PollyS Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Hi all, complete chicken newbie here! Just wanting some advice please! My boyfriend and I are looking into giving 3 or so hens a home. We've decided on the breed (silver laced wyandottes) and are now looking into purchasing the coop and run and all the other bits and pieces that the girls will need. We want to give them as much space as possible within the run so have decided on a 3m run for them. They will be allowed to free range most days as I do half days at work and can keep an eye on them. We would like to get them as young as possible so they become lovely and friendly and tame. We are considering getting them as day old chicks. I understand that they cannot be sexed at this age but have a plan in place when we end up with cockerels. Just looking for some advice on how many chicks to buy in the first place. And also how long they will need to be inside under the Heat lamp for , before being put in the coop outside. So excited and looking forward to having chickens, sorry if I've rambled on! Polly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Hi Polly Welcome to the forum and the world of chicken keeping I have 2 silver laced wyandotte bantams (in a 3m Eglu Go run with 2 pekins) and they are beautiful creatures. Mine will eat from my hand but aren't especially friendly as they were already 18 months old when I got them. The pekins however arrived at 10 weeks and are much more friendly - Bernadette hops up onto my back to say hello whenever I bend down to clean the house out. I have no experience of rearing anything younger than the 10 week growers that the pekins were when they arrived, but I do know that at a day old a LOT of care is required. I'm sure someone much more qualified will be along to give advice shortly, but as cute a tiny chicks are, for your first lot you may find it better to go for something slightly older. Good luck and let us know what you decide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyS Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Thankyou for the advice mullethunter, really appreciated. I agree with you, perhaps we are being a little ambitious! Although my boyfriend is rather stubborn and kind of has his heart set on little ones. Although will take on board all the advice on here. He works very close to home so would be able to check on them 3/4 times a day until I get home at 2pm. Still trying to find somewhere to get them from to begin so if anyone has any recommendations or advice on this it would be much appreciated too! Thanks all x polly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 If you have day olds you will need to keep them under a heat lamp. Also unless you but an auto sexing breed you might get cockerels Youngest I ever got, other than hatching under one of my own girls is about 3 weeks. She still couldn't go outside. I had to keep her in the lounge with her friend the quail. I would suggest buying some point of lay chickens to start with and see how you get on. If there has been a mistake and they turn out to be boys, the seller should take them back. Good luck though. It's a brilliant hobby. Let us know how you get on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I've just checked on Google. There are some ways of telling whether SL Dotties are male or female, so maybe the breeder will be able to tell. Do ask if you can bring any cockerels back though, otherwise you may have to cull them. Unless of course you want to keep them. I think much will depend on the weather when you put them out in the garden. I got my little one in the summer, she could go out during the day after a little while. Then I think it was about a month before she could sleep outside, but it was still warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyS Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Thanks for the advice chickabee. And Thankyou for googling for me, I hadn't even thought of doing that! I'm just about to email a reputable breeder that's only an hour away from me to see if they will take the cockerels back and to see what they say about sexing. I've heard varying info about putting little ones outside. I'm in quite a rural part of hampshire surrounded by hardy farmers I think! Whereas my girls will be first and foremost pets. Anyone with cats, can I ask how your cat and chickens get along? We've got a beautiful bengal called Eddy. She's a very fast learner and shouldn't give the girls any trouble. One of her best friends was a pheasant so I'm hoping they will eventually be friends!! Polly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Oo I want a Bengal cat. You lucky thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 My neighbours tom cat will have a go at the chickens if he can. I have bantams too and I think cats are not really impressed by their size. He stopped doing it pretty much, because I gave him a nicely timed slap on his royal cat behind, when he tried to chase them. So he now will just hang out in a corner of my garden. But on rainy days, he will try to shelter in my Go Up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyS Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Chickabee I would recommend a bengal to anyone, she's so clever, chatty and just all round gorgeous! Cat tails, cheeky Tom!!! Hopefully Eddy will ignore them, she's a fast learner so I'm sure she will end up ignoring them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I'd like a Bengal too - We have 2 cats and they pretty much ignore the chickens - even the Pekins. We also have loads of random cats passing through our garden and to my knowledge none of them have ever tried anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Hi, welcome to the forum Silver Laved Wyandottes are great birds, depending on which breeder you get them from there are lots of other lovely colours of Wyandottes and you could get three different coloured birds. Personally I wouldn't recommend getting day old chicks as your first chickens. As you said you will have to keep them inside for a good few weeks, then deal with cockerels but there are also health problems you may encounter which you might not necessarily notice having not kept poultry before. It may be a better idea to buy growers or young pullets as they will be sexed but just as easy to tame as chicks would be. They'll soon get to know you and your routine and come running for treats and it means you'll have less of a wait for eggs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheshire Hen Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I had to start with baby chicks my first go round chicken keeping, as they're much more readily available in my part of the States. There is some work involved, but it was a wonderful experience with our family. The kids would stroke the little chicks on their laps in the evening until the chicks would fall asleep! Anyway, I learned everything I needed to know from the blog Tilly's Nest http://www.tillysnest.com/p/chicken-care-resourcesguide.html. I highly recommend it, regardless of how you decided to start. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Starting with chicks will be fraught with problems I'm afraid PollyS. The worst will be removing a cockerel and trying to replace it with a single pullet. Very awkward in a run that small and you would need a temporary coop and run anyway. I'd recommend getting three pullets at about 10- 12 weeks. Wyandottes show fairly early and at that age they will be fairly hardy but still possible to tame with handling. We hatched our Wyandottes, but didn't handle them enough (too many) and as a result they are still 'wild' at 5 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PixieDust Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Welcome to the forum and the joy of chicken keeping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Hello PollyS - you are just up across the motorway from me! *waves* We started with point of lay too but went for BIG Orpington birds and in hindsight it would have been better had we chosen bantams or medium sized ones. We since had chicks but under a broodie. They are the most bonkers - one runs away and the other goes for your feet - she is a ratbag! Have yet to hatch in an incubator but that will be for the future for us. The third chick ended up a boy so he stayed until he crowed and then he became dinner. I was called the Butcher of Hook for quite some time by my brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Hello PollyS - you are just up across the motorway from me! *waves* And not far from me either so a big welcome from Fleet. I had chicks at 6 weeks old from a breeder and they were fab. They still needed looking after but not like having day old chicks. They still cheeped and were diddy and got to be very tame. Perhaps this would be better for you ? Can't wait to hear what you decide to get Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I also say get young birds that are old enough to be outside (and be sexed). Chicks can be very hard work and you can never underestimate the dust they produce when you raise them indoors!! Wyandottes are lovely birds (I have three Wyandotte bantams and had Large fowl wyandottes too) but they aren't the easiest breed as are prone to broodiness. One of my Wyandotte bantams is EVIL when she's broody Personally, as a first time hen, I'd recommend hybrids.... Good layers, easy to look after, tend not to be broody. As for cats, I have three cats and the chickens are most definitely the bosses!! All my three cats are big hunters, and have all had a "go" at the chickens, however, they learn very very quickly after wings flapping in their faces and a peck or two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyS Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Hi all! And hi neighbours in fleet!!!! Small world Eh! Thanks for everyone's advice! I think the plan is to go for maybe 6-7 week old chicks, that way they can be sexed but still be cute but less hard work and ready to be tamed! I have read about the wyandottes becoming broody, but still think our hearts are set on them! Super busy at work at the moment, being a florist, so will ge the weekend out of the way and do some emailing! Can't wait to have our new additions at home! I apologise now if this doesn't make sense, i seem to have been at work for what seems like forever, but again want to say Thankyou for the warm welcome and the really amazing advice from you all so far! Can't wait to be updating you all with pictures of "my girls!" Xx polly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Forgot to mention PollyS that there is a Club specifically for Laced Wyandottes. The secretary was (2010) C. Roberts 01691 780245. I have a copy of the 2010 Members list but there is only one member in Hampshire and the colours kept aren't specified. I know the list is well out of date anyway, because three of the Blue Laced members are no longer breeding. We have had quite a lot of Wyandottes (dozens). Only two have ever been broody and only one was a problem, the top Gold Laced called Hyacinth. She was broody last year for 3 months, then a violent thunder storm shook her out of it at which point she stopped eating! Has taken 6 months to get her eating back to normal and now she is a real piggy and getting too fat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
