Getting chicks soon...what do I need?

Blooie said:

They are adorable! I must say that the water dish you have kinda scares the willies out of me. Chicks die from drowning or chilling with large open waterers like that, so I'd change that first thing. You can either hit your local tractor supply for a set of vertical nipples and screw one or two into the bottom of an ice cream container or something and hang it from the top for them. Water stays clean and no risk of drowning. You can also get a set of horizontal nipples from Amazon or e-Bay, but that would mean waiting until your order is processed, shipped and received. A lot of bad can happen in that short time. Chick waterers are available at any farm supply store. You simply screw a glass jar to the bottom. Still messy but safer.

Azygous has used the Mama Heating Pad very successfully, as have many others. I brood my chicks outside in the run, even when temps out there are in the teens and twenties. I even raised on chick all by his little lonesome using the heating pad system, and it was below zero at the time. I have a pen out there and it's worked beautifully. Here is a link to the heating pad thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

There are several videos on that link, some are mine, and some are from others who are using the system or one like it. A couple of my videos are on page 4 and on page 8, I think. aart has come up with a really good and similar system. But above all, I'd change that waterer first.

They also need something on the floor if you don't move them out to the coop to brood. Bare cardboard is slick, and that can result in splayed legs or other joint issues. Besides, they like something warm and soft to snuggle down into. I use pine shavings, available at any farm supply store, and I use the large flake ones. Less likely that they'll eat it, although mine have nibbled on it sometimes with no ill effect. For the first few days, put some paper toweling over the shavings. Better footing, and it's easy to roll up and toss when it gets soiled.

Good luck! They are so cute!!

Edited to add: I just took a better look at your picture and see that they have a water bottle in the corner. Interesting setup - I don't think I've seen that type of waterer before! Can I assume that the other container with the yellow liquid in it is the water with the supplement in it? Not that it changes anything - it's still pretty risky to have a container open like that in the brooder, but I just wondered.

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