Sedalia
In the Brooder
- Mar 24, 2017
- 1
- 1
- 32
Thanks to all the people giving advice about raising chicks to provide a baseline. I deviate from many of those guidelines and thought I would share and ask for your thoughts.
1. Heat lamp used continuously for the first few days of life, then raised, then on/off cycles, then only on when <65 F degrees, then completely off by week 4 unless very cold.
2. Accelerate the introduction to the flock so by week 2 they are free to leave their cage and get out into the chicken run. I crack the door open so the adult chickens and ducks cannot enter their zone. Provide other places for them to escape, mostly lean-to boards. The adults don't really care about the chicks, but might eat their food or crash their little perches.
3. About 15-20% of the young chick diet is scrambled or hard boiled eggs. Most of the rest is commercial chick food and whatever they find around the run.
4. By the aforementioned and almost every other way, I "wean" chicks 2-3x as fast as commonly prescribed.
5. I'll never keep chicks in the house again. Maybe the garage for a few days, but a corner in the chicken house or barn is better.
My limited experience with my trend from helicopter to tiger is that the chicks are much "happier", healthier, and better adjusted to real life and with the flock. My job is also much easier.
I have many breeds of chickens that live together with white muscovies and a couple of runners. I concurrently keep only 2 mature roosters and 2 drakes. Never any fighting or pecking among adults and I don't worry about adults attacking chicks. Maybe I'll write a post about my theories on that, after getting some feedback.
Armand
1. Heat lamp used continuously for the first few days of life, then raised, then on/off cycles, then only on when <65 F degrees, then completely off by week 4 unless very cold.
2. Accelerate the introduction to the flock so by week 2 they are free to leave their cage and get out into the chicken run. I crack the door open so the adult chickens and ducks cannot enter their zone. Provide other places for them to escape, mostly lean-to boards. The adults don't really care about the chicks, but might eat their food or crash their little perches.
3. About 15-20% of the young chick diet is scrambled or hard boiled eggs. Most of the rest is commercial chick food and whatever they find around the run.
4. By the aforementioned and almost every other way, I "wean" chicks 2-3x as fast as commonly prescribed.
5. I'll never keep chicks in the house again. Maybe the garage for a few days, but a corner in the chicken house or barn is better.
My limited experience with my trend from helicopter to tiger is that the chicks are much "happier", healthier, and better adjusted to real life and with the flock. My job is also much easier.
I have many breeds of chickens that live together with white muscovies and a couple of runners. I concurrently keep only 2 mature roosters and 2 drakes. Never any fighting or pecking among adults and I don't worry about adults attacking chicks. Maybe I'll write a post about my theories on that, after getting some feedback.
Armand
