She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[RubyNala97]

Well I fear I may never go on vacation again. I got the most tragic call this morning every single one of my baby chicks were found dead. They apparently drowned. Day 2 away from home and I lost another 10. This is the roughest time I think I have ever had. I am going to pull my hair out I'm so stressed. I knew I should have smuggled the little ones in the car with me. I know you cant save them all but if I was home I could have at least brought them inside out of the rain. So next time find a crazzy chicken person to babysit them. Then i know they will be right on top of things and worry as much as I do. Sorry for my rant had to get it off my chest.

That's so horrible! This is one of the reasons that I am raising my own flock from hatching eggs. I just had a baby and have no plans for going on vacation for at least a year! How did it happen? A puddle or did containers get filled with rain water? I agree with you, find a chicken person to watch them next time or someone that lives so close that they can stop in several times a day. I read, I think on the chicken chick website, that if you go away, chicks need to be checked on 5xday! I'm so sorry you lost them all. On a positive note, you can come home and incubate again.

Well, on a ride out in the countryside today I came across a community garage sale and scored some goodies. I did pass on a medium pet carrier for $3 and now wish I had bought it, but I did come home with: 2 light duty two wire extension cords @ $0.50 each for use in my future hatcher 1 Targus laptop cooler (USB powered with two fans) @ $2.00 for my hatcher A box of electrostatic register filters for my incubator @ $1.00 for a dozen. There was a kitchen base cabinet that would have worked for my incubator but it was particle board, and I hate that stuff like you would not believe. I'd love to find an ugly old birch ply 24" cabinet to repurpose.

I LOVE yard sales!! That's one of my other addictions!!

These are what Jersey Buffs look like and I think they are who I'm going to get some shipped eggs for and try and hatch

You're making me want turkeys. I actually have been reading about them this afternoon. They can live with chickens, right?

 

[WVduckchick]

It doesn't cost anything but for the tools, it's a DIY project.  And a caponized male makes a nice pet as well, no nuisance crowing.  It just has to be done when they are young.

How young? And do they still "try" to mate the females? And fight with other roosters? I guess I'm trying to ask, do they still act like the boys? Lol

 

[RubyNala97]

So my coop is done. But I still have to build the run. Now comes the even harder part...transitioning my babies out of my living room! I closed up the nest boxes. And I've read to lock them in the coop for a week. My problem is that it is so dark in the coop. There are 2 vents for ventilation but no windows. How will they be able to see to eat and drink? The roof can be propped up on one side. I was thinking to prop it open and find some kind of hardware cloth that I can cover the open part during the day? What do you guys think? I'll take some pics when I can. It's raining now. This is a pic of the whole coop minus the ramp.

 

[WVduckchick]

I know that it is my own fault that I have experienced such a terrible ordeal. I accept full blame for all of my chicken problems. And we will no longer do things on a whim like buy babies 2 weeks before we leave. We are definitely doing things differently from here on out.

I'm sorry for your loss. I'm going away for 4-5 days and worried about mine too. My youngest set will only be 3 weeks old. I'm still debating whether to leave them inside in the brooder tote, or move them outside into my baby pen/coop. But my plan is to move them outside, because my neighbor will be able to check on them. But she is not a "chicken" person either. Lol

 

[WalnutHill]

How young? And do they still "try" to mate the females? And fight with other roosters? I guess I'm trying to ask, do they still act like the boys? Lol

Nope, they lose all interest in anything boy-like. In fact, there are plenty of stories about them helping broodies raise chicks, and they are also supposed to be good for incubator-hatched chicks.

 

[WalnutHill]

So my coop is done. But I still have to build the run. Now comes the even harder part...transitioning my babies out of my living room! I closed up the nest boxes. And I've read to lock them in the coop for a week. My problem is that it is so dark in the coop. There are 2 vents for ventilation but no windows. How will they be able to see to eat and drink? The roof can be propped up on one side. I was thinking to prop it open and find some kind of hardware cloth that I can cover the open part during the day? What do you guys think? I'll take some pics when I can. It's raining now. This is a pic of the whole coop minus the ramp.

That's a very pretty coop! I'd temporarily add a light, 25-40 watts, inside to help them transition. Leave it on all night the first night, and perhaps the second night. Help them roost, find food, and find water. After a couple of days, turn the light off mid-afternoon, so there is an early dusk inside. You may want to switch the brighter light out for a nightlight so it's not completely dark. After a couple of days, remove the nightlight in the afternoon.

That's how I condition my chicks and poults when I move them from the house to the brooder pen in the coop.

 

[FridayYet]

So my coop is done. But I still have to build the run. Now comes the even harder part...transitioning my babies out of my living room! I closed up the nest boxes. And I've read to lock them in the coop for a week. My problem is that it is so dark in the coop. There are 2 vents for ventilation but no windows. How will they be able to see to eat and drink? The roof can be propped up on one side. I was thinking to prop it open and find some kind of hardware cloth that I can cover the open part during the day? What do you guys think? I'll take some pics when I can. It's raining now. This is a pic of the whole coop minus the ramp.

That looks really nice!

 

[WVduckchick]

That's a very pretty coop!  I'd temporarily add a light, 25-40 watts, inside to help them transition.  Leave it on all night the first night, and perhaps the second night.  Help them roost, find food, and find water.  After a couple of days, turn the light off mid-afternoon, so there is an early dusk inside.  You may want to switch the brighter light out for a nightlight so it's not completely dark.  After a couple of days, remove the nightlight in the afternoon.  

That's how I condition my chicks and poults when I move them from the house to the brooder pen in the coop.

I agree, that looks very nice! What kind is it? Dont think I've ever seen one like it.
I do the same, put a low-watt light inside for the first few nights, so they can get their bearings. Afterward, I have a small light outside (its for the duck, but bleeds over to the baby chick coop) I dont lock them in for a whole week though. Usually 2 nights will get them into a routine of going in nightly. But after that, I don't even close the coop door at night. They just stay in there.

 

[WVduckchick]

Nope, they lose all interest in anything boy-like.   In fact, there are plenty of stories about them helping broodies raise chicks, and they are also supposed to be good for incubator-hatched chicks.  

Sounds like a great way to keep unwanted roosters. I hate to get rid of my extras, but don't want the girls worn out! What age-range does it need to be done?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Well I fear I may never go on vacation again. I got the most tragic call this morning every single one of my baby chicks were found dead. They apparently drowned. Day 2 away from home and I lost another 10. This is the roughest time I think I have ever had. I am going to pull my hair out I'm so stressed. I knew I should have smuggled the little ones in the car with me. I know you cant save them all but if I was home I could have at least brought them inside out of the rain. So next time find a crazzy chicken person to babysit them. Then i know they will be right on top of things and worry as much as I do.
Sorry for my rant had to get it off my chest.

So sorry!

I'm going on vaca next weekend and it's the first time since I started raising chickens (actually in two years) that I am. Good thing is my sister has to come up and stay with my father while I am gone and she's the one that got me started with chickens. They've raised them for at least 6 years. But I still worry cause I know she's not me....lol

So my coop is done. But I still have to build the run. Now comes the even harder part...transitioning my babies out of my living room! I closed up the nest boxes. And I've read to lock them in the coop for a week. My problem is that it is so dark in the coop. There are 2 vents for ventilation but no windows. How will they be able to see to eat and drink? The roof can be propped up on one side. I was thinking to prop it open and find some kind of hardware cloth that I can cover the open part during the day? What do you guys think? I'll take some pics when I can. It's raining now. This is a pic of the whole coop minus the ramp.

That's cute.

I agree, that looks very nice! What kind is it? Dont think I've ever seen one like it.
I do the same, put a low-watt light inside for the first few nights, so they can get their bearings. Afterward, I have a small light outside (its for the duck, but bleeds over to the baby chick coop) I dont lock them in for a whole week though. Usually 2 nights will get them into a routine of going in nightly. But after that, I don't even close the coop door at night. They just stay in there.

xs 2. Both groups I moved out to two seperate coops I did 2 days/night and then let them out and they came right back in at dusk. But. One group was 24 weeks and the other was 11 weeks.