My sincerest apologies!

[Ms Biddy]

I always recommend having at least two coops. It's just practical in case you need to quarantine or separate birds. See, it's practical. Personally three coops is better than two. You might need to raise replacement birds someday and they need their own space. Or if your favorite hen goes broody, you might want to let her hatch some eggs for you. It will save electricity and be easier than that $300 incubator you're going to be eyeing. Again, purely practical.

 

[Latestarter]

Great intro post! Loved reading your story Kinda like I imagine an AA meeting would start out. Introductions you know.

 

[nightowl223]

Just FYI, you are NOT going to want those chicks in the house very long, I kept some in my spare bathroom and changed their bedding every day and they still managed to stink and fling stuff EVERYWHERE! I ended up building an insulated brooding shed out of an old playhouse and some recycled materials.

LMAO! I LOVE having the little ones inside until they're feathered out! I love how, when I can't sleep, at 3 AM, when everyone else is asleep, I can go watch "chick TV" in the back room, LOL! I can take them out, and let them fall asleep in my hand, or roost on my shoulder (I am always prepared with a hand towel for protecting the pj's, LOL!), even at 4 AM... something I wouldn't exactly be able to do outside.

Yeah, they're messy, but then, so were my kids, and they didn't grow up to give me fresh breakfast every morning. I just keep a microfiber duster mop handy, and flowery scented lysol-knock-off spray nearby. I'd much rather deal with a little more dust and handle or watch them any time I want.

 

[Flamens Farm]

LOL, loved your into and everyone's comments! OMG don't get me started on chicken math, my family is already calling me the crazy chicken lady! So far I have hatched out 20 chicks (3 weeks old). 4 chicks 6 weeks old, 3 chicks (1 day old) and 14 guinea's (1 day old), 2 guineas (3 weeks old and bought 3 ducks! With more on the way in the incubator ready tomorrow and the next day. Oh no not just 1 incubator I had to have 2! Incubator 1 has eggs in it started yesterday, I want more turkeys! Welcome to our world and our love for feathered friends.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Just FYI, you are NOT going to want those chicks in the house very long, I kept some in my spare bathroom and changed their bedding every day and they still managed to stink and fling stuff EVERYWHERE! I ended up building an insulated brooding shed out of an old playhouse and some recycled materials.

Read the thread on MHP by Blooie in the Raising Baby Chicks forum ... You can safely raise them outdoors in a secure brooder Yup, that dust & smell is horrible Found that fermenting (another thread) feed works great to for stinky poop .... I find they poop less, it's firmer and not stinky however the cecal poop still stinks & stains.

Welcome to BYC, we're glad to have you join us

 

[nightowl223]

Oh no not just 1 incubator I had to have 2! Incubator 1 has eggs in it started yesterday, I want more turkeys! Welcome to our world and our love for feathered friends.

I have a homemade big cabinet incubator already paid for that I am afraid to go pick up for fear of all of those empty turners talking me into more hatching eggs, LOL! The dorm fridge incubator I made has enough room for over 100 quail eggs and 42 larger (chicken up to goose) eggs, and it's about 3/4 full right now, with my second attempt at (shipped) Sweetgrass turkey eggs, 2 dozen duck eggs, some of my barnyard mixes, some of my Marans, and some of my Banty Cochins, and about 3 dozen quail eggs right now... yes, it's a disease, and no, there is no cure.

 

[HenniesInMyHeart]

For the longest time I thought y'all were crazy about this chicken math thing. How do you go to the store for one thing and magically double your flock? That wasn't going to be me!

My starting flock was just going to be two chickens. I ordered the coop and hardware cloth. Tuesday, the items were supposed to arrive, I'd set everything up and have chickens by Wednesday!

Well Tuesday came, but only half the coop arrived (1 box out of the expected 2) and a message about the second box arriving Wednesday. That was fine, just gave me more time to visit different feed stores and figure out where I was going to buy my birds.

Then, Wednesday came and still no box! Apparently it was damaged on route and the seller was going to send me another one. I was a bit disappointed but that just gave me some time to do a bit more research.

I saw a thread saying that it's best to start a flock with three birds instead of two. So that's what we'd do (it's not chicken math, it's just for the health of the birds!)

That brings me to Friday, where two boxes arrive! Instead of just sending me the one box I was missing, they sent me a whole new coop! Which means I now have an extra nesting box, ramp, poop drawer, and two "walls" complete with doors. With the extra hardware cloth, an old dog house and box of extras we had enough to make an extra coop! And still block off part of the backyard so they can free-range!

I didn't have time to get the chickens on Friday before work (I work the graveyard shift on weekends) so I made plans with Mom and my sister-in-law to get the pullets on Saturday afternoon.

We got there and it was packed! Most people were there for the chicks, but we knew we wanted them to be a little older. The first one the lady grabbed was a calico princess and when she gave her to me she made some clucking noises and immediately started falling asleep in my arms! We also got a black sex link and an olive egger. Then my mother said she wanted a white one so we got a leghorn(how could I say no to my own mother?). It's not chicken math, right? It's just obligation to make the one who brought me into this world and raised me happy!

Well last night at work, I kept thinking about the Wyandotte that I always wanted (since I found out they existed two weeks ago), wishing that I had gotten her, plus, didn't mom's leghorn have a comb that was a bit too pink? She might be a surprise roo! We'll have plenty of space with an extra coop.

We talked it over and I'll be going to go get my new pullet tomorrow... But I don't want her to get picked on for being the new girl, so I might as well get two..

So about this chicken math thing, are there meetings? Or a vaccination? I think might be coming down with something...

LMAO!!! I LOVED reading this, and of course, I smiled and nodded throughout. When I first came here, I was like, "Coronation Sussex and Jubilee Orpingtons have stolen my heart!" Then my siggy kept growing...to include...Blue-Laced Red Wyandottes, and Cochins, and SILKIES...I am stopping there. NO I MEAN IT! REALLY! Also, my hubby was asking me, wait, so...you were going to SELL the extra babies, RIGHT?! RIGHT?!!
Erm yes...but...it's hard putting up ads and letting little ones go...but now, I have no less than THREE incubators running and...yep. Time to rehome some featherballs.

I've got lotsa Hennies In My Heart, and I am a Chicken Mathematician!
Welcome to the flock!

 

[HenniesInMyHeart]

LMAO! I LOVE having the little ones inside until they're feathered out! I love how, when I can't sleep, at 3 AM, when everyone else is asleep, I can go watch "chick TV" in the back room, LOL! I can take them out, and let them fall asleep in my hand, or roost on my shoulder (I am always prepared with a hand towel for protecting the pj's, LOL!), even at 4 AM... something I wouldn't exactly be able to do outside.

Yeah, they're messy, but then, so were my kids, and they didn't grow up to give me fresh breakfast every morning. I just keep a microfiber duster mop handy, and flowery scented lysol-knock-off spray nearby. I'd much rather deal with a little more dust and handle or watch them any time I want.

AWWWWWWWWWW a girl after my own hennie-filled heart! My chicks stay inside until they feather out too, and I keep their brooder on a table next to my computer table and I just love watching them and loving on them! I think my babies are so super lovey and make such amazing companions because they are raised with so much one-on-one TLC. Here's to loving on chickies!

 

[nightowl223]

AWWWWWWWWWW a girl after my own hennie-filled heart! My chicks stay inside until they feather out too, and I keep their brooder on a table next to my computer table and I just love watching them and loving on them! I think my babies are so super lovey and make such amazing companions because they are raised with so much one-on-one TLC. Here's to loving on chickies!

That is exactly how I view it! My featherbabies grow up friendly and spoiled as can be, so when I do manage to turn some loose, I know they will never be mean or flighty.

 

[HenniesInMyHeart]

That is exactly how I view it! My featherbabies grow up friendly and spoiled as can be, so when I do manage to turn some loose, I know they will never be mean or flighty.

Hooray for like-minded chicken sistaz!