New to this all and feeling over my head

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RedMama2

Chirping
Jan 21, 2023
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Central AZ
Welp, I have wanted chickens for years. The egg prices drove me to it. Got 10 Sapphire chicks from TSC and while they are growing in the house (probably not a big enough container) I feel in over my head and overwhelmed. My daughter helps to make sure they have all been eating and drinking and they are active at some point. it's been 2 days. Pretty sure I have half cockrels though I paid for all pullets.

Hubby and I have been trying to figure out if we should build a coop or buy a premade and just modify some. plus I live in Central AZ. We get 110 in the summer and down to around 0-10 in the winter. So figuring out how much to vent, getting a run that covers it all, and when to move them out will need to be figured out soon.

I'm trying to find more info about the Sapphire chicks and determinng their gender, but it's hard. Photos can be posted if wanted.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :welcome

Create a thread here, to get help on genders for your chickens.

I suggest building a coop and run yourself. Each chicken should have minimum of 4sq ft of coop space, 10sq ft of run space, and 1ft of linear roost. Also 1 nesting box per 3-4 hens.
As for ventilation you would need LOTS so you may just want to look into open air coops.
 
You've come to the right place for moral support and advice. We've done the brutal chicken learning curve so you don't have to.

Especially with hot desert summers, you do not want to waste money on a prefab coop that has little head room for hot air to rise and poor ventilation to let it escape. Go directly to your local storage shed prefab seller and select a shed you can build the interior into a serviceable coop. Look at the Coop and Run forum for design ideas and advice.

By the way, don't waste time. The chicks will be ready to move into the coop at age six weeks. And by then you will be ready to do anything to get them out of your house.
 
Welcome!

It is nearly impossible to tell gender of day old chicks, so dont fret too much just yet. They can go out at around 6 weeks, fully feathered.

They are easy. Feed them, water them, and provide shelter. Dont start overthinking it. :)

You will want lots of ventilation in your coop. Prefab coops usually arent great. Check out the coop advice on the forum, theres tons!

Good luck, you got this!
 
Welcome to the BYC! It can be pretty stressful the first few days with chicks :) but in time you'll be swinging it like a pro! I'm not very familiar with sapphire gems myself, but I do have 2 black sex links. I read somewhere that Sapphire Gems are sex links as well; if so then your are likely pellets ;)

Best of luck and welcome again! :welcome
 
WallyG74 said:
Welcome to BYC! If they are indeed Sapphire Gems, then yes they are sex linked birds. This means they are bred from 2 specific breeds that produce markings on the offspring and you know as soon as they hatch.
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Had someone tell me these are more than likely roosters. So that's 4 out of 10.
 

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Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow

SOMETIMES you can sex chicks after one week depending on the breed. However usually pullets will have their primary wing feathers coming in at the end of week 1, cockerels will remain fuzzy all over for a couple of weeks.

This said, wait a few weeks and post in our What Gender Forums for more help.

Keeping chickens can be overwhelming at first, but once you get them to 6 weeks, they pretty much raise themselves. Keep their brooder extremely clean and dry. Don't over heat them, give them things to do and they should be fine. Check out this article on raising chicks the first 6 weeks... https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/brooding-chicks-the-first-6-weeks.74640/

Good luck and ask as many questions as needed!
 
azygous said:
The bin you got those chicks out of had to have been straight run. That means they didn't bother sorting them. Saphire Gems are easily sexed, the cockerels having that white spot on their heads.
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There was a bit of confusion about that. They ordered through TSC straight from the hatchery. So, the hatchery actually hosed it up.
 

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