New to site...first batch of chicks due on SAT!!!!

[Sarahbethk]

HI! My name is Sarah and I am a relatively new chicken owner. We got our first chickens this spring and have been adding to our flock ever since. We started out with two Welsummer hens, two White leghorn hens and one Welsummer rooster. We have since added 20 others to the group including aricaunas, blue-laced wyandottes, more leghorns, a barred rock rooster,and a cuckoo maran hen. We don't really have a favorite breed yet, we like the hodge podge of having different breeds running around.
Our first batch of eggs are due to hatch on Saturday! They are all probably leghorn/welsummer or leghorn/barred rock mixes. Does that matter? Mixxed breeds I mean.
What advice to you have for a first time chicken mommy?



BTW.... how many of you name your chickens? And how many of you eat them?

 

[MamaChic21]

good luck We have 3 ducks and 4 roosters and 17 hens as pets. My goodness, I can't harm anything I help raise and look after for. They became apart of our family, and yes we named all of them

I have a mom on broody and it's my first experience so I'm sorry I don't have that sort of experience. But I don't think mix breeds should be a problem

 

[PineappleMama]

1

2 We've only got four, all layers, as per the law of the land. *growl* and yes they're named. Isis, Easter, Ceres and Frigga after fertility goddesses.

3 We've got gold sex links, which are hybrids... aka Mutt On Purpose... so no problem with mutts here. Though I would love love love a varied basket I am content with our large brown (6-7/wk each) eggs.... for now.

4 Some Day we hope to have a place and the freedom to have more, including meaties.

Again, welcome welcome welcome!

 

[NoseyChickens]

My advice- ( I am assuming you are using an incubator and not a broody hen) Don't open that incubator after lock down!!!!! You WILL want to, don't do it. A sudden drop in humidity when the incubator is opened will shrink wrap and kill your babies before they get a chance to make thier way out. CHickes can stay in the bator for 48 hours and be fine with no food or water. So leave them in there and let the others hatch. Good luck with your hatch.

and the wonderful world of owning chickens...watch out it's addicting!

 

[minihorse927]

I honestly have not named any of my chickens just because I had not planned on keeping certain ones as they are poor quality and I want to show! If I name them I want to keep them so I try to wait and see which ones I am going to be keeping. I lost a lot of my silkies to rats (yes rats killed 8 them) and now I am trying to rebuild my silkie pen and add sizzles so if all goes well and the incubators continue to cooperate I will have many many many chicks to start naming!
There is nothing wrong with mixed breeds! I have 4 RSL's here, like someone else said mutts on purpose! They run with a banty size cochin roo that was given to me and whenever they start laying I thought I would incubate a few of them once they get the whole egg laying thing figured out. I have not processed any of mine to eat but would do it willingly. I have raised my own cattle for meat so I think I could do it with chickens.

 

[gryeyes]

I started with 8 standard breed chicks - all different breeds -in Oct 2009 and now have .... Well, more than thirty, PLUS 33 chicks in a brooder, and bunches of eggs in incubators. I didn't branch out to bantam breeds until this past Spring.

I name mine. But not right away. I want to know them so their names come to me. I am, however, very partial to people names (except that "Nugget" got his name because he was such a bitty little bantam cockerel). I've found myself calling him "Knuckles," lately, though, now that he's grown up.

My chickens (and ducks) will live with me until they die of natural causes. Well, except for the few I give away to fellow BYCers.

I love colorful flocks! I have all different breeds, and two of my hens have hatched chicks which are mixes of EE (rooster) and an EE hen, a Welsummer hen, and a Delaware hen.

Because i've become addicted to hatching, I need to give away as many as possible; my plan continues to be "one or two hens of each breed I like" but I'm not doing very well at divesting myself of the roosters or the extra hens.

 

[JustAChickenLittle&More]

Glad to have you. This board is full of knowledge. It is truly an addiction now.

So get a bigger coop when you can.

 

[Tanichca]

and good luck with your first hatch! This forum is the #1 place to find out anything about chickens! A year ago i was a noobie who knew about three breeds and nothing else, and through BYC ive learned about breeds, characteristics, how to deal with problems, and a host of random trivia facts (great for stopping an awkward or annoying conversation

)

again its GREAT to have you!
BTW i do name all of my birds and ive never eaten a single one!