I’m getting a baby chick is this decision stupid?

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gabriellanorton2006

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I’m getting a baby chick without my mom knowing actually two this is a impulse buy that idk what I’m doing im gonna keep them in my room? Oh geez should I really do it?
 
I think this is a better question for a chicken forum not here.
My family has raised chickens for more than 14 years (since before I was born)
I would say BAD idea. Doing something without your Mom’s knowledge (other than a surprise present) is always a bad idea.
As far as actual care goes I hope you did/are doing a lot of research. You will need a heat lamp because they need a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
You will need something to keep them in that is safe to have under the heat lamp that is big enough for them to have plenty of room and for food and water.
You will need chick feed and a waterer that they won’t drown in (that does happen more often then you’d think).
I hope you live somewhere roosters and hens are aloud because even with “guaranteed” hens it is still 50:50 for a rooster.
You need a predator proof coop for when they get older and be prepared to clean it.
You somewhere safe for them forge in outside where they get killed by hawks or stay cats.
They will also need a nestbox to lay eggs in.
They (adults and chicks) stink, make a giant mess, are loud, and eat A LOT. I highly doubt you will be able to keep them secret long.
If you can’t provide this stuff they will die or live in horrible condition.
I would definitely say BAD idea considering all this.
I’m not trying to sound mean or rude just make sure that you know what you are getting into.7D1AD373-AE10-465E-BF95-982F72C2A01F.jpeg
Picture to demonstrate size of coop.05E12474-F5CF-4FC0-9268-A0C68080F5C9.jpeg
Picture to represent size of coop.CC6E8EFF-54E4-472C-A266-C2FC3AB498FC.jpeg
Chickens coming out of roost after being locked up for the night.481B4DD8-60DF-4D5B-988F-A2486CFB825F.jpeg
Picture to demonstrate size of coop.D963FA3F-EFD6-46D1-978B-7A03978D7D73.jpeg
Picture to demonstrate size of coop. We have ours under a Weeping Willow to prevent hawk attacks.DB7FBA9A-9F22-4DEA-9617-C847FE37F04B.jpeg
Picture to demonstrate nestbox. Broody (hen who tries to hatch eggs) with her chicks.
 
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Unless you have a plan on how to properly house them, feed them, clean up after them till adult hood until the rest of their lives, I wouldn’t do it. It would be selfish since the chicks deserve a permanent home and not just a temporary one till they are out of their cuteness ‘phase’ and older.

If you plan to free-range them outside your house when they’re older with shelter and everything and EVERYONE in your family KNOWS and AGREES, that’s one thing. But you need an actual plan and everyone in your family needs to be aware. Chicks grow up quickly and they can be messy. Like every other animal and pet, they deserve a loving home and keeping chicks hidden in your room (without your mom knowing) is not a long term solution or an actual plan.
 
CrazyChickenGirl said:
I think this is a better question for a chicken forum not here.
My family has raised chickens for more than 14 years (since before I was born)
I would say BAD idea. Doing something without your Mom’s knowledge (other than a surprise present) is always a bad idea.
As far as actual care goes I hope you did/are doing a lot of research. You will need a heat lamp because they need a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
You will need something to keep them in that is safe to have under the heat lamp that is big enough for them to have plenty of room and for food and water.
You will need chick feed and a waterer that they won’t drown in (that does happen more often then you’d think).
I hope you live somewhere roosters and hens are aloud because even with “guaranteed” hens it is still 50:50 for a rooster.
You need a predator proof coop for when they get older and be prepared to clean it.
You somewhere safe for them forge in outside where they get killed by hawks or stay cats.
They will also need a nestbox to lay eggs in.
They (adults and chicks) stink, make a giant mess, are loud, and eat A LOT. I highly doubt you will be able to keep them secret long.
If you can’t provide this stuff they will die or live in horrible condition.
I would definitely say BAD idea considering all this.
I’m not trying to sound mean or rude just make sure that you know what you are getting into.View attachment 60120
Picture to demonstrate size of coop.View attachment 60121
Picture to represent size of coop.View attachment 60122
Chickens coming out of roost after being locked up for the night.View attachment 60123
Picture to demonstrate size of coop.View attachment 60124
Picture to demonstrate size of coop. We have ours under a Weeping Willow to prevent hawk attacks.View attachment 60125
Picture to demonstrate nestbox. Broody (hen who tries to hatch eggs) with her chicks.
Click to expand...
I agreee but I got them before I saw this. 😭 I told my mom and right now they are in my room I don’t have any food or any heat for them what do I do?
 
How old are they?
1. Find the warmest place in your house and try to get it as close to 95 degrees Fahrenheit as possible, but make sure they are NOT getting directly blown on by a heater. They should be ok overnight (I think), but you need to keep them as warm as possible. Put them in a box full of hay in that warm place, but make sure they still have air.
2. Find someone who has chickens and ask if they will take them. If that doesn’t work you should buy gear and set it up for them in the morning. The earlier the better. Tractor Supply or Runnings is your best bet for gear. If keeping them you will want to buy a heat lamp, waterer designed for chicks, and feed as the necessities.
Here are pictures of our brooder for reference. Lid isn’t necessary unless the chicks are older.image.jpgimage.jpg
Edit: Just forgot to mention it is less important if they are older like the chick in the first picture, but I’m guessing they are only a couple days old like the chicks in the broody picture because that is when they usually sold.
 
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Hello! Just focus on getting a heating lamp and keeping plenty of food and water for them. Also with being gentle as chicks are very fragile. We've had chickens for mannnyy years. Probably 16ish years. Though impulsive buys aren't the best, I'm sure with your dedicated care it will end okay.
A shallow water dish is best along with a shallow dish for easy access to food. Hay/wood shavings and a big cardboard box are best for little chicks.
 
PLEASE go to the Backyard Chickens website and get on the forum asap. I hope this ends well for the chicks.
Are these chicks sexed? What happens if you ended up with two roosters?
 
If there are two roosters, it won't matter for a few months. If they grow up together they wont fight until they are older. Don't worry too much just care for them and they'll be a-okay!!!!! Don't stress too much, tho impulse buys are bad, with care and effort it'll end okay!!!! Also DJJMM when you buy chicks you can never trust they were sexed correctly. We've ended up with multiple roosters when we only bought hens. Also, when we hatched the chicks and had multiple roosters it all ended perfectly fine.
 
I agree, it will be quite a while before the roosters have to be separated. And, yes, MayBae, you can't always depend on the place they were bought from to properly sex them.
Sometimes having roosters works out, but many times it does not. If someone lives in a neighborhood, it can cause quite a problem. Chickens are great pets, with proper facilities for when they are grown. But as with rabbits, the way they are cared for is so important. Predation is a huge issue where I am. I am in very rural area. But my niece, who lives in a suburban area, lost two chickens to a raccoon. Predators are everywhere these days. There is so so much to consider when getting any animals. And I think the OP needs to get a plan in gear now because we know how fast these little critters grow. And unless someone is VERY lucky, usually it is extremely hard to rehome roos to be pets. More often than not, they will end up on the dinner table because no one wants them for anything else. We have a shelter near us that takes poultry and fowl, they almost never get hens in, but are overrun with roosters. Those are the lucky ones.
Hopefully, these will be a pair of hens.........
 
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