List of supplies needed for baby chicks?

[Dilly]

On this light Bulb thing. Is 250 correct? Is using only a red one correct?

Thanks everyone.

 

[Mrs MIA]

IMHO, the best light bulb is the one that keeps your chicks at about 95F for the first week. The red 250w bulb and Infrared bulbs are probably the best, but spendy. At least here they are. I have a 60w in an incubator for my quail babies and it keeps them very toasty.

Electrolytes for their water is good, too... helps give them a boost to keep them healthy. I wouldn't add any antibiotics or other meds unless there's an obvious problem. Just don't give them too much.

If the chicks are newly hatched, I like to use the rubber shelf liners for them to walk on for the first few days. It gives them a firm grip when getting their land legs, and helps keep spraddle leg at bay. So far it's worked for me - no leg problems yet! (knock on wood)

Fresh water at all times, medicated chick starter, and a draft-free warm brooder, and lots of luvins. I've been told no treats for the first 4 weeks or so, to let their digestive systems settle. But it depends on you and the chicks. We've fed them baby earthworms at 3 weeks old with no problems.

Congratulations... welcome to the addiction!

 

[Dawn419]

I have both 250 watt and 85 watt red bulbs for our brooder. I like to 85 watt floodlight bulbs better as they hold a steady 95 degrees in the brooder (sitting directly on the cage top).

The spare bedroom that we use as a brooder room, is the warmest room in the trailer so the 250 watt bulbs are too much (but they came in handy this past winter, when we dipped into single digit temps for a few nights. We used them in the coop to keep the water from freezing.).

Hope this helps!


Dawn

 

[chicken boy 67]

thanks

 

[chicken boy 67]

very help full

 

[BackyardFarmMom]

How many are you getting?

Brooder box or 2-- just in case, boo boos can occur
Red bulb-- If boo boos do occur, chicks will be less likely to peck/cannibalize the hurt chick
Pine shavings-- covered with paper towel or not, I have never had a problem with chicks eating the chips
Heat lamp that is ONLY from a pet store/ feed store-- some are covered in Teflon and will kill chicks.
Something to secure heat lamp several times-- do not want it to fall and chicks can jump pretty high at a few weeks and knock it over/down
Something to cover brooder-- don't want chicks getting out or being snacks for other pets/animals
Multiple feeders
Multiple waterers
Medicated chick feed--(crumbles up until 18 weeks or so, then you can switch to layer)don't want cocci
Vitamin and electrolyte powder to put in water-- I like to use this for the first few days to keep them peppy.
I HIGHLY recommend using warm water-- helps chicks digest food, helps prevent hardened crops
This site to compare strange poopies-- http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0
This medicine chart--https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/medicine-chart
Dosage chart--http://www.xtremegamebirds.com/Dosage Chart.html
Chicken first aid kit--http://www.broodyhen.co.uk/ket/fowlnotfoul/1staid.htm
Toxic plant list--http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html
Coop and super secure run-- I put mine out at 5 weeks. You can choose what is best for you and your chicks
Sand-- for bathing, eating, playing (3 weeks and up)
Grit- to digest food (if chicks are eating anything else besides chick start they must have grit/sand/dirt/small rocks
Meal worms-- treats (3 weeks and up) Fun to bury in the sand and watch the chicks learn to scratch for goodies!
Oyster shell-- for layers (after 18 weeks)
This is a site that lists top ten foods highest in vitamins--http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/high-vitamin-D-foods.php-- Layers need lots of calcium and phosphorus
This is a chicken vet-- (as if you don't have enough to read on here...LOL)--http://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/tag/backyard-chickens/
Plain yogurt--(4-5 weeks and up) Yummy and good for digestion and sour crop
Scratch- (8 weeks and up) Treat (chicks must have access to grit or dirt/sand/small rocks before they can eat this.)
Roosts-- to play on.. even in the brooder

Hmmm... I am sure there is more...
Mine did not enjoy fruits or veggies until after 5-6 weeks... they liked bugs best! Meal worms and earwigs!! Mmmm!
They, also, love scrambled egg! I waited til 5 weeks for that.
Wash hands before and after holding chicks.
Have separate coop shoes and study bio security for you and you chicks health!

Oh yeah... Have fun and give lots of cuddles for friendly chickens!

 

[JustHenny]

Thank you for the chart lists! I am printing some to keep in a binder on hand just in case...

 

[mrathb]

hi i am a newbie awaiting my new chicks as soon as i get my lamp , i asked the man who was selling heat lamps with both 175 w and 250 w bulbs both said for chicken broods why the difference in wattage he said the 250w was for more volume of chicks as i only getting 6 then there was only need for a 175w for me. also have seen people make do with angle lamp and 100w bulb so was cautious of overheating them hope this helps x dawn

 

[chickencoop789]

These lists are great!

 

[Blooie]

A good vacuum cleaner and dust cloth. <sigh> They are cute, but the amount of dust they can put out rivals the amount of poo they can put out!

A sense of humor. There are days when you just can't do anything else but laugh.

A short, easy to understand list of rules for little ones who may come visiting the chicks. You can base those on your visitors' ages.

A camera handy. They grow and change so fast, and it's fun to match the chick to the chicken later on. Also helpful if you experience something odd and want to ask about it. Photos are helpful for others to see what you're describing and be better able to help you.

A box to stick worries in. They are chickens. 90% of the things you might fret about aren't that critical. Watch your chicks behavior to tell you that they are doing well. The chicks will tell you faster than a thermometer if they are too hot or too cold. If they are running all over the brooder, exploring, eating, drinking and pooping okay, then you're doing fine. All bunched up, huddled together? They're a little too cold. Spread out like the suburbs, avoiding the lamp and each other? Too warm. Panting? Way too warm. They're survivors - they know how to do it, even early on.....your job is, oversimplified, just to help them do it.

Questions. You'll have a million of them, and this is the place to ask them. Sometimes you might get a smart alec, condescending or critical answer. Pick out the sensible advice contained in that post and let the rest slide. People are people - even here on BYC - and they sometimes forget that they didn't exit the womb knowing everything that they know now. They learned through trial and error, studying, and asking others at some point, just as you are doing now.

And acceptance. Sometimes despite your best efforts you will lose a chick, maybe two. Don't beat yourself up. It doesn't bring the chicks back, and it'll make you a nervous wreck. Instead look over their situation thoroughly, if you find something you can correct then do so, and move on, taking care of the ones you have left. Most of us lose a chick now and then.