We are about to have some babies!!! Sooo excited and terrified

[Scorpiochick]

So I was lucky enough to find a guy in Abilene TX, That can literally almost every exotic breed imaginable.So first of all here is the list of babies we will be getting on the 25Th of April.

1 buff polish laced
1 Blue Cochin
1 Blue Frizzle
1 Silver Sea bright
1 Mottled houdan
1 Belgian bearded D'uccle- color Millie Fleur
And He told me in May he will be able to get me a Salmon Faverolle

Okay so here is the kicker. We are in NW (ish) Texas hot as blazes in the summer. Sooo we don't air condition the whole house because its just my fiancee and we kinda just hang out in the office and bedroom. So we were planning on putting these 6 Babies,In our living room (NOT AIR CONDITIONED) In a small pool from the dollar store,you could probably fit 3 human babies, or a few doggies so plenty of room for little guys. (which by the way he gets them in at 1 day old OMG)

So this is ALL NEW for me. That living room gets hot Does anyone know the ideal temp to keep babies and up to how many weeks. I honestly cannot imagine them being in that kiddie pool with the heat and a heat lamp would cook my lil babies

Any and ALL tips will be sooo appreciated. just never have dealt with anything so young. When we got our first batch of babies they were ohhh maybe 4 months. Also when is a good age to introduce them to the other chickens.

I am sooo sure I am going to have 1,218 questions before the 25th. I love you all, and I Love Love Love BYC!!!

Thanks for all help in advance ~Lisa

 

[keesmom]

Heat lamps are not a requirement. If it's hot they will be fine without one. If it is cool use a 60 watt or 75 watt bulb.

So it sounds like he is reselling hatchery orders. Is he selling them straight run or as pullets? As a heads up all bantam breeds come straight run (unsexed).

 

[PrairieChickens]

Brand new baby chicks need temps between 95 and 100 F with space to get away from the heat lamp if they want to. The next week, you can drop that to 90 F, the next week to 85 and so on. Good luck with your new babies.

 

[Scorpiochick]

Yes from what I understand he orders them from a couple different hatcheries and yes he said they are all Straight run....is this bad

 

[bobshere]

It could be if you dont want any roosters. Straight run means they could be male or female. Their not sexed.

 

[Scorpiochick]

Right but from what I have gotten so far there is no real way of doing this at a couple days old is there?

 

[nicole camp]

An expert can sex the chicks when they are a day old. If it's a straight run then you try and pick the smallest comb possible.

 

[PrairieChickens]

You can't sex most varieties of chicks after about 72 hours. Most professionals try to vent sex within the first 24 hours to avoid injuring the chick, since they are most flexible in this regard right after they hatch.

If you don't mind sorting out the roosters from the hens later on in life, there's nothing wrong with straight run. If you only want hens, you will have to find a source that sexes their chicks and be prepared to pay for them, as pullets tend to cost more than straight run.