Sequimsquirrel
In the Brooder
Hi
I'm a first-time poster, long-time lurker. I'd like to start by thanking everyone who contributes their pearls of wisdom to these pages - I have learned so much and I am very grateful for the knowledge. I found BYC years ago by googling some questions and stumbling upon the website.
I have wanted to have chickens for years, finally moved to the right property a few months ago, just got 6 baby chicks from Mt Healthy Hatchery on 5/28.
FWIW, my experience with Mt Healthy was excellent - their communication and customer service were great, on-line ordering was easy and straightforward. I bought from Mt Healthy because they have a smaller minimum, reasonable shipping fees, and none of the other hatcheries had any chicks available for several months and I didn't want to start young chickens in the fall/winter here in Washington. The babies arrived safely and started running around the brooder, eating, drinking and chirping right away. The hatchery sent one extra who didn't survive the trip from Ohio - I had expected some mortality, but it was still sad to see.
I'm using a heating pad cave to keep the chicks warm (thank you BYC folks for the info on that!) Feeding them Modesto Mills organic starter crumbles. I gave them Sav-a-chick electrolytes in their water, diluted way more than the package said, for the first two days, then switched to plain water. The brooder is two cardboard boxes taped together to make one big box, with the bottom covered in press'n'seal, then pine pellet bedding over that.
The babies are a Barnevelder cockerel and five pullets: Barnevelder, Cream Legbar, Welsumer, Lavender Orpington, and a Rhode Island Blue (Production Blue?)
My wonderful husband and step-son built the coop using the "Free Plans for an Awesome Chicken Coop" from the Home Depot website. I would love to free range the birds, but the eagles, red-tails and corvids circle our place menacingly even without the promise of a chicken dinner (I think the ravens are eyeing my cats)
Everyone stay healthy and safe - it's a crazy world we live in.
I'm a first-time poster, long-time lurker. I'd like to start by thanking everyone who contributes their pearls of wisdom to these pages - I have learned so much and I am very grateful for the knowledge. I found BYC years ago by googling some questions and stumbling upon the website.
I have wanted to have chickens for years, finally moved to the right property a few months ago, just got 6 baby chicks from Mt Healthy Hatchery on 5/28.
FWIW, my experience with Mt Healthy was excellent - their communication and customer service were great, on-line ordering was easy and straightforward. I bought from Mt Healthy because they have a smaller minimum, reasonable shipping fees, and none of the other hatcheries had any chicks available for several months and I didn't want to start young chickens in the fall/winter here in Washington. The babies arrived safely and started running around the brooder, eating, drinking and chirping right away. The hatchery sent one extra who didn't survive the trip from Ohio - I had expected some mortality, but it was still sad to see.
I'm using a heating pad cave to keep the chicks warm (thank you BYC folks for the info on that!) Feeding them Modesto Mills organic starter crumbles. I gave them Sav-a-chick electrolytes in their water, diluted way more than the package said, for the first two days, then switched to plain water. The brooder is two cardboard boxes taped together to make one big box, with the bottom covered in press'n'seal, then pine pellet bedding over that.
The babies are a Barnevelder cockerel and five pullets: Barnevelder, Cream Legbar, Welsumer, Lavender Orpington, and a Rhode Island Blue (Production Blue?)
My wonderful husband and step-son built the coop using the "Free Plans for an Awesome Chicken Coop" from the Home Depot website. I would love to free range the birds, but the eagles, red-tails and corvids circle our place menacingly even without the promise of a chicken dinner (I think the ravens are eyeing my cats)
Everyone stay healthy and safe - it's a crazy world we live in.
Glad you joined.
