Super New Tons of Questions

[MP66]

Long story Warning:

Hello all! I have been on and off this site for a few months researching about keeping chickens. My sister is not an animal lover by any means, and my mom was raised on a farm and when I spoke to her about it she said "No way! Chickens are gross! They are too messy, they stink, they crap everywhere, they will ruin your grass. Just don't do it!" So like many things my mom warns me about, I still wanted to do it. We finally closed on a house in an area that will allow them, so I was really liking the idea. Checked with the neighbors and the whole thing.

I went back and forth over the past 4-5 months and the other day, I saw that another neighbor across the way has chickens! Immediately we went over to say hello. She wasn't home, but her son was. He was very helpful and told us where they got them, how they were etc. The chickens came right over to us and let us pet them and pick them up and everything. So I thought, let me look into it a little and see.

Well the feed store was selling chicks in the next few weeks and they had several that I really liked. I went in and spoke to a man there and he was really helpful. I decided that I would go in and see them the morning they got there.

That was it. Of course they are super cute and fluffy. So who can help themselves? The girl worked this day was not helpful AT ALL. Basically some teen they hired and stuck in this section. Where was the man from the other day? He is of on Wednesday, the day the chicks come.

So OK Fine. I know what I want anyway. Next problem? There is a minimum. What?? Yep there is a minimum of 4 chicks. (Well that ruined my plans of getting 3 this week and 2 next week) My personal maximum is supposedly 5, but the villages maximum is 8 and no roosters. Whatever. I pick out 4. Get my gear and get them home. I set up camp and then hubby calls and says he is at a stock show and sale and he can get one at a time. So he brings home #5! However number 5 is vaccinated and another week older.

So here I am now, with 5 chicks. Between reading some of the threads and the books, I alternately feel like I am doing really well or they are going to die at any moment. The chicks don't know this of course. They are just running all over the brooder eating, drinking, and sleeping.

I have one Easter Egger- Hermione, One Rhode Island Red- Penelope, Two Black Australorps- Caroline and Edith and the older by a week Barred Rock- Eleanor. AFTER naming them all, I was typing them out and realized that their initials spell out CHEEP.

They are all doing really well so far. I suppose my questions are:
I'm feeding non-medicated organic chick starter, do they really need anything else? I'm reading I can start giving them all kinds of foods, when can I do that?
I got the chicken grit. It looks to have some smaller pieces. (Like smaller than their crumbles) when can they eat that? How much? Should I start this grit before I give them other food?
What kind of treats? How much? Once a day?
Bragg's raw unfiltered ACV- I'm already putting it in the water, probably about a teaspoon in the quart size. Should I be doing anything else with that?
How often should I be changing the bedding? Cleaning it out? So far, I've been getting out the super obvious poop, and the wet pine chips. Adding a little here and there. (It's been about 3 days since their arrival)
The oldest chick (from the stock sale) is vaccinated. The other 4 are not. (As far as I know) The stock show man said do not feed medicated crumbles to the vaccinated one. So what can I do to protect the other 4? As I said, I swing between thinking they are all totally great and thriving one minute, then thinking "OMG, what if they catch "insert tragic chicken illness/disease/genetic mutation/monster under the pine shavings"???"
How good is the survival rate of the chickens at the Farm and Fleet? They come from a chicken hatchery in Missouri that looks good on paper.
One of the chicks, the Easter Egger, sometimes gets pushed over on her back and can't get back up. The first time we saw it happen, and she peeped a little louder and then just kind of settled like "Well I guess I'll stay here." We helped her back over and she zoomed off and was ok. It happened about 2 more times (that we know of), but so far she can't seem to get herself back up. We lightly move her to the side and she jumps up immediately and zooms around. She is eating and drinking well, pooping fine and sleeping with the others. When should I worry? (Or when should I worry more than this?)
We have the heat lamp on one side of the brooder tub, they don't seem to either hang out there huddling under it, or to the other cooler side. They kind of just hang out all over, sometimes on the cooler side (where the food and water is) and sometimes under the light for a bit like they are basking in the sunshine. Then they will sleep in 2's or 3's on the edge of the light rays.
Is there something I can read? Like "what to expect when you are expecting" except for chickens? As much as I read, I feel like I don't know what I am doing. I have no idea what comes next, other than they get to go outside when it's warm and their feathers are in.(about 4-5 weeks).

Oh and I'm still thinking about going back to the Farm and Fleet and getting the Silver Laced Wyandotte they are supposed to have. I have a separate area I can put them if the largest girl gets too rowdy. Do you think I will have any problems with chicks that are 1 week apart? They are still coming from the same hatchery. What are the odds that all will survive? I'm still unsure about getting any more, since I am really at my own limit. I know people usually get more and more, but I really can't have more than 8. Any that turn out to be a rooster or if I go over the limit will have to go to a friends farm.


I guess like all first time chick moms I want to give them the best start and hope they all survive. I feel it was easier to raise a person at this rate!

Thanks in Advance for all your help! I need someone who's been there, books only go so far and don't seem to cover a whole lot. At least not the questions I have.

Michele

 

[SunkenRoadFarms]

First, breathe! Second, it sounds like you are doing everything right! If they are playing, eating, pooping, and drinking they are happy. For feed, it is correct you cannot feed medicated started to the vaccinated chick, unless you want to reverse the vaccine. That is a personal choice for you, plenty of members here feed unmediated without future issue. I'm the opposite, I fed medicated to last year's chicks and still dealt with a coccidiosis outbreak this winter.

As for treats, I don't give them until 3 weeks or so (along with grit). This just gives me a chance to make sure everyone is thriving on a healthy feed ration. Again, your choice, mama hen would have them foraging around 3 days old.

There are a lot of good books out there like Dummies series or Storey's guide. But honestly, almost any question or issue you could have can be answered here by some very knowledgable members.

 

[justplainbatty]

First, breathe! Second, it sounds like you are doing everything right! If they are playing, eating, pooping, and drinking they are happy. For feed, it is correct you cannot feed medicated started to the vaccinated chick, unless you want to reverse the vaccine. That is a personal choice for you, plenty of members here feed unmediated without future issue. I'm the opposite, I fed medicated to last year's chicks and still dealt with a coccidiosis outbreak this winter.

As for treats, I don't give them until 3 weeks or so (along with grit). This just gives me a chance to make sure everyone is thriving on a healthy feed ration. Again, your choice, mama hen would have them foraging around 3 days old.

There are a lot of good books out there like Dummies series or Storey's guide. But honestly, almost any question or issue you could have can be answered here by some very knowledgable members.

Welcome to our flock MP66! You are doing great! Too bad you can only have 8, sounds like chicken math is trying to get you anyway! My name is Michele (with one L) too!
Books can be confusing, lacking in detail or overwhelming. Here at BYC you can get customized help and support from a lot of great people. what ever you need to know, someone here has the answer. Check out the learning center and your state's thread too.

 

[azygous]

First of all, from the sound of what you've written, you have very good instincts. Follow them. Don't worry. Trust yourself.

Feeding non-medicated feed is fine. Just go outside and dig up a clump of grass attached to a dirt clod. Yep. Toss it into the brooder. This will do two things. It will serve as grit. and it will vaccinate the chicks against the prevalent avian diseases in your neighborhood. Do this immediately as the window for the effectiveness of this closes after the first week or two.

As for treats, in moderation: lettuce leaf, grape halves, apple slices, grated cheese(only a little), melon, yogurt, meal worms. Meal worms are great entertainment. Drop one into the brooder and watch the fun! I call it chick pandemonium.

Be careful going overboard on getting more chicks. These chicks will double in size each week, and it will present a problem when you introduce tiny babies every week or so. I would quit now, raise these, get through your learning curve, and then plan on adding more chicks in a year or two.

 

[newmarch2014]

I agree you are doing great! I started my chicks this year on grit on their 3rd week so that in case I wanted to give them any treats I could. The reason given earlier, that way I knew they were eating and had the hang of things before I started that. I personally do non medicated feed but have never got a vaccinated chick. Each of the 2 years I had a suspected case of cocci overload and treated with corrid and all is well. I almost lost one last year when I was new and let it go on too long, this year as soon as I saw a few times of all runny poop out of all of them in a row I headed it off at the pass by starting the corrid, 3 days later nice variety of healthy poop again.
The chick that has a problem staying upright may grow out of it but it could be a sign of something serious so just keep your eye on her for now.
Mine are a month old and 1/2 feathered or more so they went out for an hour in the sunshine today into the grow out pen to get exposed to the dirt for the first time and to let the big hens check them out safely with no contact.
I change the wood chip bedding every day if it is a small area (they started in a tiny rubbermaid tub for the first 10 days) and now that they are in a 4x6 or bigger brooder I just change it about once every 5 days since they are in my garage and the smell is not bad and they scratch it around so much that the poop gets coated by wood shavings quickly.

 

[artsygirl]

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