Spring 2017 first timers post!

[lilmarie84]

Im no expert but my light brahma had a really crocked toe when she was little not a few weeks later she is huge and her toe is completely normal. No idea how that happened but it may fix itself.

Thanks like I said it had me worried cuz just like with kids you try not to favor one over the others but that is my baby girl she is the one that is the calmest with me when I hold her and just don't want to loose her don't want to loose any of them but I really don't want to loose her

As far as the chicken math goes I have been able to control my self for the most part I did go over my limit that the city has in place but not by much we are only allowed 3 but I have 8 but luckily I managed to stop at 8 just cuz I know I dont have the room for more than that is the only thing that kept me from going overboard but I still want more other breeds at that but I just have to wait til we get a place with a bigger yard and out of a city that has way too many dumb rules like can't wash your car in your yard on the weekend

 

[longfellow]

My 7 babies are 5 weeks old. I let my buff Orpington raise them. Shes been really good. I just started letting them out in the run with the big girls. They are in a connecting coop. The problem is the mom, at dark she is torn to go back with the big girls in the big coop or stay with the babies. She runs around not willing to go into either coop. Its kind of sad... I finally put her in with the big girls because shes been trying to get along with them in the yard and that's been hard. I put her in with the babies and she kept running into the gate, screaming. She still comes and hangs out with them in the day, but that is getting less as she seems to be bothered by the chicks. I guess 5 or 6 weeks is a good time for them to hang out together on there own. They are doing really good together. Anyone else have experience breaking them from the mom? How old do other chicks leave there mom??

 

[SomeHotChicks]

Getting our May 17 we can't wait.

 

[ddom2345]

Looks like a boy alright. How old is it?

9 weeks

 

[lilmarie84]

My 7 babies are 5 weeks old. I let my buff Orpington raise them. Shes been really good. I just started letting them out in the run with the big girls. They are in a connecting coop. The problem is the mom, at dark she is torn to go back with the big girls in the big coop or stay with the babies. She runs around not willing to go into either coop. Its kind of sad... I finally put her in with the big girls because shes been trying to get along with them in the yard and that's been hard. I put her in with the babies and she kept running into the gate, screaming. She still comes and hangs out with them in the day, but that is getting less as she seems to be bothered by the chicks. I guess 5 or 6 weeks is a good time for them to hang out together on there own. They are doing really good together. Anyone else have experience breaking them from the mom? How old do other chicks leave there mom??

I from what I read it ranges from 4 to 8 weeks depending on the hen and breed of the hen

 

[naturegeek168]

Getting our May 17 we can't wait.

I'm getting mine the 15th, glad to see I'm not the only one not with my chicks yet

 

[speckled6]

My chicks were 4 weeks old yesterday and for fun they decided to give me a heart attack!
My daughter was naming them all off and couldn't find batman (a black australorp my son named...no, he's not 5, he's 15 but apparently doesn't have the concept of girls names yet!)
So I started counting...only 29. I counted again, 3 more times, still only 29.
I knew she couldn't have gotten out because we have chicken wire over the top of the brooder. I started looking at the brooder and I'd put cardboard up in the corners to keep them from piling up when they were really little.
I checked the 2 at the far end of the brooder and nothing. I started thinking, when was the last time I counted? When was the last time I looked and said, "oh, there's batman"? I got scared and made my husband look behind the other cardboarded corners.
I was scared to death that I'd been negligent in my chicken keeping and she wouldn't be ok.
She was there and he pulled the cardboard off and she jumped out to join the rest of the flock!
I was SO relieved! She's doing fine and best we can tell she was only back there for a little bit, but man was I afraid there for a minute!
Silly chickens.
We are getting ready to move them to a larger brooder in the other garage while we finish the coop...one with no cardboard corners!
Needless to say I'm obsessively counting them now to make sure I get 30 every time...a little difficult when they're running all over hahaha

 

[Honora]

9 weeks

Ok, I'd say it's a boy then. My orps are the same age. I ended up with 4 boys and 6 girls. Not bad for straight run!

 

[Silence]

I was having withdrawal!!!!! So glad we are back! How's everyone's fuzz babies, coop designs, and first timer's jitters?

 

[pioneerchick816]

Wow! Glad to be back