Hello all,
I have posted on a couple of threads and lurked around, but haven't officially said hello yet. Becoming a chick mom (or as my friends and family may call me, the crazy chicken lady) has been a long time dream for me. For the last several years I have dreamt, researched, and planned for the day I would finally have some chickens, and maybe even some ducks. We bought our first home in Nov. of 2017 and the plan was to add chicks that spring. Well life happens, and that didn't happen.
Fast forward to this year, and once again the chick bug was biting me. I told my husband, that's it, no more excuses, I am ordering chicks for this spring. So, online I went to Meyer's Hatchery and I placed my order for 10 chicks, (8 pullets, 2 roos) and set the hatch day for the end of March. This would give us time to get a coop together, the run setup, and everything ready. So my life, in typical fashion, that all once again changed. With a trip to the local Rural King, the kids just had to have 2 of the cute little runner ducklings that were in the bin. So home with us they came, and I scrambled to get the brooder set up, and these lil ducks settled in at like 8pm on a Saturday night. The ducklings were about 4 days old and cute as little fluffy buttons. In my defense, I stayed strong on my first trip there and left without any chicks or ducklings, just a plan to place an order for some sapphire gems that were being offered. I had checked a few days prior with Meyer Hatchery and was able to have my entire chick ordered shipped a month earlier than originally planned, so our time table for EVERYTHING had to be moved up. Anyways, this led to the chick order at the farm store being placed and due to arrive around the 20/21st of February.
We had no coop, no run, and ducklings in the brooder. What was I thinking lol. 10 chicks from Meyer and 6 more ordered from Rural King. Chicken math happened right here. I was only planning for the initial 8-10. Darn those cute lil Sapphire Gems. So, my Meyer's order shipped with 11 total birds, 2F 1M Speckled sussex, 2F 1M Welsummer, an Australorp, New Hampshire Red, Buff Orpington, and a Gold Laced Wyandotte. Plus a bonus chick that I hoped was another australorp pullet but now suspect is a barred Plymouth or a Dominique roo. We lost 2 from the initial order, a Welsummer or Sussex, (they look so similar that I couldn't say for certain) and the buff or red (also unsure because both chicks were yellowish). Yesterday I received 8 chicks from the farm store, my order was 6. 2F Sapphire Gems, 2F Prairie Bluebell Eggers (lays blue eggs), and 2 straight run Lavender Orpingtons. Plus 2 bonus, 1 of which is supposed to be a P.B.E and another I'm not sure about. They're all pretty much the same color with the exception of 1, so we shall see. We did lose 1 of them this morning, so wait and see is what we do I guess. This is how I went from zero chickens/ducks to 16 chicks and 2 ducks almost overnight.
We did get a coop, an 8x12 lifetime rubbermaid style shed. The chicks and the ducklings are out there toughing it out in the cold (both ducklings and chicks were inside for several days for observation) with a ceramic heat lamp for the ducklings and the mama heating pad for the chicks. The ducks were too big to use this (the MHP) for them and the chicks, and since they are feathering out and use the heat lamp when needed for warmth, we are getting by just fine. The newest chicks were picked up yesterday and they will be joining the other chicks in the outdoor brooder and under the MHP. I am looking forward to having everyone outside. We have a camera in the coop to keep an eye on everyone which helps me not to worry so much about them and the cold, but my kids and I are miserable from all of the dander in the house. I think everyone's allergies are working overtime. I know that these lil critters are a lot tougher than we like to believe and everyone is flourishing in the coop. The ducklings and the chicks are feathering out nicely, and seem to be pretty far ahead of the indoor brooder babies. Sorry for writing a book, just wanted to share my story.
I have posted on a couple of threads and lurked around, but haven't officially said hello yet. Becoming a chick mom (or as my friends and family may call me, the crazy chicken lady) has been a long time dream for me. For the last several years I have dreamt, researched, and planned for the day I would finally have some chickens, and maybe even some ducks. We bought our first home in Nov. of 2017 and the plan was to add chicks that spring. Well life happens, and that didn't happen.
Fast forward to this year, and once again the chick bug was biting me. I told my husband, that's it, no more excuses, I am ordering chicks for this spring. So, online I went to Meyer's Hatchery and I placed my order for 10 chicks, (8 pullets, 2 roos) and set the hatch day for the end of March. This would give us time to get a coop together, the run setup, and everything ready. So my life, in typical fashion, that all once again changed. With a trip to the local Rural King, the kids just had to have 2 of the cute little runner ducklings that were in the bin. So home with us they came, and I scrambled to get the brooder set up, and these lil ducks settled in at like 8pm on a Saturday night. The ducklings were about 4 days old and cute as little fluffy buttons. In my defense, I stayed strong on my first trip there and left without any chicks or ducklings, just a plan to place an order for some sapphire gems that were being offered. I had checked a few days prior with Meyer Hatchery and was able to have my entire chick ordered shipped a month earlier than originally planned, so our time table for EVERYTHING had to be moved up. Anyways, this led to the chick order at the farm store being placed and due to arrive around the 20/21st of February.
We had no coop, no run, and ducklings in the brooder. What was I thinking lol. 10 chicks from Meyer and 6 more ordered from Rural King. Chicken math happened right here. I was only planning for the initial 8-10. Darn those cute lil Sapphire Gems. So, my Meyer's order shipped with 11 total birds, 2F 1M Speckled sussex, 2F 1M Welsummer, an Australorp, New Hampshire Red, Buff Orpington, and a Gold Laced Wyandotte. Plus a bonus chick that I hoped was another australorp pullet but now suspect is a barred Plymouth or a Dominique roo. We lost 2 from the initial order, a Welsummer or Sussex, (they look so similar that I couldn't say for certain) and the buff or red (also unsure because both chicks were yellowish). Yesterday I received 8 chicks from the farm store, my order was 6. 2F Sapphire Gems, 2F Prairie Bluebell Eggers (lays blue eggs), and 2 straight run Lavender Orpingtons. Plus 2 bonus, 1 of which is supposed to be a P.B.E and another I'm not sure about. They're all pretty much the same color with the exception of 1, so we shall see. We did lose 1 of them this morning, so wait and see is what we do I guess. This is how I went from zero chickens/ducks to 16 chicks and 2 ducks almost overnight.
We did get a coop, an 8x12 lifetime rubbermaid style shed. The chicks and the ducklings are out there toughing it out in the cold (both ducklings and chicks were inside for several days for observation) with a ceramic heat lamp for the ducklings and the mama heating pad for the chicks. The ducks were too big to use this (the MHP) for them and the chicks, and since they are feathering out and use the heat lamp when needed for warmth, we are getting by just fine. The newest chicks were picked up yesterday and they will be joining the other chicks in the outdoor brooder and under the MHP. I am looking forward to having everyone outside. We have a camera in the coop to keep an eye on everyone which helps me not to worry so much about them and the cold, but my kids and I are miserable from all of the dander in the house. I think everyone's allergies are working overtime. I know that these lil critters are a lot tougher than we like to believe and everyone is flourishing in the coop. The ducklings and the chicks are feathering out nicely, and seem to be pretty far ahead of the indoor brooder babies. Sorry for writing a book, just wanted to share my story.
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Glad you joined.
