# I think im in way over my head...



## moniquenicole

I've finally convinced hubby to get me some chickens and I feel so unprepared and feel like there's so much that goes into this and having a 4 month old makes me feel like I can't handle this too... What do I need to know? What do I need?


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## TinyHouse

Are you getting chicks or older chickens? They need a safe place to live, a "run" so they can be outside during the day, food and water. 

I think you will be fine. AND you will have a blast! Please post pics!


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## moniquenicole

We were thinking about chicks but thought it'd be easier to get egg laying chickens.. I'm afraid more goes into raising the chick sand it makes me nervous.


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## moniquenicole

What's a tractor? Where can I get a nesting box? How do I know if I have an egg I can eat or if it needs to be incubated? Do I absolutely need an incubater? What exactly do I feed these creatures?


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## cindy

chickens are very easy to care for all you need is a good shelter with a couple of nesting boxes,straw,food and water.
you can get a small all in one coop with an attached run to house a few hens or if your are handy build it yourself.
if you decide on very young chicks they will need to be kept warm about 95 degrees the 1st week then 90 and on down
until they are feathered and old enough to be outdoors I keep mine in the garage when they are very young.
in my case I do not want roosters so none of my eggs are fertilized so I have no need for an incubator, I live in a rural
area but still I have one neighbor who complains about roosters crowing so they went to freezer camp that's something you
may want to consider. a chicken tractor is just a mobile coop with an attached run lots of back yard chicken keepers use them
and they are a great way to get you started with keeping chicken. when chicks are young feed them a good brand chick starter feed
then round 4 months of age I start adding laying mash to the mix they also get any damaged vegi's and stuff from my garden and in the winter months I spoil them with warm oatmeal and honey on occasion.
I will try to post some pictures of my setups but for the last couple days for some reason they wont let me upload pics. dont worry you will find keeping chickens very easy and rewarding.


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## cindy




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## Energyvet

Very nice set up you have Cindy. I'll bet it's easy with a big cage like that. They all look pretty happy in there with plenty of room. Enjoy!


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## cindy

I plan to put the coop with the rabbit in it in the run area where the large coop is that way when I am getting my young chicks aquainted with the older ladies
they can be seen by the others yet protected then I can get rid of the make shift pen you see in the picture


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## BootedBantam

Love Love the coop. And don't worry I feel way over my head, too. There is a lot of support here. Make a decision on what you want and make a list.


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## Energyvet

Give yourself time to research. Don't jump. Study first. Your chickens are depending on you.


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## cindy

I agree when I 1st started I 1st bought myself a prefab coop a waterer,feeder,straw and Dumor chick starter
then I started reasearching breeds that are hardy in my neck of the woods,I came across an ad on craigslist for
4-5 week old red sexlinks chicks "already sexed to be pullets" and eggcellent layers  for me the the large amount of eggs they 
lay was what I was looking for and the rest is history. since then I have gotten into pure breeds and day old chicks my next step
is to hatch some of my own probably next spring..dont sweat it chicken keeping is as easy as falling off a log.


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## TinyHouse

moniquenicole said:


> What's a tractor?


A chicken tractor is just a moveable pen so that you can move them to fresh grass every couple of days or so. Not required.



moniquenicole said:


> Where can I get a nesting box?


Nesting boxes can be made out of scrap wood, a plastic milk crate turned on its side or I've even heard of turning a 5-gallon bucket on its side for a nesting box. Doesn't have to be fancy, just something that makes them feel safe and provides a private place to lay eggs.



moniquenicole said:


> How do I know if I have an egg I can eat or if it needs to be incubated?


You can eat any egg your chicken lays. No egg "needs to be incubated" unless you want to raise your own baby chicks. If you have no rooster, none of the eggs will be fertile so it's not a concern. None of them would ever hatch out baby chicks. You can eat fertile eggs though - there's nothing wrong with doing that. Lots of people prefer eating fertile eggs.



moniquenicole said:


> Do I absolutely need an incubater?


No one "needs" an incubator unless they want to hatch out their own baby chicks. It's not a required piece of equipment just because you have chickens.



moniquenicole said:


> What exactly do I feed these creatures?


Feed baby chicks a grower ration and laying hens a laying ration. Find your closest farm/feed store and they will be happy to help you find the correct feed. It comes in bags just like dog or cat food.

Good luck and have fun!


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## TajMaCluckCoop

Before you leap, look into your town's Ordinances and Zoning Laws...is your property under a HOA??? Are you permitted chickens? How many? Can you have a roo?

I don't know where you live but getting chicks now means you may have youngsters outside in the cold and snow. So if you have to start now, get pullets. However, if you don't have a secure coop and run yet perhaps you should get a good book now........and start in the spring. That way your baby is a bit older as well. First you need to decide WHY you want chickens. If you want nice eggs and a nice amount of them you will want a large fowl, if you want to conserve a bit of space and don't mind small eggs maybe bantams are a good fit. If you want pets that you and your children can play with, maybe silkies are a good fit. Each type of chicken requires a bit different type of a set up...my large fowl roost really high, silkies don't roost at all. Large fowl need at least 4 sq ft of coop space and 10 sq ft of run space each, bantams less and silkies maybe even less.... 
I just down loaded a bunch of starter chicken books to my Kindle, even though I've had chickens for a few years I thought I might want to learn a bit more, most of them were less than $2.99. Amazon has a bunch of good books, Chickens for Dummies comes to mind. Storey's Guide to Chickens is good. Keep reading and posting here and learn from all our mistakes . If you wait til spring your local feed store will probably have chicks for sale. Saves you the cost of shipping over hatchery birds. Even better is to get to know some of your local chicken peeps on here...and buy from them!!

Good Luck! I was so scared and stupid when I got my first batch and all of them lived to lay!


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## TinyHouse

I got chicks 3 1/2 weeks ago. I live in Missouri. I see nothing wrong with getting chicks at this time of year if you plan for having younger chickens during the winter. I'm not sure I think it's fair to tell someone not to get chicks now if that's what they want to do. Just tell them to educate themselves and be prepared.


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## TajMaCluckCoop

TinyHouse said:


> I got chicks 3 1/2 weeks ago. I live in Missouri. I see nothing wrong with getting chicks at this time of year if you plan for having younger chickens during the winter. I'm not sure I think it's fair to tell someone not to get chicks now if that's what they want to do. Just tell them to educate themselves and be prepared.


Who told the OP to "not to get chicks now"? How is it *unfair* to support her idea that chicks may be too much for her at this time? Even though she has a 4 month old baby, she really wants chicken too. But she's smart enough to realize she may be in over her head (her words not mine) and has come here for advice, I took some of my time and offered some. Is that "unfair"? Now I understand why the folks I know that know alot about chickens won't get involved in forums like this anymore. My apolopies to the original poster, but I think I'll spend my time with my chickens, not in front of a computer from now on. Thanks for the valuable lesson TinyHouse. Regards to both you and moniquenicole.


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## TinyHouse

Wow - I apologize for having a different opinion and stating it.

I guess the "valuable lesson" **I** learned is to not disagree with certain people or I'll receive a dressing down.


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## cindy

don't sweat the petty stuff! just pet the sweaty stuff


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## BootedBantam

Coming from a new chicken mom. Take all the advice, research it, and decide what is right for you and your family. Don't be afraid to ask questions, there is a lot involved with chicken raising. I have had people tell me don't do chicks in winter, while others said why not? I think the key words are BE PREPARED and research your decison.


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## Energyvet

Besides having different circumstances, we have different capabilities. Only I can make decisions that are best for me. That goes for everyone. As I've said before, ALL songs are music in Chicken Land. So be free to express your thoughts and ideas but also be prepared to have someone disagree with you. ;-)


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## Energyvet

Had to laugh when I got the mail today....


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## cogburn

Gotta be thicker skinned than that... Everyone is right and everyone is wrong in the real world. 
Cogburn


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## fuzziebutt

Hubbo sent me to KFC to get a 3 piece meal one day, and sent me by the co-op for grass seed. They had bantam chicks there, and I took a wild hair and bought 3 of them, they were 4 days old. I came home with them, and after hubbo got past the whole "what the @^$$ are we gonna do with those, and where the &^($ are we gonna put them", we made it a day at a time. I put a big box with a window screen over it on a high table on the porch under the light, and used it as a brooder. Hubbo closed in one side of the barn with screen wire and doors, and we made a coop, and roosts in the rafters. If I had ever researched chickens. I would have been scared off! But they are soooo worth it. You will wonder how you ever got along without them!!


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## Energyvet

Love the story Fuzz. I gotta tell you, I really thought you were gonna say you put the 3 chicks in the KFC bag! I was waiting for that. Especially after the crazy hair remark. Can you imagine what the Hubbo would have done when he opened his dinner and saw 3 chicks and mashed potatoes. Hahahahaha Glad it worked out for you in the scheme of things.


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## kejmack

fuzziebutt said:


> Hubbo sent me to KFC to get a 3 piece meal one day, and sent me by the co-op for grass seed. They had bantam chicks there, and I took a wild hair and bought 3 of them, they were 4 days old.


Hmmm, reminds me of the time my EXhusband went out for milk and came home with a $8000 motorcycle.


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## rob

kejmack said:


> Hmmm, reminds me of the time my EXhusband went out for milk and came home with a $8000 motorcycle.


now thats my kind of shopping


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## Barredrockmom

I too purchased the chick and then started building this DIY project. I was thinking the coop would be ready before the chicks. Hahah. I had teenagers in my office all over me and my office chair. They were jumping the barrier I made with a huge reptile nylon cage. So plan first. Figure how many eggs you need a day. Make sure your run and coop are predator proof. Then read all you can here about how to care for chickens. And have fun. They are such a joy.


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## hildar

Energyvet said:


> Love the story Fuzz. I gotta tell you, I really thought you were gonna say you put the 3 chicks in the KFC bag! I was waiting for that. Especially after the crazy hair remark. Can you imagine what the Hubbo would have done when he opened his dinner and saw 3 chicks and mashed potatoes. Hahahahaha Glad it worked out for you in the scheme of things.


 Makes me think of the day I went to McDonalds and got a bacon cheddar McChicken sandwich. After placing the bag in the car at the window, I looked at the lady at the drive up window and said I think it ran away already. She was like what?? Then I pointed at the hood of my explorer all over it was chicken prints. The best laugh I have had in years.


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## robin416

OMG! Hildar, where have you been. Obviously your sense of humor is still intact.


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## hildar

robin416 said:


> OMG! Hildar, where have you been. Obviously your sense of humor is still intact.


I have been very sick the whole winter and spring. Then found out a couple of days ago I may have to go back to the doctor for 2 things. This last cold that I got back in Feb, I still have it, I just can't kick it. It seems to be set in my lungs big time. Seems like no matter how sick I get I always have my sense of humor.


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## robin416

I'm so sorry you've been feeling so bad for so long.

There is a lady I do business with here. That poor woman had something going in her chest too. She'd go to the doc, he'd give her drugs, she would get some better but once she was off the drugs got so sick again. Turns out she had mycoplasma. She has no clue how she contracted it.

But your experience is so close to what she was going through I had to toss it out there. And I did ask her if she has chickens. Aspergillus is another one we can pick up from their environment.


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## hildar

I am going to be finding out. This chest cold going for months isn't helping me at all, and when I am already having issues with my health it is just stressing me out way to much. Could be from being around the chickens, or just due to my health being bad and low immune system or whatever, but I just want to feel good for once again.


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## robin416

I sure hope so. I don't even know they test for it other than a sputum sample.


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## pblanton

Yeah... chickens are crazy easy to care for. Give them a shady place to play/rest during the day and give them plenty of room to romp. They will all go back into their roosting place in the evening without your help, but you need to go shut the door to make sure the raccoons and foxes don't get in at night.

Make sure they have plenty of bedding/straw to make laying nests and they will get to laying all on their own. Your failure to prepare won't hinder your chickens desire/need to lay eggs, but you should provide them with clean, dry nesting boxes so that they can get in and lay their eggs without reservation. 

If you mess up and a raccoon or fox gets in and kills one or two.. Well, that's life. It sucks and you need to forgive yourself and move on. Though you love them (as I do) they are effin' chickens and $#!7 happens. It helps if you don't name them... but I still do. My favorites are an Easter Egger named, "Baberaham Lincoln" for her full beard, and a seriously gentle Buff Orpington Rooster named, "Cogburn".

My most important advice is to let the chickens run free and wild (after training them as to their roost), and don't take it as a personal failure if they get picked off by a neighborhood predator.

Our dogs and cats are trained as chicken protectors (Not as hard as one might think) and we always leave either the cats or dogs out whenever the chickens run free.

And... KILL ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD PREDATORS WHENEVER YOU SEE THEM!

Of course neighborhood dogs and cats are off limits for the kill-tube (projectile flinging rifled tube), but raccoons, foxes, coyotes, etc... are always fair game. I don't care where you live. If you see a fox, raccoon, coyote, ... KILL KILL KILL; and answer for it later.

If you're all green and ****, then give up and let the earth ingest your chickens without protest. It'd be nice though if you'd let your grounded, realistic, chicken-protecting neighbor know so that they can KILL KILL KILL that destroying interloper.


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## Barredrockmom

Robin. Could mycoplasma be from chicken dust exposure? I really get choked up when I clean the 3-way out of the coop. I know this straw contains mold and fungus. Being exposed over and over again. I have asthma and really get choked up easily from the dust.


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## robin416

I don't know the answer to that for certain. But considering chickens can contract it I don't see why we couldn't get it too.

If you were standing in front of me right now you'd get a smack upside the head for not wearing a mask when cleaning the coop. I'm not one of those people that worries over every little thing that might happen but when it comes to my lungs I do go that extra step. I always and I do mean always wore a mask when I cleaned the coop. Not a painter's mask but a NIOSH rated mask. Because nothing that is carried in stores completely sealed I had to find them online and order them.

If you're going to contract aspergillus it will come from the dust stirred up from cleaning. Probably true of mycoplasma too.


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## WhitecatFarm

LOL the answer to that is STOP CLEANING


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## Barredrockmom

I have a system that I use. I carefully pull the clean straw away from under the perch. Then I carefully and very slowly to not cause emotional stress to Robin, push it with a rake out the door. I do this every day so the poop is fresh. Ah gosh. I'm defending my stupidity. Menopause and masks do not mix.


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## robin416

No, they don't. They suck. If you finally break down and get a NIOSH mask get the one that has a vent so when you exhale your breath leaves the mask. I didn't get that kind and always wished I had. 

BTW, I talked to that lady that had the mycoplasma today. They finally diagnosed her with a blood test. After months of suffering it was her pushing her doc to do one that finally got her the answers she needed.


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