Need some help finding bantams in Or around eastern NC

[MisfitRanch01]

I down sized my flock, from 35 to 10 getting rid of my rhode Island reds and barred rocks, as I didn’t need 35 chickens

Now I’ve decided I want to add some bantam’s! But the problem is, I’m not comfortable raising chicks just yet, I got my girls as coop ready pullets, but the bantams I do find are still chicks, mind you i’ve only been on Craigslist and there was almost nothing on there anyways. In short, I need coop ready pullets (5) and I may be interested in a coop ready cockerel, old enough for the coop but still young enough I *might* be able to bond with them. No specific breed but I’m interested in Sebrights,Barbu d'Uccle and Ameraucana Bantam’s, not sure if this is the right thread to ask though. I’ll check facebook later today, but are there any more sites I could check?

 

[sourland]

You might try posting in the NC state thread. Realistically started birds will probably be in short supply this time of year. Good luck.

 

[Battlepants]

Out of curiosity, what is holding you back from raising chicks?

 

[MisfitRanch01]

Out of curiosity, what is holding you back from raising chicks?

Honestly, I’m scared I’ll do something wrong. From reading it seams fairly easy, but I just don’t want to make a mistake and hurt them since I haven’t done it. But I am contemplating it.

 

[Battlepants]

Honestly, I’m scared I’ll do something wrong. From reading it seams fairly easy, but I just don’t want to make a mistake and hurt them since I haven’t done it. But I am contemplating it.

I definitely stressed a lot my first time, but it ultimately was pretty easy. Here's what I did if this helps.

Brooder:
Any old box-shaped item that is big enough to hold your chicks - I used some puzzle piece mats put together into a 5 sided cube. Some bedding - I used wood shavings. A heat lamp with enough room to get away from it if they get too warm. Also, you will want to have some sort of pulley system for your lamp to slowly pull it away from them each week to get them used to cooler temperatures - I had some twine wrapped around a broom handle for this. Water dispenser - add some gravel to the water so they can dip their beak in but not really get their full head into it. Food dispenser - add some grit per the instruction of the grit package. Also side note, food and water dispensers put on a weight plate or other spacer does well to keep the bedding out of the food and water, cuts down on maintenance quite a bit.

From this basic setup, adding some other fun things can be both fun for you and the chicks. I ended up setting up a practice roost bar and it was fun watching them try roosting while knocking off the other chicks. Also grabbing some random weeds from the yard to entertain them at times.

Daily Chores:
Check on food and water to make sure there is enough to go around. Pick up each chick to inspect them and get them familiar to human hands. In raising 5 chicks, I had to clean one instance of poopy-butt, which I caught very early and not even sure if it needed to be caught. Also, you will want to observe their behavior regarding the heat lamp - if they are pressed together near the lamp (too cold) or pressed into a corner as far from the heat lamp as possible (too hot), adjust accordingly. Ideally, you will have them spread around, some under the lamp, some asleep, some doing other things. Could use a thermometer here, but I just let the chicks tell me what was needed

Introductions:
Set up a small secured run within the yard or run of your existing chickens - chicken wire with tarp clamped to it worked well here. Set up a small "coop" for them to sleep in - used a cat carrier with stick pushed through it to act as a roost bar - used a clamp to hold the door open during the day, closed it at night. After a couple days of the big girls seeing the littles, I moved the cat carrier coop into the main coop floor at night. Opening it just enough for the littles to enter and leave - this is so they have somewhere safe to retreat if they get picked on too much.

Other thoughts:
Be aware of the size of the holes in your fence and consider a secure run if you haven't already. I unfortunately lost one chick due to her getting out of the yard and getting grabbed by my dog. Another chick was lost in a hawk attack due to not having a secured run. Ultimately, some mistakes may happen, but the best respect you can give to your chickens is to learn and make sure they don't happen again.

I would suggest trying it out. It's a bit of a stressful process the first time but it is very rewarding. And we have countless people here that will help you along your way if you have any questions!