Getting baby chicks!

[TheChickenChaser]

After a long wait, this afternoon I will be picking up 3 baby speckled Sussex chicks from rural king. I will send pictures of both the brooder and the coop. I am so excited! I am planning to hang out with them in fifteen minute spurts separated by a couple hours. Does this sound good for the first week? After that week I will occasionally bring them outside and hang out with them longer and longer. My plan will be to hang with them in the morning by cuddling, getting them used to my hand. And letting them explore confined areas. Then eventually pet them outside, does all that work? Thank you guys!

 

[TheChickenChaser]

Does anyone have any other suggestions on fun bonding stuff I could do with my chicks?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Don't get too set on a "schedule" - the first day or two they'll probably mostly want to rest and warm up, as they'll be under a lot of stress from shipping and then moving again to a new location. Otherwise I'd say play it by ear, nothing wrong with your overall plans.

Have you already set up the brooder to ensure you have temperatures correct?

I'm actually fairly hands off with chicks, I don't bother trying to tame them until they're a little older and a little bigger and more receptive to food rewards. At that point it's just associating me with yummies and then they'll follow me around. I don't particularly like chickens jumping or climbing on me though, which some people do like.

 

[FrostRanger]

I'd mostly leave them alone for the first day or 2 but your plans otherwise sounds fine! I can also suggest mixing their chick feed with water and hand feeding it to them, the way to most animals heart is through their stomach. I also play music for them (at a reasonable volume, not too loud) and sing to them. Other than that, just chilling with them will help them get used to you. I did that with my girls and they usually hang out near or on me when I'm out with them, although it is a good point to decide whether you want them perching and climbing on you. I love my birds jumping on me and perching on my shoulder but chickens do have some sharp nails on them and not everyone is willing to tolerate that and if you do let them on your shoulder mind your eyes

 

[jillybeansisme]

OK, so I'm going to say just be near them and make sure their water is clean 4-5 times/day. Pick them up one by one as soon as you get them and dip their beaks in the water so they take a drink. Be careful, be very, very, very careful with that heat lamp. Make sure it is dusted daily and very secure. It can start a fire in a minute. A better heater is a radiant heating plate. I know it's alot more expensive ($50-$75 probably), but it is safer. You can use it for years (chicken math). Three is a great number to start. You can use puppy pads or paper towel the first week and then you can use pine shavings for bedding (or pellets). Do not use cedar. At least 1x/day, pick each chick up and check its butt for poop. If it is poopy, take a wet paper towel and gently wipe it off. If it is stuck, then run the chick's butt under tepid water. Do not pull at stuck poop or you could tear the chick's vent (deadly). If you notice bloody diarrhea, then one or more of your chicks has coccidiosis. You'll need to treat them with Corid, which can be bought in a 16oz size. (1 tsp/half gallon of water for 5 days, wait 2 weeks and treat a 2nd time.) After a week of having your chicks, you can give them cooled scrambled eggs that have garlic, oregano, and thyme mixed in. I wouldn't hold myself to a 15 minutes schedule. Just talk to them for a minute every time you walk by as you get a chance. You need to check on them anyway. Keep it easy and fun. Your coop looks like it might be 4' x 4', so 3 chickens should be okay in it. If you have not yet bought the coop, then don't. You can easily build it for less (I'm 66 and I did). A company called Landmark on Amazon sells hardware cloth for ~$180 for a 4' x 100' roll (chicken wire is not predator proof). In the summer you want a waterer big enough to put frozen 1/2 gallon jugs of water in it to keep the chickens water cool. In the winter, if you get freezing temps, you'll want a heated waterer. I could go on and on, but feel free to message me if you want me to! Enjoy your babies.

 

[TheChickenChaser]

OK, so I'm going to say just be near them and make sure their water is clean 4-5 times/day. Pick them up one by one as soon as you get them and dip their beaks in the water so they take a drink. Be careful, be very, very, very careful with that heat lamp. Make sure it is dusted daily and very secure. It can start a fire in a minute. A better heater is a radiant heating plate. I know it's alot more expensive ($50-$75 probably), but it is safer. You can use it for years (chicken math). Three is a great number to start. You can use puppy pads or paper towel the first week and then you can use pine shavings for bedding (or pellets). Do not use cedar. At least 1x/day, pick each chick up and check its butt for poop. If it is poopy, take a wet paper towel and gently wipe it off. If it is stuck, then run the chick's butt under tepid water. Do not pull at stuck poop or you could tear the chick's vent (deadly). If you notice bloody diarrhea, then one or more of your chicks has coccidiosis. You'll need to treat them with Corid, which can be bought in a 16oz size. (1 tsp/half gallon of water for 5 days, wait 2 weeks and treat a 2nd time.) After a week of having your chicks, you can give them cooled scrambled eggs that have garlic, oregano, and thyme mixed in. I wouldn't hold myself to a 15 minutes schedule. Just talk to them for a minute every time you walk by as you get a chance. You need to check on them anyway. Keep it easy and fun. Your coop looks like it might be 4' x 4', so 3 chickens should be okay in it. If you have not yet bought the coop, then don't. You can easily build it for less (I'm 66 and I did). A company called Landmark on Amazon sells hardware cloth for ~$180 for a 4' x 100' roll (chicken wire is not predator proof). In the summer you want a waterer big enough to put frozen 1/2 gallon jugs of water in it to keep the chickens water cool. In the winter, if you get freezing temps, you'll want a heated waterer. I could go on and on, but feel free to message me if you want me to! Enjoy your babies.

thanks so much for taking the time to respond! It ended up that we got 4 chicks, 2 jersey giants and 2 barred Plymouth rocks due to availability! The Plymouth rocks were a couple of days old while the jersey giants were closer to a week. They were so adorable! They have gotten a long great and the only health problem we have encountered was a minor case of pasty butt, but after dipping it's butt in water and cautiously wiping, it is solved! I love them so much! I hang out with them with a towel on my chest and let them mess around about 4 times a day for 25 or so minutes each! They are so sweet! They don't run when I put my hand in there and have had limited success in getting them to eat out of my hand. When I try to pick them up, they scream like bloody murder unless I scoop them up and let them put their feet on my hand. I love them so much! They are all around a week old now, anything I can do with them now? Would I be able to bring them outside in a little enclosure? Or is that too soon. And when do I introduce treats? Any comments or ideas would be greatly appreciated as I just want what's best for my little chicks. BTW, can chicks see electronic screens? I was studying Spanish with my chicks on my lap and they kept standing on their tippy-toes and staring at my screen.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Your doing great...
Chicken maths gonna bite hard soon and your gonna need a bigger everything.

 

[TheChickenChaser]

That would be true if my parents didn't make me swear to not ask for any more chickens or poultry

 

[wrathsfarm]

That would be true if my parents didn't make me swear to not ask for any more chickens or poultry

 

[TheChickenChaser]

Lol, I think they know that they won't be able to stop me