Optimistic Rookie

mathewmarie

In the Brooder
5 Years
May 28, 2014
48
5
24
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?

(2) How many chickens do you have right now?

(3) What breeds do you have?

(4) How did you find out about BackYardChickens.com?

(5) What are some of your other hobbies?

(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.



Hello to all the chicken folks out there! You cannot imagine my excitement! I have been lurking here and reading for months. The threads, photos, and playful banter has been informative and encouraging. I found BYC in the way most folks do, with google.

I got my first chicks about 2 weeks ago. The plan was to receive all 15 of my chicks at the same time, but it wasn't meant to be. So the 2 I have today are cockrels. My 13 ladies are due in town tonite! Clearly, one of the challenges I will face this evening will be seperating the "boys" from the "girls" since the boys are older, bigger, and potentially meaner. Any thoughts from veterans on how to do this would be appreciated.

My hope when this all began was to teach my kids something about dinner and about agriculture. I wanted chickens that would lay some eggs and be good eating. After much research, I decided that dual purpose chickens don't really exist anymore and that I'd have to adjust my expectations a bit. I choose to buy Jersey Giants. There may have been better options out there and I plan to learn learn learn til I know more about those. For now, I am satisfied that I did my best to pick a dual purpose breed that may even brood and hatch some chicks of their own someday!

I am a happily married father of 4. My wife is patient with my chicken dreams, but not yet enthusiastic. My sons are 10,7, and 5. They are VERY enthusiastic. I also have an 8 month old daughter who like to watch them. We are Christians and we are homeschooling the kids. This may provide some insight into my overall purpose with these chickens. We hope to teach them ethical things like hard work and responsibility as well as sciences like biology and agriculture. Good luck to us all. I have much to learn before I can teach!

Thanks to all of you. Talk to you soon.
 
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How old are your two groups of chickens?
 
The boys are about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks old. The ladies will be about a day or two...
OK you are all set then. Put them together right away is my advice.

I have assembled groups of chicks together that were 2 weeks apart in age with no problem. Three weeks apart was too much of a difference and the older chicks were like bowling balls in with bowling pins, if you can imagine that.

The earlier you put them together, the better.

Here lots of chick care tips:
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickcare.html
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Good luck with your new chicks! If your brooder is good sized you shouldn't have a problem combining them, just be sure to watch the new ones closely (especially if they are shipped) that the boys aren't pushing them around.
 
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Welcome to BYC!

X2 you can mix these ages together. As Kelsie has said, make sure your brooder is large enough and warm enough to warm the younger group, but not to over heat the older group. So somewhere around 88 to 90 degrees should work well. No hotter. Make sure there is enough space for cool spots on one side of the brooder, heat off to the other side. Keep food and water on the cool side.

Good luck with all your chicks and welcome to our flock!
 

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