Nebraskan new to chicken and duck ownership

[jmariebeef]

I am a newbie to the chicken world. My chicks and ducks are supposed to be here the middle of next week...8 silver lace Wyandotte, 8 golden lace Wyandotte, 3 blue lace red Wyandotte and 6 Rouen ducks. I am looking at a little bigger scale than I may be prepared for, but our coop was already on our property sitting empty and kind of worn out so I decided to put it to good use. We have ended up taking out the framing for the doors and windows and putting in new because the boards were rotten, but the main structure is clay tile so it is pretty tight and safe. We also had to pull out the wood floor because those boards were rotten and chewed through by rats. We are pouring concrete next weekend so the coop will be ready about a week after my chickies and ducks arrive. I am super excited, but any advice, tips, pointers, or words of encouragement are definitely welcome.

 

[GitaBooks]

Sounds exciting!

Chickens are a ton of fun. There will be moments of laughter, moments of panic, moments of frustration, moments of awe when you see a little baby hatch. It is so worth it. Do as much research as possible and be prepared for the unexpected. Chickens love to throw curve-balls.

Remember these hints:

Let new arrivals warm up and rest. Introduce water first, keep them warm and calm, let them explore their brooder, tuck weak ones under your shirt to rest and get them drinking. Provide some electrolyte mix in their water.

When ducks first arrive don't let them drink too much or they may harm themselves, let them drink a few minutes and then take the water a few minutes for the first day

As chicks age they love natural branch perches to play on and learn how to balance because of these

Chicks seem to enjoy sitting on your lap more than being held in your hand, as chicks naturally hide under their mother (they adore being tucked under your shirt and talked to)

Ducks can catch a chill if provided with a pool they can play with 24/7, so only let them play in a pool when you can supervise (at least until they get their adult feathering and are waterproof)

Medicated chick starter is dangerous for ducks. Make sure your ducks get plenty of niacin


And don't forget to have lots of fun! Best of luck!

 

[pdirt]

@GitaBooks gives you some excellent tips.

I'll mention this since you've haven't yet poured concrete. If you haven't heard of the Deep Litter Method, you might look into it. It works best if you have a dirt floor. Basically, you turn your coop floor into a compost pile. You lay down a thin layer of bedding material (such as wood shavings) and the chickens poop on it. Then every week or three, lay down another thin layer. About once a week, spend 60 seconds stirring the coop floor to keep it oxygenated. If you live in a very dry climate, you may want to spray down the bedding occasionally during the driest months. Then, once a year (or some folks do it twice), clean out about 80% of the bedding material and you will have either fully composted material or mostly composted. The bugs and microorganisms from the composting process do much of the "dirty work" for you. The DLM doesn't require you to do regular (time-consuming) clean-outs, plus you get some nice compost out of it, if that matters for you.

 

[jmariebeef]

@GitaBooks gives you some excellent tips.

I'll mention this since you've haven't yet poured concrete. If you haven't heard of the Deep Litter Method, you might look into it. It works best if you have a dirt floor. Basically, you turn your coop floor into a compost pile. You lay down a thin layer of bedding material (such as wood shavings) and the chickens poop on it. Then every week or three, lay down another thin layer. About once a week, spend 60 seconds stirring the coop floor to keep it oxygenated. If you live in a very dry climate, you may want to spray down the bedding occasionally during the driest months. Then, once a year (or some folks do it twice), clean out about 80% of the bedding material and you will have either fully composted material or mostly composted. The bugs and microorganisms from the composting process do much of the "dirty work" for you. The DLM doesn't require you to do regular (time-consuming) clean-outs, plus you get some nice compost out of it, if that matters for you.

Thanks...I have heard of the deep litter and thought about using it; however, evidence from the old wood floor indicated that rats have been a problem in the past. Plus in the process of cleaning out what was left by the previous property owner I actually found a mummified rat carcass...yuk. Also, my ducks and chickens will be housed together and the reading I have done said that deep litter doesn't work very well with ducks since their poop is so fluid. I have done quite a bit of research on both, as well as, talking to friends and family who have had chickens so I think I am ready. I will be at work when they arrive, but I have already called my local post office and they said they will deliver them. I am having them shipped to my sister-in-law's since she will be home...she is my daycare provider for my 10 month old baby girl. She agreed to take care of them until I get there to pick her up.