Please tell me what I need!

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Date sort Score sort
1. Brooder
2. Bedding
3. Heat lamp with bulb
4. Chick waterer
5. Chick feeder
6. Chick feed
7. Roost
*optional. Something for the chicks to play on.

for a brooder, you can use a plastic tote, or something. We use a old metal cattle stock tank, and we fixed up the top with metal screen. Works wonderful! Make sure you have your chicks where no cats or anything can get in. Snakes, etc.
For bedding, I like to use pine shavings. They are very absorbent, and work great. I suggest buying them advertised for horses or something. Much cheaper. It's silly how they sell the same thing, but if they advertise for chickens, they can up the price. A good place is TSC. They have a nice big bag that's around five dollars.
You need a heat lamp you can hang from the top. I know some people use red bulbs, but I prefer the white ones. I use 250 watt.
You'll need a chick waterer and a chick feeder. You want to use quart feeders. Reason is, so the chicks don't drown in the water, and so they can fit in the bigger holes Ina bigger feeder, and poop all over it.
I usually buy a 50 pound bag of chick starter. It will usually last until eight weeks, when you start feeding grower. I don't get the medicated. There are articles about the two, if you want to read, but in my opinion, it's just filling them up with stuff that doesn't need to go in.
You will need a roost. I built a little one out of wood, and put it in close to the lamp, so they would not get cold. It teaches them to roost on it, Instead of the ground. Just a good thing for them to be used to, when you move them out.
I built a little thing out of wood, that the chicks could climb up on, and they really enjoyed it.
You'll need to move your chicks outside, or Into a bigger coop, around six weeks. At around four weeks or a Little after, you can start just turning it on at night. At six weeks, they won't need it at all. But you start turning it off before, to get them used to it. They will cheep at first, but will get used to it. I move ours out into a chicken tractor, so they can enjoy the grass. Then I move me I to the big coop when they are fully grown,around fall.
 
I think a heat pad is better than a heat lamp. For starters it is less energy intensive and the chicken can choose just how close to it they want to be. There are some great posts regarding using them.

I used a bathtub for mine but after 4-6 weeks of brooding inside the dust was awfull and they had to go outside.

You can raise them on a chick waterer and crumble feeder, also don't forget the chick grit for under 15 dollars to get you through your first week. 5 pounds feed per bird to get them through their first 4 weeks of life, actually that should take them to 6 weeks. Just remember water duty takes cleaning it out 2-3 times per day as they are creative when soiling their water supply.

Welcome to BYC and chickeneering!
 
Well, If you have plenty of space in the brooder, the chicks can get as far away as they want from the lamp. I think it's cheaper to do a lamp.
Yes, you will have to clean the waterer. I put mine up on a board. It helps a bit, but they still get it dirty.
I think you should wait until until its a bit warmer outside, to order. That way you can move them outside, or wherever, without worrying about it being too cold. What are you getting?
 
You could give them a dustbath spot, just a small pan with sand in it. Might help prevent pasty butt. Helped my chicks overcome their dirty butt issues. I intsalled a thermometer in my brooder on the side under the lamp. Our brooder was a wooden crate with high-sides, so it held a lot of heat. I just did it for a piece of mind, really.
 
one word of advice, please don't make the same mistake I made and order a straight run. I was fortunate and got a down the middle 50/50 on the 10 I ordered. and expected a 20% loss ratio. Nope, they all lived and I had a 5 and 5 split, fortunately I was able to rehome 2 roos. But still have at least one more that requires getting gone!
 
Oh! I just thought of something I forgot to mention about sand. I've heard from many people not to use play sand, like the kind that goes in a kid's sandbox because it can cause problems with their respiratory tracts. I used sandy dirt from our yard in their dustbath.
 

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