A couple of newbie questions please.

[deanawo]

Hi. Newbie questions.

It has been ten + years since we had chickens, and much longer since we had chicks. They were my grandmothers and I just helped, I was a teen. My kids want chickens. If I use a large dog crate (the cage kind) as a brooder for a while, then switch to a kids plastic swimming pool surrounded by cardboard or a watermelon box is that large enough for 25-30 chicks? After that they when they are off the heat light they could just have the run of the hen house until old enough to go outside in the run. I know how much square feet per adult chicken that I need.

We always had one breed (RIR's) - is there an advantage/disadvantage to getting all of one breed? I was thinking I would get Dominique or maybe BR but those surprise pullet deals look so fun to me.

 

[Hens and Roos]

We used the bottom of an appliance cardboard box for the 8 chicks we got last year and there was enough room for them. We did have to increase the sides and then put a piece of wire over the top to keep them in. We kept a heat lamp on them until they were all feathered out and then put them into the coop/closed run-letting them go in and out as they wanted. I have read if you can give each chick 1/2 square foot up to 4 weeks and then 1 square foot up to eight weeks you can adjust it as needed by watching the chicks. Hope this helps and maybe someone else will reply with more information/help for you.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Well, I chose all different breeds for my small flock. I'm so new to chickens I was afraid I wouldn't tell them apart! I KNEW I'd be naming them... and even 7 RIRs might look too similar to each other.

If I could have justified twenty-plus chicks, I'd have gone for the Surprise Special, myself.

Other than that, your plans sound perfectly fine to me. ;-)

 

[greenbeandreams]

This is just me (and mind you, I'm mighty new myself!) but I'd go for the mixture. I enjoy seeing how the breeds differ.

 

[deanawo]

Thanks. I have plenty of room for that many, I just didn't want too many in the brooder. I found out the reason she ordered the same kind is they were mail order & to meet minimums she had one kind at a time.

 

[Keri78]

Ideal-poultry.com!!! Great place to shop! Nice People...and I got great looking birds! Just a $25 minimum order NOT 25 chickens!