I did the same as you last year. Had a brooder full of chicks at one week old and had to leave for florida for a week. I had a neighbor check on them every day. They will empty the food and water quickly.
i had a clamp on light attached to my brooder with a 100 watt light bulb. I put it on the end of the brooder so they could move away from it if they got too hot. I also installed a thermometer to be able to see what the actual temp was. I had the light on a timer to come on when it cooled off in...
read up in raising baby chick section. I would get a heat lamp with a 100 watt bulb and a temperature gauge to make sure you can have the needed temp on one side but cooler on the other. That way if they get too hot they can move away from the light. Everything else looks good to me. Temp is the...
Boy you jumped right in there with all those chicks. I wasnt as brave as you nor the time. My nine keep me plenty busy. Enjoy every minute of it though. Welcome
I used hardware cloth for the sole purpose for keeping snakes out. The holes are too small for snakes to get through. Just buy a good quality. Some of the cheap thin wire can be ripped open by coons and other predators.
Messy. I wouldnt do it, but lots of people do things I wouldnt. To each his own. If it works for you and the chicken is happy and health, I say go for.
Is your nest box above the ground? My first chicks just started laying and all were in the nest boxes. Heard they would lay all over, so I was happy. I have my boxes about 6 inches above the ground and on opposite ends of the coop away from the roost. The roost is in the middle and the boxxes...
I have 4 different breeds, 2 each, and they do the same thing. They are in a fenced coop and run, but they roost together and forage together. Wondered the same thing. Maybe they think they are different animals. Lol.
Silkies are supposed to be THE lap chicken. Havent had any first hand experience. Type silkie in the search bar and I'm sure youy will find what your looking for. I love the search bar
I never put anything in my nest boxes. Wasnt expecting eggs for another 2-3 weeks, but was amazed when we found 5 eggs the other day. 3 the next day. When they ready, I guess they ready. I would just take them out
I made a truely waste free feeder. Got the idea from other pic's on here. Look at my profile and look at the pictures. Do not have a drop of feed on the ground and stays dry. Holds a 50# sack of feed. You can also us a 5 gal bucket from the link of the previous poster.
sounds like your making headway. Got my first chicks in the maik in July. Luckily didnt have any problems. Got my first eggs this week. I am not much help, but guess time will tell. I would keep checking on them regularly to see if they eat and drink. If not, then put them next to the food and...
Throw some dry dirt on top of the wet stuff to help absorb the moisture. Put some hay on top of that, it will help keep their feet from being directly on the dirt. It also gives them something to do. They will scratch all day looking for snacks under the hay. Keeps the, from being bored and...