Raising Baby Peeps?

[MoSo]

I will, for the first time! The local farm store is supposed to get them in today.

Question: do you need to plan for chick mortality? If I want 5 hens, should I get 6 chicks, just in case?

I figure that's the best way to court Murphy's Law - get 6 chicks, planning on only 5 surviving, and then all 6 will survive! The coop I am building is 4'x6', so I have space for 6.

 

[AZKat]

I've got eight pullets who are laying, plus 4 pullets who should be laying in June. And a cockrel who will be doing his thing at about the same time that the 'little girls' start laying. That is as many chickens as I need, so I won't have babies unless one of the girls goes broody.

 

[snowhorse]

Yup, have 6 in the brooder, and are looking for eggs for my broody girl

 

[LarryPQ]

You need to add: "In process"

 

[cluckcluck42]

Yep!! I am going to keep a steady stream of chicks allll spring and summer!

 

[gryeyes]

I've got a flock of 9, but just picked up 4 new chicks and 2 ducklings. The babies are now nearly two weeks old. BOY do ducklings grow fast; they're already 3 times as large as they were 11 days ago!

My brooder is separated into two sections by some hardware cloth, so the chicks and ducklings get to see each other, but the ducklings don't trample the itty bitty chicks.

 

[imthedude]

we got our first chicks on monday night.

we wound up with 4 buff orps and 4 barred rocks. they're all right at 8 days old now and seem to be doing very well. i already want to go back and get more of each.

 

[Bantimna]

I hope I'll raise some chicks next spring. My Spring has just ended