Hi all!! Pullets aquired yesterday !!

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ziliz99

Chirping
Feb 28, 2025
24
65
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Central Florida
Hi all!!
My journey to chickens has been kinda long, I loved chickens as a child but had over 4 and always died overnight. I did a lot of wrong things as a child but never tried again. A few years ago we finally moved into a home so I talked to my husband about getting chickens but he was really against it. He was concerned of what we would do if one died or how to deal with an agressive hen. Slowly he switched to wanting them while I was scared to deal with any illness.

This year we both agreed and while I was doing research, having BYC open too, my daughter saw my google search and immediately was all in. I didn't think we would find chicks so we drove 10min to our closest Tractor Supply...and found chicks - just not the breeds I wanted so we called over 8 locations and none in stock. My daughters refused to get out of the car until we found chicks. Two hours passed and they were still in the car so I called another place as a last resort and they had some. We drove 1hr each way but ended up with 4 pullets: 1 Black Sex-Linked & 3 Buff Rock. One of the buff rocks seems to be leathergic tho. We have tried feedeing sugar water and egg yolk.

I really wanted Bantam chicks due to our space limitations but kids won this round. My ideal breeds based on internet research would be Cochin, Australorps and Easter Eggers but really didnt want to ship them in either. Shipping really makes me so scared for them plus the costs are crazy compared to in person. Plymouth Rocks were 4th on my list so it wasn't all that bad for a spur of the moment decision hehe.

Due to space, budget and sustainability concerns I am thinking of alternative coop/run builds but feel like I'm hitting a wall since wood we have is cedar and don't have a fence on the property for free roaming. I wish they could free roam, thats our goal for next year. Posted about this in the Coop Threads so hopefully will get some help there.

We have a goldendoodle who seems to be terrified of the chicks and has been ignoring them whenever possible. My kids are in love with the chicks and has been taking care of them non stop - checking temperature, holding, feeding and even cleaning after them.So proud of them but going crazy cleaning their hands every 15min and lysol areas they touch lol. My mom was never this worried, but better safe than sorry i guess. Am I being excessive?

My husband works day and night so this is mostly for my kids and me - since they homeschool, its a fun and learning activity for us all.

Given chicks are only a few days old (guessing - store had no idea), we have time to figure it out but feeling pressed to figure out the coop/run.
 
Hi and welcome to BYC. Congratulations on your new chickens.
If a fence is not an option, you will need a permanent run attached to the coop as they will need space to roam about. Without a fence, free ranging could be a challenge as you don't want to be chasing chickens down the road or on a neighbor's property.
Best of luck with your new flock.
 
hope you get answers about your coop/run, if you are looking to save money on wood and want to build it yourself, i would suggest pallet wood, that's what i used for mine, but be sure to get good quality hardware cloth for wire on the run to keep them safe, you may be a little over worried about germs lol, but your chicks should be fine! if the one chick continues to be sick, let us know. but other than that just take a minute to breath and research more ! if you need anything else let us know, byc is here for you!!!
 
Welcome.
for 3 or 4 chickens you'd not need a great deal, especially if you have non-flighty birds. A secure overnight location would be ideal and perhaps a roll of netting and some posts to let them out in during the day when older. As larger chicks outside cardboard boxes or children's play-pens work great. You can even use an old swimming pool/paddling pool maybe with the bottom cut out. Having a space for them to stay warm, dry, safe and be protected is most important at that age.
 
Welcome to the family of chicken tenders!

I wouldn’t stress too much about the kids getting germs. Just get them in the habit of not touching their face and washing hands with soap and water after they handle the birds.

In regards to suggestions on building the coop, a lot will depend on where you live (weather and zoning) and how much space you have. Quite a few members have info about their coop on their bio page. Check those out as they are very helpful. Mine talks about the build and what I’d do differently if we were to build again.

Regarding the chick who isn’t thriving, how is your brooder set up? Can you post pics? Do you have a heat plate? You might try adding some electrolytes to their water and adding some warm water to their chick starter crumbles. My girls think it’s a great treat!
 

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Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.

I gave you my 2 cents on your thread regarding your playhouse conversion. I'm willing to spend more but we need pictures of what you are working with. You have lots of work to do and you need to get going ASAP as those chicks will need to be moved outside in about 5 weeks... Chop, chop!!
 
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