New to backyard Chickens have a question!!

[Cuddlebug]

Hello, my name is Christina and I just got my chickens yesterday. I got four of them, three Rhode Island Red's and one I think is a Barred Rock, right now she is all white I am not positive. They were born june 8th and they are just the cutest little things. Me and my family have named them Big Mama, Falco, Erin egger, and Nugget. I love my little babies.

I named Nugget and Big Mama. They love me. For some reason Nugget keeps pooping on me. Every single time I pick her up she poops its almost as though she is waiting for me to pick her up to go potty. Big Mama is for some reason obnoxiously attached to me. Currently she is sitting on my chest (on top of a paper towel to catch poop) watching me type this and sleeping. She chirps bloody murder if anyone tries to take her from me and she only comes to me. She will only let me pick her up. Once I have her, if I am up and walking around, she is either on my shoulder or my head. Im afraid of her being on my head, not just the poop but when I woke up this morning she almost jumped out of her designated area for me. My hair hadn't been brushed and she got hair wrapped around her neck. Then later while my roommate reached for her off my shoulder (without my noticing) she screamed and jumped to my head, well her foot had been caught in my hair. She started screeching (she just pooped lol) like she had been hurt. I am freaking out almost in tears because I think my hair is around her neck again, but my roommate managed to untangle her little foot and hold her for about .3 seconds before she jumpflew back to me, screeching the entire time. I am attempting to teach her to kiss me

I was wondering how long I can hold her before I need to bring her back to get food and water. Usually I hold her until she gets restless and chattery. She just moved under my neck I am pretty sure she does that when she gets cold. Also, whenever she poops she always turns her butt away from my arm or whatever is holding her. I love this.

I have a question about my little Falco. Falco is the smallest girl of the bunch. She is just starting to grow her adult feathers out of the back of her neck and my fiancé, he's the one who named her and she is his favorite, noticed that the back of her neck looked like it was bleeding. Well today, some of her adult feathers came out. I am not sure what is wrong with her or if there is anything I can do for her. It honestly looks like dry skin or something. We are worried because her tiny little adult feathers fell out.

I was also concerned about something the chickens were doing earlier. Erin egger had rolled around in the food and bedding and everything and all three of the other chickens were pecking at her. It looked like they were just picking the food and stuff off of her, but I don't understand why this would happen. Do I need to separate my chickens?

Food,
I have started feeding my babies the chick feed for their age that the pet store recommended, and bananas, lettuce, carrots, and broccoli. I decided to give them my kitties automatic waterer when I woke up this morning (after only sleeping 4 hours) and their bowl was not only empty but dry. This is just until my homemeade waterer and feeder is finished.

This is my two day story. I have never had chickens before, its funny how quickly everyone fell in love with the chicks. Even my cousin who claimed to be terrified of chickens, he screamed when he saw 4 baby spawn in my house, has fallen in love with his Erin Egger. I would love comments, feedback, and critics on my tiny story. I also would really like to know if there is anything I can do for little Falco.

 

[drumstick diva]

At this age Falco doesn't have adult tiny feathers, she has chick feathers - if she is molting them out in time you will see pin feathers emerging from her skin. This is the natural replacement.

When a chicken(or dog, or parrot or child) is too spoiled they are fixated on one person or two. Unless you want needy behavior that will accelerate as she matures, it would be good to gradually wean her off the sole devotion to you, and screeching about everyone else.

What would happen otherwise, if you wanted a vacation or had to be away for a time - she would throw fits if someone else tries to care for her. Not a good thing at all. Too stressful on her and anyone trying to placate her. She will either believe you are a chicken(mama) or she is a human.

If you feed so many extras when they are young, they will end up turning their beaks away from their balanced feed. Moderation is needed in all areas.

BTW welcome to byc

 

[gander007]

Alright

great to have you joining the BYC flock

BYC has a very useful learning center

Try feeding you chicks some hardboiled egg's one a day for a week and watch the bright color of the feathers shine .....

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

It is normal to be a nervous momma at first. Chicks do the craziest things and sometimes being new at raising them, you may think something is wrong. So let them teach you what they need. Keep them warm in the brooder. Cool spots on the sides of the brooder. Don't over crowd them. Make sure they have food and water at all times, don't offer up the treats until they are 6 weeks of age and just enjoy them! If you watch them closely, they will tell you what they need by their actions.

Enjoy your new babies and welcome to our flock!

 

[vehve]

About the rolling, perhaps she was just practicing dust bathing?

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! You might also want to keep an eye out in case the other girls are plucking feathers out of Falco, but probably it is just molting like drumstick diva said... you could post pictures also so people could see what you are seeing is going on.
Don't forget to have grit available for them if you are feeding treats.
X2, the rolling around is probably dust bathing, here is a nice thread with a lot of funny pictures of chickens doing it https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/701021/share-your-pictures-of-dust-dirt-baths