[FRUITFULL]

I have been waiting yonks and yonks to be a proud chooky owner!I have set my heart on Buff Orpingtons
I reserved some and it never happened and then some more and that never happened either.
I have now found a place only down the road from me (40 miles!)who has them from 2 days and 2 weeks old!She sells them as little ones!I can buy a lamp from our local farm shop but.............am i capable of doing this?(not buying the lamp but looking after babies!)I cant keep the boys but i know someone who would take them.Obviously i need to get clued up and am happy to keep them on the kitchen table for now and eventually they have a lovely secure home we have built.
S hould i go for it and get some and hope i get some girlies?or keep looking to reserve some at an older age?

[Big Jen]

Go for it
You will love them twice as much if you rear them yourself.
There are loads on here who can give you advice.
Get twice as many as you need just in case you get a lot of boys. If you get all girls you can always build a bigger house

BJ

[nnbreeder]

If you chose the two week olds get the ones with the smallest combs and the skinniest legs. Chances are good they will be hens.

 Go for it. You will have countless hours of enjoyment out of those little birds watching them grow.

[FRUITFULL]

oh wow thanks jen x im very nervous but know i have lots of pros to give me help along the way! oh is up for it too!watch this space  

[karlooben]

go for it , do what i did and jump right in at the deep end ... although i got ex battsnot babies 

[chickenlady]

Go for for it fruitfull! we got our first ever 3 hens as chicks which we hatched!  it has made these 3 girlies much more special to us and they will be celebrating their 1st birthday on 14th May  :happy:

[richyrich7]

My 1st lot where from day olds, we used a metal heat pad with a towel on it at night they used to sit on it and during the day would wander off for a while.
Next time I'd use a brooder lamp tho' 

[Kate and her Ducks]

Go for the chicks! You have to wait longer for eggs but bringing up your own is fab. I use  high tech system consisting of a brooder lamp hanging of the cloths rail of an old wardrobe frame 

[chickenlady]

we had a plastic curver box with a 60 watt light bulb over it! (thats what the hatchery advised) then when they got too big for that they went into a dog cage which i had to adapt with plastic around the bottom cause of the amount of sawdust they flicked everywhere!   all good fun though

[raeburg]

Started with a large plant propagater and then into a dog cage with a heat bulb hanging over.

[FRUITFULL]

I will phone today and arrange to pick them up at the weekend.Tommorow il go get the heat lamp and food etc and make thier home ready.Should i keep them indoors or in the shed?id like them indoors really!so i can play with them all the time.
Thanks nnbreeder for the advise (im female but deffo not got skinny legs!)
Do you treat your chickens as pets like the family dog or try to keep detached?thats my concern as the boys have to go,im checking with the farm down the road but im sure she would take them!
Well it looks like easter chicks it is then!

[chooknewbie]

they is pets!!.. lol.. you get to hug em and squeeze em (gently obviously when they is little!!) and call em George...

Inside is better until they are older.. someone on here will let you know when the best time to start getting them out in the fresh air is, and then a possible move outside to a shed or something... I took it really easy with mine last year, and they had a lamp still when i moved them out....but had them in until they were fully feathered and a whole heck of a lot bigger...until they outgrew the indoor rabbit hutch i use...

Good luck with it all... its great fun and you get the bonus of the eggies....eventually..lol

[sunshineband]

I have been waiting yonks and yonks to be a proud chooky owner!I have set my heart on Buff Orpingtons
I reserved some and it never happened and then some more and that never happened either.
I have now found a place only down the road from me (40 miles!)who has them from 2 days and 2 weeks old!She sells them as little ones!I can buy a lamp from our local farm shop but.............am i capable of doing this?(not buying the lamp but looking after babies!)I cant keep the boys but i know someone who would take them.Obviously i need to get clued up and am happy to keep them on the kitchen table for now and eventually they have a lovely secure home we have built.
S hould i go for it and get some and hope i get some girlies?or keep looking to reserve some at an older age?

Go for it fruitfull - we  hatched some eggs at school in anincy this year and I wish we could have kept them but had noone who would take the boys. So sad when they went back to the farm (although I warn you now, they could eat for England!!)

[richyrich7]

Do you treat your chickens as pets like the family dog or try to keep detached?thats my concern as the boys have to go

Mine are not pets no names, nothing. I know by  look who's who but I have no attachment to them. Mine will probably go in the pot when they get to that age where they don't lay enough.

[FRUITFULL]

Blimey this is moving fast!I work at a builders center so have bought a big plasteres bath for £15 it looks ideal for the chickies!hope thats ok,please tell me if not!its smooth and nice size with quite high sides.I went straight to the local farm shop after work and have bought a heat lamp and bulb £20 and baby food and shavings,Oh and the poultry mag!
Had a look round and came across some Buff Orpingtons (THEY ARE HUGE!)i had seen them from a distance before but these were giants.One lady layed an egg whilst i was staring in the pen. They were beautiful.
The man there said he would sell any boys i have for me,but id be happy to give them to a good home.The lady at the farm down the road said she would take 2 boys off me,so that problem seems sorted.
We are picking the Chicks up friday afternoon,so i asume piccies will be needed!!!
I am so nervous or excited or both