New Mom (almost) needs advice!

[The Sheriff]

Hi, I am your neighbor in Citrus Heights! I got a mail order delivery of 5 silkies two weeks ago. The PO called at 8:00 and said "we have a package for you that is chirping. Can you come right away and get it"? I raced to get my girls! Then when I got the box it was taped with that packing tape with the strings running through! Arghh I had nothing to open it with! I tried my keys, my teeth, etc. Finally I just drove home with them chirping madly on the seat beside me. I was so pleased when I got it open and so those babies!

Good luck with yours. This is the best place for information!

Mary in CH

 

[gryeyes]

Welcome to BYC! I am also your neighbor, so to speak, in West Sacramento! (I moved here just about 2 years ago...) I'm a new chicken mom, built the tractor/coop myself, and have 8 pullets (pray they are all pullets!) in the bathroom in the brooder right now.

They're all different breeds AND ages, due to my insane need to replenish my flock every week or so as Bad Things Happened. Started with four on Oct. 1, one died after 8 days (a light Brahma). I bought four more. One of those died (a Black Sex-link). I started taking them outside for little visits to the coop and run, and my elderly dachshund surprised the heck out of me by dashing by me to catch and kill the oldest pullet at the Top of the Pecking Order - an Ameraucana. About a week later, he did it again, catching and killing the next oldest, a RIR and suspected cockerel. (I am SO much more careful when getting the chickens into the coop, now!!! If he manages to get another chicken, he's going to go live with my best friend..... and that's really a tough decision on my part.)

Anyway, I spent a ton of time in the bathroom just enjoying the chicks. And when I gather them up one at a time and transport them outside for a couple of hours ever day or so to get used to their coop run, I just love watching them interact. This coming weekend, the current oldest - Plymouth Rock Barred - turns 8 wks old. The next oldest will be 7 wks - an Australorp. Then there are two 6 wk old chicks: SLW and Buff Orpington. Two four week old chicks: Ameraucana, and Black Sex-Link. And the last two, 3 wks old: Brown Leghorn and Cuckoo Maran.

Rebecca the Plymouth Rock is fully feathered and ready for the coop, but she'd be alone...... Matilda the Australorp is dang near fully feathered, so I could put them out there together whilst the rest of the flock spend their nights in the brooder for another few weeks...

I don't really know what to do about this age difference thing, now that I've succumbed to the Chicken Addiction in buying 'em like this. At least 8 are the absolute maxiumum number, so I won't keep doing it......

Enjoy the forum and post often - I need more "neighbors" to talk to about my chickens!!!!

 

[juliect]

[email protected]17 :

I can definitely move things around. Right now the lamp is about 14 inches from the bedding. How low can I hang the light? Does it matter as long as I get the 95-100 degree range without giving them access to touch it?

14" might be too close, just be prepared to raise it quickly. I had my brooder preheated to 95 degrees for the arrival of my Salmon Faverolles. They started showing signs of overheating in less than an hour of their arrival, so I spent the next few hours raising the lamp until they showed signs of being comfortable. Turns out they were more comfortable with the temperature closer to 80F, instead of the normally recommended 95 degrees, so I stopped watching the thermometer and started watching the chicks' behavior instead.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=221958​

 

[dovecanyon]

I agree! I spent nearly a week adjusting my brooder to stay at 95' before my chicks arrived. They did not like that temp! All of my chicks like it cooler. They are 3 weeks now, and act like I'm cooking them if it is 80' in the brooder. (I have tried 4 different thermometers just to be sure it isn't that) I was sooo worried about it before they arrived, but truly, after just a few days you will be able to tell how they feel just by watching them. I can't believe how quickly we learned to communicate with each other. Relax, and trust that you will figure out what to do, just by doing it.