Who else took the chick plunge! (Pics on post 101)

[bj taylor]

thanks jills;
appreciate your input. i have two heat lights on outside of 'brooder' which is really a rabbit hutch with a floor, three sides & top covered. i have it in the garage which can get chilly in there. i'm just going to watch things super close & have more light ready if needed & be ready to cut down to one if need be. since you've done this before...do you wait about three hours before putting feed in & make sure they are immediately introduced to warm water? what is the cause of "pasty butt"?
thanks again;
bj

 

[Tressa27884]

Concord Feed just sent me a note telling me the baby chicks will be in stock soon. I've marked my calendar for the days/types of chicks I want. I can't wait!

 

[yoie]

I just added more chicks to my group, but only 5 more

I was able to get a few breeds that I couldn't get before. But they are arriving a week earlier than the rest. I just hope my sweet DH doesn't get too upset with me. But we do have an understanding, I have chickens as a hobby and he has his old jeep (at least mine pay for themselves

)

 

[chloezoebob101]

i did!

 

[Thunder Bay Chicken]

Here is the current/new Spring 2012 Chick order!

All females other then the Chantecler which are mixed run only so I'm taking my chances.

Buckeyes 12 > One of my favorites from last year...

Dominiques 12 > a staple in any cold weather/hardy flock.

Wyandottes (4 of each) =20 >silver-gold-columbian-partridge-buff / Beautiful bird decent layer and cold weather hardy!

Sussex Speckled 12 > My favorite bird from last year. The friendliest, calm, almost tame...and I treated them no different the the rest.

Chantecler 24 > Made in Canada... mixed run, fingers crossed looking for mostly girls!

Ameraucana 12 > Not sure about these just wanted to try them? Something new/different! Kind of neat looking!

Jersey Giant Black 4 > needed a cold hardy black bird for flock, plus my wife likes these...
Jersey Giant White 4 > they did not have any white wyandottes so I got these instead.

TOTAL=100

ORDERED FRIDAY FEB. 3, 2012. Just waiting for confirmation. Order and hatch date Confirmed

 

[gg706]

I bought mine through the mail...I couldn't get the breed that I wanted locally OR from a hatchery. So I bought mine through a breeder so I will have wait until April to get them.

Dont wait until summer to get your order in if you are ready this year, there won't be much if anything left. Especially where breeders are concerned. I do not have any experience with raising them as mine are coming in April. I am going to put mine in a clothes basket so they have ventilation and hang a heat lamp off to one side so they get under it when cold and out of it if they are hot. I was going to keep mine in there until the weather is warmer and they start to put on some real feathers. I live in Georgia so our winters are very mild anyway. From what I have read hatchery birds tend to NOT be as friendly. Which is another reason why I went with breeder stock. Hopefully some others will chime in that have some good experience.

Thank you for that great welcome! I have been reading books on the subject and I plan to also educate myself on this site. But to hear tried and true advice from people living it is always a great source. I am not sure if it is better to try and buy chicks locally or order by mail? I am unsure on how long they stay in a brooder box and most of all is there certain breeds that are friendlier and easy to handle?

 

[skysky43]

I ordered fifteen chicks from Meyer, and have twelve banty mix and lf barnyard mix eggs in the incubator too. Now I just have to get the rabbit Doe and her kits out of the brooder

 

[kristenm1975]

I did, I did! I placed a small order with My Pet Chicken for 1 Partridge Penedesenca (my fav!!), 2 Anconas, and 1 Rhode Island Red. I've raised four Penedesencas before and loved their super dark egg color, but then had to sell them when we moved into the city and an apartment. I'm trying again now, keeping them at my Dad's place in the sticks.

This is my first time getting chicks in the mail and I'm very excited, but a little nervous about how it's all going to work out. I have to work during the time they're expected, but fortunately I'm a nanny with exceptionally nice families who wouldn't mind at all if I take their little one to the post office to pick up chicks and then keep them at the house with me until 6 when I can rush them to their proper brooder. They arrive the week of March 12, so keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[JillS]

You can check out the pasty butt thing on the internet.. I usually just watch them and have, this is gross, carefully picked it off. I've also seen another chick pick it off. I can say i have never had a big problem with it. Grandfather was real big on a drop of apple cider vinegar in the water for chickens and rabbits. I use it as well. I don't know if this has a thing to do with pasty butt, but i have always used it adding it twice a week or so. As i had mentioned i have never had much of a problem with pasty butt. Here are the same gals a week later.

 

[JillS]

I have never waited to give chicks food or water. Did someone tell you to wait? They are so liittle. On hatchlings i can not comment but with chicks, they eat every ten minutes at first. I just set them up with food and water. The six i got were almost a week old. Of the six, five just started munching out. The one kind of acted a little stunned after the wild ride and did not run right over to eat and drink. I picked her up and took her to the water which she drank. Then i placed her in front of the food and she ate. She ended up being the spunkiest of the group. Looking back i think she was just a little angry about her ride, now that i know her personallity.