What should I be prepared for?

[fuzz]

When they get older?

Fighting?

or anything that you normally wouldnt think to be prepared for?

I have silkies and sultans and in june I will recieve my barred rocks.

I was not prepared for the Poopey butt today nor the bleeding foot which I still have not gotten any help on. I am just wondering if there is anything else I should be prepared for, looking for or tips.

 

[NJbirdlover]

RE: bleeding foot
have you noticed any of the other chicks pecking it? Sometimes they will go for the feet. Be careful to have plenty of space for your fast growing fuzzies. They can start pecking each other when over-crowded. If you notice the others still going for the injured foot, you may need to get some blue coat(spelling) it will coat and cover the "red" of the blood which will attract the other chicks to it like a magnet. Keep an eye on the wound to make sure it doesn't get infected.

 

[fuzz]

There are only 4 chicks in a HUGE brooder so it is not a space issue and the chicks are not picking at each other. I will definately keep an eye on it. Should I dab some warm water on a paper towel on it to clear the blood?

 

[NJbirdlover]

It probably wouldn't hurt, just be careful not to open the wound again-good luck!

 

[MissouriChick]

Quote:
How about some Hydrogen Peroxide for the foot? It's bubbling action helps cleanse it and it doesn't hurt them. I used that on my chicks' pasty butt as well and it worked really well. I was not in a position to wash them with warm water and make sure that they didn't get chilled, so I opted for the H.P. and it worked great.

 

[fuzz]

Good Idea, the chick is still mad at me for washing his tush. I will get some HP thanks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's hard to tell you what to be prepared for. I suggest reading in the Learning Center above and reading posts. If you see anything that concerns you about your chicks do a search on here or post a question. To me, a big part of being prepared is knowing what to expect. For example, this site http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/mf2308.pdf
gives good info on feather loss. It is totally normal under certain conditions but could be a sign of trouble. Knowing what to expect can give you a lot of peace of mind or can tip you off that you might have a problem.

A lot of university sites have good information like this feather loss article, but a lot of that information can be pointed at the big commercial operations, not us, so be a little careful. An example I'll use. You will see a lot of university sites that give a lot less space requirements than you will see on here. The commercial boys debeak their chickens, keep the lights just right, and automatically remove the poop. We don't, so we need more room.

No matter how much you prepare something will happen you don't expect. Do a search, google it, or post on here. The right person may not see your post to answer it, especially not right away. But there are a lot of good people on here that will try to help if they can.

 

[crtrlovr]

"What should I be prepared for?" A world of laughing out loud, contented sighs, and a nice warm feeling in your heart when you watch your chickens just going about their day, living their lives, and being their unique selves... and an occasional burst of fear and feeling inadequate when a health issue arises...and (hopefully very rarely) a breaking of your heart when you lose one. I wish you all the best.

 

[mechagrue]

Quote:
Here are some things I wish someone had told me two months ago:

1. Dust. Stock up on your dusting item of choice. (I swear by the Swiffer duster.)

2. They will eat at least twice as much as you think they will. Learn from my mistake: buy several bags of chick starter at once.

I made 4 trips to the feed store (30 miles each way), buying 1 bag each time, before I figured that one out. I kept thinking, "Surely this 5lb bag of chick feed will last another two weeks! I only have four chicks! How much could they possibly eat?"

3. Soon they will start trying to perch atop the waterer and feeder, and either succeed (and poop in the food/water), or fail (and knock them over, causing a mess). Some nights, both. I finally taped a sheet of cardboard to the side of the wall as a flap, to keep them off.

4. Speaking of knocking over the feeder and waterer. If you are foolish enough to have put the brooder box on your LIVING ROOM RUG like I was... lift up the brooder and slide a tarp underneath. Do this now.

Even though I cleaned up spilled feed religiously, a slurry of spilled chick starter mixed with spilled chick water seeped through the cracks of the brooder. Which I didn't discover until I finally dismantled the brooder this weekend. Oh, so THAT'S where that smell is coming from! (P.S. it is not a nice smell.)

5. If you haven't started building their coop, START NOW. If I'd had any idea how long it would take, I would have started mine in January/February. Instead of early May.

 

[sfw2]

Quote:
Here are some things I wish someone had told me two months ago:

1. Dust. Stock up on your dusting item of choice. (I swear by the Swiffer duster.)

2. They will eat at least twice as much as you think they will. Learn from my mistake: buy several bags of chick starter at once.

I made 4 trips to the feed store (30 miles each way), buying 1 bag each time, before I figured that one out. I kept thinking, "Surely this 5lb bag of chick feed will last another two weeks! I only have four chicks! How much could they possibly eat?"

3. Soon they will start trying to perch atop the waterer and feeder, and either succeed (and poop in the food/water), or fail (and knock them over, causing a mess). Some nights, both. I finally taped a sheet of cardboard to the side of the wall as a flap, to keep them off.

4. Speaking of knocking over the feeder and waterer. If you are foolish enough to have put the brooder box on your LIVING ROOM RUG like I was... lift up the brooder and slide a tarp underneath. Do this now.

Even though I cleaned up spilled feed religiously, a slurry of spilled chick starter mixed with spilled chick water seeped through the cracks of the brooder. Which I didn't discover until I finally dismantled the brooder this weekend. Oh, so THAT'S where that smell is coming from! (P.S. it is not a nice smell.)

5. If you haven't started building their coop, START NOW. If I'd had any idea how long it would take, I would have started mine in January/February. Instead of early May.

But all very true!

By the way, Mechagrue, love your avatar - my teenaged daughter is a HUGE Gir fan!