NY chicken lover!!!!

[akaruby]

Gramma- so sorry for your loss. Our chickens really do become part of the family.

 

[Devona]

They're 12 days old now. I want to keep them in a plastic tote in my living room. If they're too big for the tote, I have a Big rabbit cage. Hopefully they're not too big for that! They will be in my living room, which is usually between 70-75 degrees. I will go to the hardware store and try to find a 100 watt bulb and appropriate fixture. Do you think that's going to be warm enough?

 

[Pyxis]

They're 12 days old now. I want to keep them in a plastic tote in my living room. If they're too big for the tote, I have a Big rabbit cage. Hopefully they're not too big for that! They will be in my living room, which is usually between 70-75 degrees. I will go to the hardware store and try to find a 100 watt bulb and appropriate fixture. Do you think that's going to be warm enough?

Should be fine! At 12 days old they should be good as long as they can get to place that's 90 degrees or so to warm up. You can drop that down by five degrees each week until they are at room temperature. What breeds did you get?

Gramma, sorry for your loss

 

[Devona]

Three sominiquesdominiques and two Buckeyes. It was all they had left.
I just remembered I have an electric heat pad. Would that work instead of a lamp or bulb? The seller says they're feathered out to their necks right now.

 

[Devona]

Whoops! Typo

I meant to type dominiques!

 

[tao chick]

Devona, I'm excited for you! $20 is a common price for laying hens that are under 2 years old, I think. Being in the city will make getting feed expensive and you might benefit from making your own. It's not cost effective for me when local feed is inexpensive, but you might be able to make it for less than buying it. Look for recipes online. I'd definitely stick with starter/grower for now.

 

[tao chick]

Some Sad News here ..Sat night I lost my little Grey Goose .. I dont know what they got into last week as 2 of them had this issue.. Chippie resolved it by herself She (GG )had a Sour Crop for a few days ...I should have tried something before I let her go to bed ... I saw her lay down ..I think she breathed in the liquid & died . I found her sunday morning ..she was a sweet beautiful bird .i so enjoyed watching her grow . She was a little over 4 months . Maybe I can hatch another like her ..she was from my flock I did find some things . to treat sour crop ...I wish I had tried them that night ..I blame myself that she died . They do have capsules for this https://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=210 https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/917522/crop-bound-capsules-impacted-crop-sour-crop Can be Bought at most stores - Docusate Sodium capsules (Colace)- a stool softener. I never used to have these issues with sour Crop ... so what have I been doing different ? I have stopped using Apple Cider vinegar in their water regularly .. Some studies say it stops them from absorbing calcium .. im going to do it regularly now

I'm sorry for your loss! Hindsight can teach us so much, but doesn't make the loss easier. Hugs.

 

[Devona]

Tao chick, that person with the laying hens hasn't replied to me with a day to go pick up the two that I asked for. Maybe he changed his mind about selling only two. I will look up recipes online and do the math. Right now I've only confirmed the purchase of five chicks. So I have to get starter and chick grit. And hopefully a heat pad will be enough for them.

 

[Devona]

So, do you all recommend using apple cider vinegar in your chickens' water? At what age do you start it? And how much? My rooster has a perpetually dirty butt. Sometimes his poop is runny, sometimes it's firmer. Would apple cider vinegar help with something like that? I think his poop consistency probably depends on what he eats, but really, I've never seen such a dirty butt on a chicken!

 

[Pyxis]

Tao chick, that person with the laying hens hasn't replied to me with a day to go pick up the two that I asked for. Maybe he changed his mind about selling only two. I will look up recipes online and do the math. Right now I've only confirmed the purchase of five chicks. So I have to get starter and chick grit. And hopefully a heat pad will be enough for them.

The heat pad might be hard for them to figure out at first if they've been on a heat lamp, so just make sure they take to it. I got a Premier 1 heat plate for Christmas which is a similar concept and I can't wait to use it, but I've heard chicks that start on heat lamps may not know what to do when switched to a plate at first.