Getting baby chicks this spring? I have many tips for you

[Baymule]

I used to raise them in the utility room, but the one at our new house is too small. I raised the last batch in the spare bedroom.

 

[Poka_Doodle]

Makes sense.
I'm realizing my timing might be a little bad. I'll have to check my incubator to figure if it has an automatic turner. It is middle of ski season and the school year so it will be a small challenge. Not sure which will be priority, skiing or chicks. I'd like to say chicks but the ski season has been amazing and I don't want mine to have to end early.

 

[Poka_Doodle]

Hey, who's going to be raising chicks?
I have meat birds coming soon

 

[ldawntaylor]

My Welsummer chicks spent their first night in the hen house. A wire enclosure in the hen house actually. To keep the bigger birds from picking on them for the moment.

Now to start cleaning up inside....

 

[Baymule]

Now to start cleaning up inside....

I sooooo can identify with that!

 

[ldawntaylor]

My bigger issue is what am I going to do with the extra cockerels? I seem to have nine of them and only one was supposed to be male. Six of the others were sold to me as pullets, two of the possible males were sold straight run. I also have 3 birds that haven't shown any signs but may just be late bloomers. Maybe I don't have as many young roosters as I think because the word "usually" and the phrase "almost certainly" keep coming up.

I don't care to do the butchering myself. I don't know if the place that butchers deer for some of the hunters would butcher chickens or not. If I don't have any great ideas before then I may see if my cousin will take them to auction when I auction my young bucks. One option is to see if my cousin's son would be willing and able to butcher them for me. For a portion of the meat...? A friend wants to raise birds for meat, so maybe she would want them.... I just can't let the situation go on indefinitely.

Cleaning I can do without too much duress but, for now, I need to close my birds in for the night.

 

[Baymule]

You raised them. You have fed them and cared for them. It is only right that you should benefit by putting them in your freezer. If you don't want to butcher, find a friend to butcher on halves. I butcher older hens and cockerels. It is not my favorite thing to do, but I get it down. I say a prayer over my chickens, thanking them for giving up their lives so that we may eat.

 

[ldawntaylor]

Well, no decision has to be made tonight. It's just a shame those mix ups happened at the hatcheries. I mean, six out of nine birds - sold as pullets actually being cockerels.... Then one store I bought them from not being willing to replace the birds or refund the money. I'm still not happy about that. Especially since they could have gotten their money back from the hatcheries.

I've also come to the conclusion that I've been really fortunate that all the birds I bought have been healthy. Every time I've gone back to that one store one or more of the birds for sale has been dead or dying. And still in with the other chicks.

 

[MrsKuhn]

I asked some chicken questions over on BYC but I never seem to get many replies. This will be nice for advice. I am stuck on cleaning and maintaining a healthy coop. They have been in their coop for 2 weeks and the run looks disgusting already

 

[TAH]

Mr's khun I deep littler and it works great. Or a even better way is wood chips and pine shavings. The cool thing about pine shavings is that they work to keep mites and lice away from your chicks/chickens.