Hi All!
I will be getting my fourth batch of chicks at the end of the month. Boy have I learned A LOT since my first babies arrived back in 2014. I feel like I can always learn more when it comes to chicks and raising chickens. What are some of your must haves when it comes to raising chicks- Do you use electrolytes on arrival? Do you put down shavings? What do you house them in?
Here are a few things I swear by:
- For the last batch of chicks I switched over to the Brinsea Ecoglow - I couldn't be happier!
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...RzQigGWYpNoOoFOZ1Y8sSLdfTg81-EXQaAojcEALw_wcB
- The shavings drive me nuts, for the very beginning I use cheap paper towels, it is cleaner and creates less dust
- Last batch I used electrolytes on arrival with good results, does anyone use this or a nutridrench automatically on arrival?
- They are kept in a large plastic deck box with a screened top so they can't fly out after the last week
- I take pics of them the first few days with lots of videos too! - I can never get over how quickly they grow... My first batch of chicks I was working 13 hour days, I would come home and look at them thinking... you didn't have that feather this morning lol
- After a few days of them settling in I like to invite family over (especially those with children) to socialize with the chicks. It is great to see them interact and have the children get such a kick out of them
- I never kiss or snuggle baby chicks- I always wash my hands before and after handling them- I learned the hard way last time after a case of salmonella
- They go outside in 6-8 weeks depending on the weather or when they start to annoy me in the house lol
- With the Ecoglow I am able to get them on a natural sleep cycle since I don't need a lamp for heat source. This way they know to go to bed when the light is off they tend to wake up when the sun peeks in the window or I turn on the lights to the room
Let me know what you have learned over the years!
I will be getting my fourth batch of chicks at the end of the month. Boy have I learned A LOT since my first babies arrived back in 2014. I feel like I can always learn more when it comes to chicks and raising chickens. What are some of your must haves when it comes to raising chicks- Do you use electrolytes on arrival? Do you put down shavings? What do you house them in?
Here are a few things I swear by:
- For the last batch of chicks I switched over to the Brinsea Ecoglow - I couldn't be happier!
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...RzQigGWYpNoOoFOZ1Y8sSLdfTg81-EXQaAojcEALw_wcB
- The shavings drive me nuts, for the very beginning I use cheap paper towels, it is cleaner and creates less dust
- Last batch I used electrolytes on arrival with good results, does anyone use this or a nutridrench automatically on arrival?
- They are kept in a large plastic deck box with a screened top so they can't fly out after the last week
- I take pics of them the first few days with lots of videos too! - I can never get over how quickly they grow... My first batch of chicks I was working 13 hour days, I would come home and look at them thinking... you didn't have that feather this morning lol
- After a few days of them settling in I like to invite family over (especially those with children) to socialize with the chicks. It is great to see them interact and have the children get such a kick out of them
- I never kiss or snuggle baby chicks- I always wash my hands before and after handling them- I learned the hard way last time after a case of salmonella
- They go outside in 6-8 weeks depending on the weather or when they start to annoy me in the house lol
- With the Ecoglow I am able to get them on a natural sleep cycle since I don't need a lamp for heat source. This way they know to go to bed when the light is off they tend to wake up when the sun peeks in the window or I turn on the lights to the room
Let me know what you have learned over the years!
