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dburge1

Chirping
Sep 10, 2018
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Hi All,
Just signed up today! Bought 4 Black Australorps ,have coop ordered and will do add on run myself. Going with sand on plywood and wire cage floor, walls and ceilings lol cage to keep snakes, coons, possum and fox out.. I raised chicks as a kid on Farm but I am 57 Years Old now then 5, that said I know basically nothing. When can I start holding and bonding with these wonderful Birds??? My grandkids already picked theirs and named
Mine is a runt and solid black name: Atilla the Hen :wee
4 Year Old Grandaughters is : Olivia :yesss:
11Year Old Grandaughters is Fluffy:lau
My Wife (didn’t want chickens but falling in love with them) : Wendy :love
 
sourland said:
Welcome to BYC. Remember to wash hands after handling chicks - especially important for the grand kids.
Click to expand...
Thank You All will remember to wash and grandkids we have hand sanitizer close using that. Any thoughts on hen to handle birds? Have read different post some say handle day one on, other say start by having feed in your hand for them to eat from you???
This is to not stress the chicken, said approach saying Chick, Chick, Chick or Peep, Peep, Peep ??? I am open to all suggestions and advice! Thank You In Advance
 
:frowHi there and welcome to BackYard Chickens!!

What is sand on plywood? Is that a tray under the roosts filled with sand to easily scoop out poo? That's a wonderful idea. But I don't think I would recommend a wire floor... chickens love to scratch, and wire can pull their claws or cause bumblefoot, not to mention it's just uncomfortable to walk on and poo will get caked and be impossible to keep clean. Although wire buried under the dirt would be fine to keep out burrowing/digging predators. Half inch hardware cloth would be even better fencing for the run and/or to cover any windows/vents to keep out snakes and mice.

Have you looked at the Chicken Coops section for ideas?

Also, you can start playing with those cute babies any time now! They usually only need a day to settle in and learn what food & water is. As sourland said, reaching for them from above can be scary, so move your hand to ground level first then try to reach under to pick them up, then cup your other hand over their back to keep them from falling. Mine used to hop right on my palm to get lifted out of the brooder.

Here are some of my favorite helpful links that may be of interest to you:

Kick The Heat Lamp: Better, Safer And Healthier Options To Heat Your Brooder

Chicken Coop Ventilation- Go Out There And Cut More Holes in Your Coop!

How to Raise Chickens -this one has tons of links to other information
flappyChicken.gif
Well I wish you the best in your new chicken adventure!!!
 
Hi! I hope you & your family enjoy your new chicks as they grow! Have fun building your run & setting up your coop. Love the names by the way :)

My daughter handled ours from the day we brought them home. She learned quickly to always have a towel over her lap because well.....chickens poop anywhere and everywhere! Handling them didn’t automatically make them all tame however. Some of our girls are friendly and don’t mind being held while other prefer to keep a bit of distance unless there are treats involved. I think it has more to do with personality than how much each one was held.
 

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