Tell me about your chicks.

[Desirai]

What is your most favorite part of having chicks, and what is your least favorite part of having chicks? (other than death)

Think about the last batch of chicks you raised. Was there anything you would have done differently?

 

[brandislee]

There are so many good things about raising chicks- they are fun to watch because they're adorable and funny. They fall asleep standing up (and sometimes that ends in a face plant!). And my other favorite thing about them is how easy they are- as long as you make sure the food and the water are available and clean and they are warm you can pretty much ignore them if you're busy. What didn't I like? The first batch I brooded inside and the wood shavings that spilled all over the carpet (despite the draft guard around the edge of the cage) were a huge mess. But I still loved having them inside. The only other bad thing I can think of (other than death...) is the unnecessary worry that accompanied my first batch. I just worried for no reason, but I didn't do anything unreasonable because of it- I've heard of people sleeping next to the brooder. That's a bit excessive.

 

[r4eboxer]

My favorite part of raising chicks is when they realize I am the treat giver. They look for me and run to me like they are saying "what ya got today mom" so cute.

The worst part for me is all the scratching they do in the litter and throwing it in the waterer. I hate pulling soggy pine out of the water.

 

[clairabean]

Love, love the actual hatching part. It is stressful, but a true miracle. My kids doubly love watching them hatch. The chicks are all curls up in weird positions when they first come out. It is amazing how they fit in those tiny eggs! And the chirping. They chirp to their unhatched buddies, as if they are calling them out to play or encouraging them to hatch!

I love how all the chicks seem to drop from exhaustion at the same time. They can be rough housing and then BAM, they all drop in a wave. So fuzzy and sweet.

I do not like them smell. The smell is nauseating to me, even when I clean it out multiple times a day! Also the eating mess. So much crumble scattered around!

What I would do differently next chick is hatch more. I think all my eggs are going to hatch, then end up with way less chicks than I need.

 

[Desirai]

awww!! what sweet stories

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

Favorite part- Watching them hatch
Least favorite part- Cleaning their brooders ;-)

My last hatch was a batch of shipped Wheaten Marans eggs. While I wouldn't change anything I did during the hatch, I would change where I brooded them because a raccoon reached through the 1" chicken wire and chewed up three of the six that made it to the brooder. Argh. I now have rat wire on top of the chicken wire on my raised brooders. I have a batch of eggs in the incubator now that I'm eagerly anticipating meeting!

 

[brandislee]

I don't mind the smell at all, but my nose isn't exactly sensitive. I had 10 sick broiler chicks in the dining room for a while as they recovered (from a vitamin deficiency... good times) and they didn't even smell bad, as gross as they are. But that was only for 3 days and they were still pretty young. I think it depends a lot on giving them enough space and enough bedding- I had 25 broiler chicks in the 3x4 dog crate for one week and yeah, it got pretty gross. But the first 7 I brooded in the same dog crate didn't make near the mess in the four weeks they were in it- I didn't have to clean it at all the entire time they were in there.

 

[chicklove93]

I love watching them and seeing how fast they grow. It amazing how beautiful they can turn out to be. I am a newbie and learn something new every day. I pretty much have my routine down to a science. Cleaning the brooder or the coop isn't that bad either.

The only thing I hate is no one else in my house or any of my friends share my enthusiasm for my chickens. This forum helps.

 

[new2chickens2011]

Favorite: seeing them grow and change in looks and personalities, and that they are just so darn CUTE!
Least Favorite: messy, messy, messy. The shavings in the water is what gets me. I hate that!!

 

[idispatch4911]

I love everything about raising chicks except yelling at my twin 4 year olds to not squeeze them to death. And the kids BEG ALL DAY LONG to hold the babies again and again and over and over!!! I think the smell is the food - at least that's what it seems like to me.

We love to take them outside when they are big enough and let them discover and roam.