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

[chiques chicks]

I started a plant thread in the natural and organic husbandry section since I had no clue where to put it.

I'd love to have people add plants and pictures, as, even at my age, I have a lot to learn.

 

[ldawntaylor]

chiques chicks, I'm glad you started that.

My chicks have been in that separate area in the hen house for a few days now. All is going well. Now, I can get that brooder box cleaned up and put away! That will free up a good bit of my hallway.

For my own peace of mind I am feeding the different age groups in separate areas. There is some overlap but it is a little more peaceful.

I intend to let the youngest chicks interact with the adult hen later today. She sure seems to like the young ones, choosing to stay close to their part of the hen house.

 

[Poka_Doodle]

Poke is edible when very young, I'm told.

I really should post a few pics of this year's chicks. I hatched only a couple dozen, but some are coming out very pretty.

Thanks!
We got some while I was gone.

I left for Washington for a week right before my future show chicks came, my meat chickens will hatch tomorrow, my second trial of incubating chicks finishes this week, I have summer camp Sunday through Thursday. You get the picture, a lot will be happening soon.

 

[ldawntaylor]

Well, one of my cockerels started crowing recently. I wasn't entirely sure until today. Of course that means I have to do something about those extra cockerels soon. I find I'm a bit more attached to them than I thought.

 

[Poka_Doodle]

What breed are they?

 

[ldawntaylor]

I've got an array of breeds. To avoid confusion...

2 Cuckoo Marans - cockerels
1 Silver Cuckoo Maran - cockerel
1 unidentified breed bantam - cockerel
1 unidentified breed bantam - pullet (suggested Old English Game)
1 Old English Game bantam - pullet
3 Cherry Eggers - type of Production Red - cockerels
1 Black Australorp - suspected cockerel
1 Production Red - pullet
1 Production Red - suspected cockerel
1 Ameraucana - pullet?
1 Olive Egger - suspected cockerel
1 Welsummer - cockerel
3 Welsummer - pullets

and one Cornish cross? Tyson chicken.

I've caught 2 of the Cherry Eggers crowing. I heard a third cockerel crowing but I'm not sure which one. It sounded like a smaller bird though.

 

[Poka_Doodle]

What do you mean about the Cornish Cross?

I have somewhere near 60 chickens right now

 

[ldawntaylor]

I mean that one parent was a Cornish and the other was something else. At least I think Cornish is one of the breeds Tyson uses.

All I know for sure is that this bird is from one of the Tyson chicken houses. She got out somehow and because of their bio security rules couldn't go back in. Rather than being killed she was given to me.

 

[Poka_Doodle]

Oh that's impressive. Have you seen the video about the truth to those places?

 

[ldawntaylor]

No I haven't. Just seeing the chickens being moved from one location to another makes me think their lives may not be pleasant. I can't count the times one of those trucks has lost a bird or two while traveling down the highway. Sometimes the bird breaks its neck when in lands and other times it is still alive after it hits. When it survives it is usually badly hurt.

I'm afraid there are a lot of the Tyson chicken houses around here. One reason I decided I wanted to get laying hens was because I would rather have a better source of eggs.