Week one

Hey guys, i'm raychel.
Weeks ago i decided to raise chickens, and so far it's been fantastic. In preparation to get your chickens, you have got to follow these steps:
1.) STOP! before you start anything, call your town advisors. There may be rules in place about keeping chickens, even as pets.
2.) Do some research. My mother made me read every chicken magazine, book, and online article about chickens, livestock, and gardening she could lay her hands on (then again she is a librarian....). It helped a ton
3.) Find out where you can get chickens locally. I bought mine from a store called Agway which has many differnt locations (if not try country max, or even call a local farm/animal shelter)
4.) Call up said place and first see if they are carying chickens at the time. Generally stores will have chickens in the spring time. Also ask about the breeds they'll carry. You can find information on breeds here: http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/ (though dont order from here.... you have to buy roughly 20-30 at a time!)
5.) About a week before hand, go out and get the neccessary things needed! Remember, feeder, waterer, lamp, lightbulbs, chicken starter feed, bedding, etc!
6.) About a day before you get your chickens, set up their home! I use a cardboard box that my chicks use as a nest.


Day one:

These adorable chicks are merely one day old at this point. The baby at the top is named soup (notice the triangle on her forehead), the middle ( who has a stripe on her forehead) is named nugget, and the bottommost chick is named Parmesan for her all yellow face.

psst... if you don't get the names add the word chicken before them :)

LOUD LOUD LOUD LOUD! nonstop cheeping! Though i'm guessing thats from being cold (it rained all day). You definitely want a light with a hot bulb so they can stay warm (i've been using 100 watts, though my chicks have been kept in a hamster/guina pig cage...). Also they seem to hate drafts... no windows or doors open in their room (why yes, my girls are being kept inside till summer reaches it's peak...).

Day two: Today the chicks are much more active compared to yesterday. Now that they are used to their surrounding, they are running about and not cheeping as much. They seem flustered when i attempt to change their water ( two- four times a day people... they walk, poop, and kick bedding into it a ton). Believe it or not they
have already started developing wing feathers! Adorable...


Day three: It seems Parmesan is the boss. She struts around and pecks at the other two when they get in her way. This is known as the pecking order. You'll notice for the first week that the chickens like to mess around, almost like dogs might, pecking, nibbling, and rolling around with each other. Its a way to establish who is the leader.

Day four: Cleaning day already. I use shredded paper. It's fine except for the fact that it get's in their water a ton... though i expect the same if I used store bought bedding....

Day five: Visitors! All my friends have been waiting to meet my chicks, and today was the day. The girls were generally well behaved, though they like to peck a ton. This is a problem.. for now. When they get older their beaks will get harder and sharper then the rubber they have for a beak now. They cheep a ton when picked up, though they liked to be held when they get there.

Day six: Holy flying chicks. It's like they don't believe that the cage will keep them in. I caught both Parmesan and nugget today ontop of the shoebox i have in their cage. They're all now gaining feathers not only on their wings, but backs too. All three have noticably increased in size, and weight too.

Day seven: Today they all seem very content and lazy in the heat. I turned off their lamp so they wouldn't turn into a family barbeque. I completely trashed all the old shredded paper (composting ftw!) and put new stuff in. Already they have spilt food and water all over it. Thanks girls.