-Should I have the heat plate with one side a bit higher than the other? If so, when should I start doing that?
I'd set the heat plate hi/lo from the start, let the chicks decide how much heat they want.
-How do you offer chick grit?
I sprinkle a pinch on their food every few days. I discontinue doing that once they're old enough to be eating with the adults and are ready for pullet size grit.
-How long before your chicks arrive (not ship) do you set up your brooder?
I'm pretty terrible with this... I set up everything AFTER I get them, because I don't want to get things set up and then end up coming home with no chicks, and then have to undo everything. For the same reason I don't buy chick feed until I buy the chicks. But I can set up my brooder pretty quickly, like maybe 5-10 minutes.
The one exception is I have the heat pad on in advance, I want that ready to go and don't mind paying for a couple extra hours of electricity.
-What do you do if the power goes out? (Not likely but I want to be prepared)
Well we do have a generator, but... they shouldn't just keel over from a couple hours of cold. My heating pad outlet's shut off at night before and the pad's gone completely cold, and I've never had a chick die or fall ill from that.
I'd set the heat plate hi/lo from the start, let the chicks decide how much heat they want.
-How do you offer chick grit?
I sprinkle a pinch on their food every few days. I discontinue doing that once they're old enough to be eating with the adults and are ready for pullet size grit.
-How long before your chicks arrive (not ship) do you set up your brooder?
I'm pretty terrible with this... I set up everything AFTER I get them, because I don't want to get things set up and then end up coming home with no chicks, and then have to undo everything. For the same reason I don't buy chick feed until I buy the chicks. But I can set up my brooder pretty quickly, like maybe 5-10 minutes.
The one exception is I have the heat pad on in advance, I want that ready to go and don't mind paying for a couple extra hours of electricity.
-What do you do if the power goes out? (Not likely but I want to be prepared)
Well we do have a generator, but... they shouldn't just keel over from a couple hours of cold. My heating pad outlet's shut off at night before and the pad's gone completely cold, and I've never had a chick die or fall ill from that.
