The past few weeks have flown by with my colorful, rainbow batch of chicks!
They have been relatively low maintenance up until this point. When you have chicks during hotter months, it is important to make sure they don’t get overheated during the daytime.
Their wing and tail feathers have grown in. Usually feathers on the head come in very last. There have been 3 pleasant days where we have let them outside during the day. We put them in our handy, now empty, chicken tractor. Ideally, the tractor would have rabbit wire, but it only has chicken wire. Luckily, the chicks have grown in size and cannot fit through the holes.
Their first time in a bigger house was super exciting!
They ran around and flew off the grass, like little baby pigeons! Picking grass, taking a dust bath, and practicing perching. Like a proud parent, I loved seeing all their firsts! My toddler loves sitting in the tractor with them and she will have them tame in no time!
Unlike the Rangers, these chicks all look very different! So, naturally, we have favorites. There’s Stormy the black and white mystery girl, Lemongrab, the one we can’t decide will be white or gray, and Sunny.
Sunny is very “special.” Ever since taking her out of the box, I noticed something was off about this dark gray, almost blue, cutie. She doesn’t have splay leg, but has trouble getting around. She acts dizzy. I have tried different things to help her, but nothing has changed. It must be a neurological tick. She is still eating, drinking, and longs to be with the others.
Some of the chicks did develop mild cases of “pasty butt,” or as my toddler lovingly calls it, “tasty butt.” Pasty butt happens when chicks have a little ball of poop on the outside of their little bottoms. It is fairly common in chicks that have been shipped, and thankfully, easy to fix. By carefully picking off the hard bits with a warm, wet paper towel, it is cured.
Other than that, they are a lively, vivid little bouquet of chicks!
SW
July 8, 2020Received my chicks (ISA browns and California whites) 4 weeks ago. A cat somehow got in and killed one this past week. I purchased a replacement chick. She gets along great with the 4 week old ISA browns and California whites. They are so docile🥰. Wish I could upload a picture of the new ISA brown baby with the 4 week old ISA. A big difference in size but personality is still the same.
Hannah Sanders
July 9, 2020I’m so sorry to hear about a cat getting one of your chicks! That’s just an unfortunate part of having chickens- it seems like everything always wants to get them!
Yes! ISA browns really have the best personalities!
Megan
July 9, 2020I’m so happy for y’all and tour babies, glad to hear everything is going good with you guys and your babies. I on the other hand have lost 18 chicks And 2 turkeys; found dead. Either bleeding from their ears, or ran into the fence and hurt themselves. I fixed the fence and everything has been good since then. Minus my two 5 week olds I found dead in the pin today, (Barred rock and Silver laced Wyandotte) and I don’t know what to do I went to Rural Kind today and got 4 Sapphire Gems and 4 Silkies, I’m trying to have a large variety of chickens but it doesn’t seem to be going well. I feed all my chicks Medicated chick started (MannaPro) and I put vitamins and electrolytes in their water. I have had ISA browns, Amber links, silver laced Wyandotte’s, Rhode Island reds, production reds, Chinese bantam, Easter Eggers and unfortunately and sadly I have have lost them all. I told my mom I was giving up and going to sell what I have. But got told I can do this! So I went like I said and got my Sapphire gems and silkies today. I’ve turned the heat lamp off because I’m raising them outside (I’ve tried inside with the heat lamp and the all have died). I’m going to put “lime” Or “Lyme” in their pin tomorrow hopefully that helps as deodorizer. And input would be SO grateful. Thank you and congratulations to everyone who is successful in this area. Please help. I get my chicks from Rural King that come from Hoover’s Hatchery.