Cackle Mini Surprise coming! Grow-a-long!

[horror_trashcan]

Hello! I've been lurking the forums for some time now and finally the time has come for my chicks to arrive!
My parents have had chickens many times so this isn't my entirely first rodeo, just one I am fully in charge of!
I ordered the Cackle Mini Surprise with the hopes of a very diverse flock and plenty of roosters to choose from. From what I've seen surprise orders seem to have a decent amount of hens in them but I will be fine with eating a bunch of roosters if need be. I hope for some turkeys or other poultry but I have a feeling its a little late for other birds.
The brooder is a wooden box covered with tin (so a tin box I guess) about 4 foot by 5 1/2 and around 3 feet tall ready to go for the chicks. They will be outside as its getting cooler and I am a tiny bit concerned about that although I read it can make for heartier birds in the future. They have a heat source, food and water (obviously) and I plan on sitting with them as much as possible!
They should arrive any time this week and I couldn't be more excited! I'll need help identifying them even though I have to wait for them to get older I still think its fun to guess. Current spending has been below 500$! I am very lucky to be living on land with many scraps and items I have been able to repurpose into chicken supplies.
My end goal is to have a steady supply of eggs and meat with a variety of poultry.
I always feel like I'm missing something but there's no more boxes to check.
I've read through the old Cackle Surprise threads but if anyone has any recent reviews let me know!
I will continue to update this thread as things progress.

 

[akroberts1085]

Hello! I've been lurking the forums for some time now and finally the time has come for my chicks to arrive!
My parents have had chickens many times so this isn't my entirely first rodeo, just one I am fully in charge of!
I ordered the Cackle Mini Surprise with the hopes of a very diverse flock and plenty of roosters to choose from. From what I've seen surprise orders seem to have a decent amount of hens in them but I will be fine with eating a bunch of roosters if need be. I hope for some turkeys or other poultry but I have a feeling its a little late for other birds.
The brooder is a wooden box covered with tin (so a tin box I guess) about 4 foot by 5 1/2 and around 3 feet tall ready to go for the chicks. They will be outside as its getting cooler and I am a tiny bit concerned about that although I read it can make for heartier birds in the future. They have a heat source, food and water (obviously) and I plan on sitting with them as much as possible!
They should arrive any time this week and I couldn't be more excited! I'll need help identifying them even though I have to wait for them to get older I still think its fun to guess. Current spending has been below 500$! I am very lucky to be living on land with many scraps and items I have been able to repurpose into chicken supplies.
My end goal is to have a steady supply of eggs and meat with a variety of poultry.
I always feel like I'm missing something but there's no more boxes to check.
I've read through the old Cackle Surprise threads but if anyone has any recent reviews let me know!
I will continue to update this thread as things progress.

I'm so excited for you. I hope you post lots of pictures of the babies and as they grow. This is my dramatic, boss lady Darlin. She's the sweetest Rhode Island Red. I also have 5 more but this girl is just my favorite

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Excited to see all your colorful chicks!

 

[horror_trashcan]

The chicks arrived today around 5pm all healthy and chirping! 23 of them, they immediately started drinking and eating without me even showing them, eager little things. I believe they're all chickens with no water fowl or other game birds. I had assumed it was too late for them to be hatching any way.

I checked them twice before locking the brooder up for pasty butt and saw nothing although one looked a little messy, would pasty butt kill them overnight in any case?
It is also quite cold here at night so I wouldn't have been able to safely clean it without chilling the chick. We don't have indoor heating either so keeping it inside wouldn't be an option regardless.

I didn't get a chance at pictures yet as it got dark quite soon after they settled down a little. I don't want to be too worried about it but I plan on getting up quite early to check them again.

Stay tuned to help me identify these little guys! (I think I got a Ayam!)

 

[Squawkers]

The chicks arrived today around 5pm all healthy and chirping! 23 of them, they immediately started drinking and eating without me even showing them, eager little things. I believe they're all chickens with no water fowl or other game birds. I had assumed it was too late for them to be hatching any way.

I checked them twice before locking the brooder up for pasty butt and saw nothing although one looked a little messy, would pasty butt kill them overnight in any case?
It is also quite cold here at night so I wouldn't have been able to safely clean it without chilling the chick. We don't have indoor heating either so keeping it inside wouldn't be an option regardless.

I didn't get a chance at pictures yet as it got dark quite soon after they settled down a little. I don't want to be too worried about it but I plan on getting up quite early to check them again.

Stay tuned to help me identify these little guys! (I think I got a Ayam!)

That’s so exciting! I love the idea of this thread! It will be fun watching them grow. Congrats on the Ayam! I personally would just wait till morning to mess with the pasty butt, but I’ve heard it doesn’t take long for it to hurt them. So, what ever you feel more comfortable with.

 

[Squawkers]

23 is a lot!! You will have your hands full I usually don’t do more then 4-5 at a time, and that’s plenty for me (but I’m very ocd and any bit of poop is too much, so I spend lots of time cleaning)

 

[Squawkers]

I’d love to see a picture of your brooder set up too! It’s always cute seeing them

 

[horror_trashcan]

Checked them all briefly this morning (after little sleep and paranoidly checking them until 3am) a few will need a bit of a clean maybe 4 out of the 23 It would seem to be the bigger ones not so much the little guys.

I sat crouched in the brooder just eyeballing them for about 30 minutes to not disturb them too much. I watched them all get some food and maybe drink a little, rotating in and out of the heat. They're so cute when they nod off!

It's still very chilly at 8am but I do have access to warm water and I'm thinking the rag method would be alright to perform inside of their brooder so they can immediately run back under the heat.
They are super afraid of me and I hate to distress them further with a grab and wet rag but it needs to be done!

Pictures will arrive when it gets a little warmer, my hands are colder than they could handle!

 

[horror_trashcan]

23 is a lot!! You will have your hands full I usually don’t do more then 4-5 at a time, and that’s plenty for me (but I’m very ocd and any bit of poop is too much, so I spend lots of time cleaning)

That's fair! they are very messy and I presume I will be changing their 'bedding' each day. I need quite a few to sustain my family and as they're straight run I hope to have at least half hens so my future numbers are lesser.

I’d love to see a picture of your brooder set up too! It’s always cute seeing them

My brooder is very ugly! It is very much a fortress as they're outside and I would hate for anything to be attracted to it. (Including snooping neighbors) I hope to make my coop a little more appealing to the eyes, haha

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Congrats on the little chicks! Please post some pictures!!!