "Chicken Ladies" on this web site with a lot of knowledge... I wonder if you friend is on byc? lots of people raise their birds different, just have to do what is right for you, I give my chicks handfuls of grass cause that is what the hatchery told me, mcmurray, and I read it in a bunch of books, I don't do the yougurt... and all the treats but mostly cause I think they are good, treats are more for us than for them I think. I love watching them scurry around with grass in their beaks!!
I think there is no right or wrong answer here!
Have fun with your chicks!!!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

The more you have to do with poultry the more you're going to find folks with different ways of doing things. And chances are most all of them will be succesful so long as they covered the few fundamental basics that chick care requires.

I don't take take my chicks out to play. I put them in the brooder at hatch or when ever I receive them from the hatchery and they don't usually come out of again until it's time to take them out for good. I also don't feed treats. I do however begin feeding green feed at one week old and I use rolled oats for chick scratch every other day to encourage them to keep the brooder litter scratched up and fluffy. I don't normally feed grit in the brooder with those particular feeds. I do occasionally experiment with other feeds though where I will give them grit. My rule of thumb about this is that if it's a food I would need to chew with my teeth to properly digest then the birds will need grit for that same food.

Some folks in my opinion go way overboard with this treat business, but so long as the birds have good access to a complete ration and the treats aren't too awful nutrition wise they're not likely to hurt anything. Not doing them any particular good either, but not likely to hurt anything.

As to whether or not you should take them outside it's entirely dependent on temperature and if the ground is wet. If the birds are more than a week old and it's hot outside and the ground is dry I don't see that it would hurt anything. IF you are paying attention because little chicks like that are bite size snacks for a world of predators and the first time you forget and they get wet from rain or water sprinklers you may find yourself in a world of hurt. I'm with your "Chicken Lady" in that it's not necessary and not worth taking a chance on. But if you're careful and mindful of conditions it can be done safely enough.

There is a myriad of ways to raise chicks and they can all be made to work IF you understand what you are doing.