Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Valwoire

Hello!

Just popping in to say hi as I've been lurking for ages but I became the proud owner of 5 chicks today. They are just over 6 weeks old.

We got them from a friend who bred them. We went for chicks as our teenager daughter is quite fearful of birds so we wanted her to get used to them as babies and handle them. She's already handled them and really taken to one of them :-)

I was feeling a bit down about getting them earlier - I posted on down the lane asking for some advice to be told my friend was irresponsible for selling them at that age so I felt bad that I'd bought them too young but they're here now so I'll do what I can to make sure they're well looked after.

I'm sure I'll be back lots with loads of questions! I'll try to get some pictures in a couple of days :-)

I'm really glad I've taken the plunge now I just hope it all works out!

ionahenor2

Hi Valwoire I don't know very much about young chicks but lots of people on here do. Giger and others have young ones so ask away. I'm sure it will all work out and you wll be a super chicken mum/dad. You will soon get the hang of things.

It's good that your daughter is handling them too. When I first got mine I daren't pick them up so getting them back in from FR used to take alot of oats and grapes.:rotfl:

HeatherintheHills

Hi Valwoire, I've not raised chicks either yet, but at the moment my very experienced neighbours are raising chicks they bought at 3 weeks old. That appears to be the norm here.

They are keeping them inside their garden sheds, in rabbit hutches, raised well off the ground and are still feeding them chick crumb. The chicks are about 7 weeks old now and are fully feathered. The plan was to let them out during the days this week into a partitioned area (to keep them separate from the big girls) of the main run but they are still in their hutches because the weather is so bad now.

I'd keep them dry and warm inside until the weather improves, then start letting them explore on a warm sunny day.

daisy_darling

Valwoire wrote: »

Hello!

Just popping in to say hi as I've been lurking for ages but I became the proud owner of 5 chicks today. They are just over 6 weeks old.

We got them from a friend who bred them. We went for chicks as our teenager daughter is quite fearful of birds so we wanted her to get used to them as babies and handle them. She's already handled them and really taken to one of them :-)

I was feeling a bit down about getting them earlier - I posted on down the lane asking for some advice to be told my friend was irresponsible for selling them at that age so I felt bad that I'd bought them too young but they're here now so I'll do what I can to make sure they're well looked after.

I'm sure I'll be back lots with loads of questions! I'll try to get some pictures in a couple of days :-)

I'm really glad I've taken the plunge now I just hope it all works out!

I've had very young chicks too. They all survived and are robust healthy birds, although one does think he's part of the family !

This is Lemon, my much adored Sablepoot cockerel.

never_too_old

Brilliant photo,
talking about the awful weather ,do they mind?I have been trying to cover some of the run with a big umbrella so they can go in and out without getting wet but the wind has put paid to that.What do you all do?
tia:)

daisy_darling

never_too_old wrote: »

Brilliant photo,
talking about the awful weather ,do they mind?I have been trying to cover some of the run with a big umbrella so they can go in and out without getting wet but the wind has put paid to that.What do you all do?
tia:)

The only ones i keep under cover when it rains are my silkies because they're not remotely weather-proof. The rest of the breeds i allow to do as they please.

Mostly, that means the bantam breeds will potter around in the outhouse because the door is always open, and my heavy breeds will loom about outside but if it's torrential they do find things to shelter under.

brownhandbag

I was feeling a bit down about getting them earlier - I posted on down the lane asking for some advice to be told my friend was irresponsible for selling them at that age so I felt bad that I'd bought them too young but they're here now so I'll do what I can to make sure they're well looked after.

Valwoire please don't worry. As an experienced poultry keeper I can say with confidence although they act like babies they are not too young! We only hatch under broodies now and Mum will leave them at 4 weeks. She knows best! How does the person who said they are too young think we raise eggs in incubators with no Mum????

Main thing is keep them in a covered run until they are big enough to hold their own with other animals (buzzards our main problem)

Hope this helps Good Luck!

Valwoire

brownhandbag wrote: »

Valwoire please don't worry. As an experienced poultry keeper I can say with confidence although they act like babies they are not too young! We only hatch under broodies now and Mum will leave them at 4 weeks. She knows best! How does the person who said they are too young think we raise eggs in incubators with no Mum????

Main thing is keep them in a covered run until they are big enough to hold their own with other animals (buzzards our main problem)

Hope this helps Good Luck!

Thank you for the reassurance :beer:

I went and opened up the coop earlier when the rain had stopped - they all came to the door for a look out -all of a sudden one ran out and the other four followed! They had a quick peck at the grass and all ran back in again. They did this two or three times then one of the dogs startled them and all but one ran back inside! I'm pleased they worked out where to go when they were scared though.

I think the weather is going to be good tomorrow so think I'll let them into the run for a while and see how they get on. I can't wait to watch them exploring

HeatherintheHills

How are the chicks today Valwoire?

Lemon is so gorgeous daisy_darling

never to old, I have 2 old window blinds stretched from the coop roofs to the ground and held in place with stones. It is a great shelter for showers but this torrential rain is too much for it and it is getting nasty under there.

I've got mine a largish 2 person pop up tent because they are dirt cheap at the moment (I got it for less than £10). I'll put it up in the big run, tie it down really tight, weigh it down inside with bricks and do anything else that occurs to me to keep it from blowing away. Then I'll put a good layer of shavings inside and see what happens. I've a feeling they will take to it as they are used to being under the blind awning. We shall see! And yes, I do know I'm completely bonkers :rotfl:

daisy_darling

HeatherintheHills wrote: »

How are the chicks today Valwoire?

Lemon is so gorgeous daisy_darling

never to old, I have 2 old window blinds stretched from the coop roofs to the ground and held in place with stones. It is a great shelter for showers but this torrential rain is too much for it and it is getting nasty under there.

I've got mine a largish 2 person pop up tent because they are dirt cheap at the moment (I got it for less than £10). I'll put it up in the big run, tie it down really tight, weigh it down inside with bricks and do anything else that occurs to me to keep it from blowing away. Then I'll put a good layer of shavings inside and see what happens. I've a feeling they will take to it as they are used to being under the blind awning. We shall see! And yes, I do know I'm completely bonkers :rotfl:

Aww, I this post !