Feather Dusters for Chicks: A Very Bad Idea
Periodically someone shares on social media the adorable idea of hanging a feather duster over their baby chicks so that they can snuggle under it. It seems like such a great idea, the chicks instinctively gather under it, and their contented little peeps are precious.
Until it isn’t.
The problem is that the chicks poop, and poop is sticky, and eventually that sticky poop makes it way onto the tips of the feathers, sticking them to one another.
A chick inserts her head, or leg, or wing in between two stuck feathers and can’t get it out. In her panic she twists and turns, spinning the trap tighter and tighter.
I know it is tempting. It feels like you have done a wonderful thing for them, until it doesn’t.
You’ve ordered your chicks and set your pick-up appointment. Now what?
Now is a great time to do a little reading so that you are well-equipped to take excellent care of your little ones.
As chick season heats up, I want to talk to you about Chick Flippers. These are people who place large orders from commercial hatcheries, have the chicks shipped in, and then list them for sale at a HUGE mark-up on Craigslist etc. They don’t disclose . . .
Please oh please don't use a feather duster. Yes, they will love it, but when you find the one that got tangled in it and hung herself, you will feel awful.
Well that depends on many things, chiefly the weather and what does your outside set-up entail.
The rule of thumb is that they need to be ten weeks old if the over-night low is going to be around 30.
That said, I put them out at four weeks at about any time of year. What? Yes. Four weeks, with supplemental heat.
One of my customers — a first-time chicken dad — glibly remarked, “I think I’ll get into breeding, how hard can it be?” One of my more diplomatic friends responded, “You would be surprised.”
No, this is not a dating guide. If you are looking for your soulmate, volunteer with an organization that aligns with your values and priorities. All those other volunteers are your pre-filtered field of candidates. Now, back to chicks . . .
Dalia Monterroso, local resident and President of Chickenlandia, just published a book: “Let's All Keep Chickens!: The Down-to-Earth Guide to Natural Practices for Healthier Birds and a Happier World”.
”Readers will learn how to plan their flock, how to raise baby chicks, what to look for in a chicken coop, how to keep chickens healthy naturally, and more.”
Are you just planning on just one round of chicks? Let me save you the trouble of gathering up all the necessary supplies.
Great question. Chick prices vary according to availability, quality, and investment.
I’ve shared quite a few of my best tips and tricks for setting up a chick brooder, but what about the next step? When they are too little to just toss into the big girl coop, but too big stinky to stay in the house.
At this point, I put them in the big girl coop, with accomodations.
I house birds of different ages together regularly. Here is how I introduce them.
Stella Stargazer: before and after Selenium treatment for wry neck.
We had a great hatch this weekend: 47 eggs went into the hatcher, 46 chicks came out.
New Year, New Floofs: Wheaten/Blue Wheaten/Splash Ameraucanas and Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Marans
Brooder set-up tips, encore.
How to help her, and better yet, how to minimize the occurrences of sticky chick.
Surprise! You are a mama!
Medicated Chick Starter and Fermented Feed.
Girl Chick? Boy Chick? How is one to know?
Sexing chicks. Alas, not as easy as we would wish.