soon to be a new chicken owner!

[Kathy1]

Hi there,
I am in the process of building my coop and getting chicks. But have no clue about things other than what I have read here on this great site. I am planning on starting with 2 and am picking them up next week, as soon as I finish the coop...

I have read alot of conflicting advise, so just thought I would post a note here as you all seem to know what you are doing!! So any advise or helpful hints are most appreciated. I plan on going to the feed store this weekend and have read I need to get a starter chick food, ( they will be 5-6 weeks old by the time I am done with the coop) and am wondering a few, well alot of things, I need to get DE that is food grade and it will serve dual purposes, 1 to add to their food and 2 for dust baths correct? I have also read that it is good and not good to let them eat worms, lettuce and bread. Is this true? Sorry for the long first post.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Love the site BTW it is full of info!

 

[Standard Hen]

Hi Kathy and welcome again as I just said it a minute ago on the where am I where are you page!

You will love having chickens and it will not be long before you will have more than two. If you have room I would get maybe 4 because if for some reason something happens to one it is hard to get them once fall and winter get here. I know it seems like a long way off.

I let my chickens have bread and lettuce as treats and they love all scraps, nothing goes in the trash anymore. Mine free-range during the day and honestly they do not seem all that interested in worms but they are always scratching around for something.

I got my food grade DE from a company in Ohio. They were the most reasonable that I could find and I know you most likely will not be able to find food grade around here, it is just not big in the area. I am going to look for the name of the company, I know I have it around here someplace!

Again welcome and feel free to ask away any concerns you might have.

 

[pattee]

Hi~Kathy,
I got 11 chicks from My Pet Chicken.
Due to neighbors I have given 3 away to good homes. I have heard that it's harder to introduce chicks or chickens into an
already established flock... so I guess I'd get as many as you think you'll get.

Also Standard Hen is right, pretty soon there won't be anymore chicks well maybe outside of the 4 H~

 

[Kathy1]

Hi nice to meet you too! I looked online for a local 4h for poultry and made a couple calls and didnt come up with anything, I spoke to a woman who is involved with horses but she knew of no one in Plymouth county that had a group. I have been planning to do this for a long time. I am eggcited about it ( bad pun I know!) My DH is too but wont admit it

and my son 13, is also looking forward to it. His class just incubated 50 at school. They had 48 out of 50 hatch and survive. He is lucky to have seen the development process. So getting chickens and his school project happening at the same time was a great learning experience for him.