Wow!

I think when you really get into chicks it's weirdly wonderful to watch them grow. We have a bunch and they all change. The silkies start small and not fuzzy. But now... WOW! They are all fuzzy because their older.We also have lots of other kinds that are awesome to watch grow. They start so small and fuzzy and become bigger and have feathers and often change colors. I think chickens are the neatest things. Thats all I had to say. :)

More Chicks!

We currently have 20 chicks! We used to have 7, but then three died and for my grandma's B-day we got more. It's great!

Tragedy!

I have had a tragedy! Three of my chicks were killed. :( The dog got em'.... I am sooo sad! But please, this was not my fault. I am NOT a bad owner. I was not there. The new coop had a little hole where you could get in, and so....
I am so sad, but I guess it's life. The sad thing is that the chicks were in the country and so the rooster and two others were killed. I liked the rooster! :( Well, the good thing is that we still have eight, including our Silkies.
I have to go, but please read my other post!

Good night,
Chick Lover

Welcome!

Hey, and welcome. I am happy you found me, for this is a new blog. This is my first post, one of many to come. Today I will explain the basics of raising the adorable fluff balls, chicks! This website is for newbies, and the old chicken raisers. For the older chicken raisers, you may enjoy videos and pictures I will post, and the newbies will enjoy everything, including my IMPORTANT advice. Before I start, I will let you know my email:

chick_lover101@hotmail.com. In case you didn't get why there was a space in Chick and Lover, there wasn't. There was a _. Just to make that clear! But please only email me with stuff that has to do with chickens. I do not appreciate prank email, and hope to receive none. I'm sure I won't receive any.

Now, let's begin:

Raising chicks seems simple enough, eh? You select a breed or two, put them in a box under a heat lamp, and give them food and water before they are old enough to go the the coop. Not so simple as you might think, actually.

BEDDING:

First of all, the bedding is very important! No slick serfices like, say, newspaper. If your little furries slip, they can fracture their hip, which CANNOT be fixed. That isn't all though. They may never have Cedar bedding. Cedar breaks up into tiny particles that get caught in their respiratory system (lungs). This can cause severe breathing problems, and worst death. Pine is better for chicks.

WATER:

Remember, if your chicks are very small, they can drown in water that is too deep, or wide. Make sure that the chicks always have access to water, but get them a water holder small enough so that they won't fall in and have no way out. However, if your chicks are super small, putting little rocks in the water will cause them to never drown.

HEAT LAMP:

Until your chicks hit a certain age, they need a heat lamp always, especially at night. No heat lamp= cold chicks, and cold chicks= possible death. Not only do they need the lamp for warmth, but also for their feathers. At first, chicks are all fuzz. But they need the lamp to develop healthy feathers for healthy wings! 95 degrees on their first week, but after that they need about seventy, which the heat lamp provides easily. And also, this usually does not happen, but make sure that your chicks bedding won't catch fire!

CLEANING THE BOX:

Make sure you clean out the poop and wet shavings from your chicks box often, for you don't want them to live in poop, and maybe have mold grow. Even though it's irritating, you must clean the box thoroughly when necessary. Also remember to clean out the food and water dishes often, for they can fill with bedding kicked around by your little fuzzy babies.

FOOD AND GRIT:

Now, this part is easy. Just make sure your chicks have food everyday. Something you may not know is that chicks have to have a thing called grit, which is kind of like pebbles. The grit is because they need it for their gullet. If they don't have it, they could die within 24 hours because their gullet gets so swelled up. I have had some chickens die from not having grit, and believe me, it's not fun!

MAKING YOUR CHICKS PETS:

Most people want chicks for eggs, or sometimes show. However, chickens can be great pets too! You have to tame them, and some chicks are tamer by nature, like Silkies. Silkies are called the kittens of the chicken world, for they love to cuddle! Awww!!! I currently have Silkies, and they are great for chicken lovers with time to read a book and hold them. However, if you are trying to tame a chick, all you have to do is hold them up to your face and speak softly for several minutes everyday.

SPACIOUS IS GRACIOUS:

Remember, as your chicks grow, they need more room. You may start with a small box about the size of a toaster, but you may need to double it eventually. Just like you may have a single room as a kid and teenager, but you will end up with a bigger space as an adult. And of course, this means more to clean, but your chicks need room to be happy.

TIPS:

Did you know that chicks are calmed down but being held on their back?? Yup, it's true. They like being held on their back.

Certain full grown chickens may have bloody eggs if you let them jump around off of stuff too much, and the eggs may also break inside of them. If a chicken tries to lay broken eggs, it's bye bye time for them, if you know what I mean!

There is more tips to raising chickens, but I cannot take the time to write more now. However, have fun with your chickens!!