Give me all your tips and opinions! Baby chicks!

[AmeliaBedelia]

We are about to pull the trigger on an order for April. Here’s the plan so far:

Chicks: plan to keep 5, but ordering 10 (plus some for a friend) to avoid a small order fee. Hoping to sell the extras to recoup some costs.

Breeds we are ordering for ourselves are:
Welbar
Easter egger
Cream brabanter
Buff rock
Speckled sussex

Planning to brood them in an old baby crib wrapped in wire and covered with some sort of makeshift roof…maybe plywood held with bungee cords so it can be opened? Planning to put cardboard as well around the bottom of the wall to prevent bedding from getting everywhere. This would be on our back porch, so outdoor temps but pretty protected from wind, rain, etc (the porch has walls on two sides).

Also planning to do a MHP shaped like a heat plate (not a cave). I did that with my last batch of 3 using a 9x9 heating pad and it worked amazingly well. What size set up should I use for 10 chicks? Outdoor temps will likely be 70-80F daytime, 50-60F lows.

Any tips about which breeds to buy excess of, brooder set up, etc very much welcomed. Be judgmental! Overshare! If you hate any of this plan, speak up!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Get two of each breed you are ordering for yourself. If one dies or turns out to be a cockerel you still have what you want.

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

We are about to pull the trigger on an order for April. Here’s the plan so far:

Chicks: plan to keep 5, but ordering 10 (plus some for a friend) to avoid a small order fee. Hoping to sell the extras to recoup some costs.

Breeds we are ordering for ourselves are:
Welbar
Easter egger
Cream brabanter
Buff rock
Speckled sussex

Planning to brood them in an old baby crib wrapped in wire and covered with some sort of makeshift roof…maybe plywood held with bungee cords so it can be opened? Planning to put cardboard as well around the bottom of the wall to prevent bedding from getting everywhere. This would be on our back porch, so outdoor temps but pretty protected from wind, rain, etc (the porch has walls on two sides).

Also planning to do a MHP shaped like a heat plate (not a cave). I did that with my last batch of 3 using a 9x9 heating pad and it worked amazingly well. What size set up should I use for 10 chicks? Outdoor temps will likely be 70-80F daytime, 50-60F lows.

Any tips about which breeds to buy excess of, brooder set up, etc very much welcomed. Be judgmental! Overshare! If you hate any of this plan, speak up!

I agree with buying more than one of each breed, I bought 4 of each of my 4 breeds, 8 out of 12 eggs hatched, 5 out of 8 chicks turned out to be roosters so I only got 3 girls and when I got the eggs I thought I was gonna get like 5-6 girls.
Also good idea with the heat plate, I did the same I works great I got the 9x9 for my 8 chicks so I would think that the 9x9 would be ok for 10 chicks. When they getting older it might be a little tight but because you get them in April it will also be sunny.
Good luck it’s an amazing experience to raise chicks

 

[Emery Acres]

The only problem I see is that you're not getting enough chicks. Maybe go for 20? Hey, just one enabler helping where I can!

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

I agree with buying more than one of each breed, I bought 4 of each of my 4 breeds, 8 out of 12 eggs hatched, 5 out of 8 chicks turned out to be roosters so I only got 3 girls and when I got the eggs I thought I was gonna get like 5-6 girls.
Also good idea with the heat plate, I did the same I works great I got the 9x9 for my 8 chicks so I would think that the 9x9 would be ok for 10 chicks. When they getting older it might be a little tight but because you get them in April it will also be sunny.
Good luck it’s an amazing experience to raise chicks

Thanks for the input!! Yeah, I wish my current heating pad was just a touch bigger, but you making it work for 8 chicks is encouraging. The website for a 10x10 heat plate says up to 15 chicks…but I worry that’s like those coops that say they hold wayyyy more chickens than they really do.

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

I agree mine said it could hold up to 25 chicks and that was far from the truth. How many chicks did you have under your heating pad last time?

We were only getting 3 back then, so that’s why I went with the small size when I bought it.

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

We were only getting 3 back then, so that’s why I went with the small size when I bought it.

I see, if I were you, I would probably buy the 10x10 size just to be on the safer side to make sure it doesn’t get too crowded. I think the 9x9 would work but the 10x10 would just mabye give them all a little more space

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

The only problem I see is that you're not getting enough chicks. Maybe go for 20? Hey, just one enabler helping where I can!

Hahaha. We are up to 10, but I got a 10x15 heating pad I am going to set up either to replace or supplement the 9x9 one. And I am trying to talk myself out of trying to get an ameraucana or easter egger .

Edited to add we aren’t keeping all 10, so should dwindle down to 4 or 5 by the time they are a month old.

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

Thanks for the input!! Yeah, I wish my current heating pad was just a touch bigger, but you making it work for 8 chicks is encouraging. The website for a 10x10 heat plate says up to 15 chicks…but I worry that’s like those coops that say they hold wayyyy more chickens than they really do.

I agree mine said it could hold up to 25 chicks and that was far from the truth. How many chicks did you have under your heating pad last time?

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

Get two of each breed you are ordering for yourself. If one dies or turns out to be a cockerel you still have what you want.

Good tip! Maybe we will just do 2 each of those 5