Advice for overwhelmed soon to be chicken owner!

[Lizzy733]

I see you're getting heaps of advice on the coop side, but a few notes for the brooder...

Chicks produce a lot of feather dander at that age. Choose a location that you won't mind getting a bit dusty.

At 3 weeks, chicks are starting to become a bit hardened to the cold and depending on the ambient in your room of choice, you can likely get away with some less intense heat options. At that age, a seedling heat mat may be all they need.

My recommendation for day old is to go with a caged ceramic heat fixture and ceramic bulb (not a red bulb unless you have major low temps to combat) on thermostat, but if you have no intention to ever get them this young, the former will likely get more use if you have to quarantine a sick hen etc in the future.

The brooder... Smaller spaces are good when trying to maintain heat, but the brooder needs to expand with age if you don't want a smelly mess. An xl fabric puppy play pen is great for brooding older chicks though hard for hanging a heat lamp without a custom built frame. The pet pen panels for rabbits etc are invaluable for making a quick pen indoors or outdoors. A good 6 panel offers 1200x600mm space. With my first brood, I graduated them to the panels with corrugated cardboard wrapped around them, bird netting stretched over the top and cardboard flooring. Make sure to elevate the waterer so it is not sitting on your bedding - paver tiles are really good for this. You want to avoid it getting spilled or soiled at all costs as this will likely be what makes your brooder smelly.

Another good advantage to puppy panels is future isolation when integrating and getting them outside early if the weather is nice and warm. I have a few sets handy.

Coccidia is everywhere in the environment. They need time to develop a natural resistance. Medicated feed or cocciprol in the water does just that, so do not skip it! Pick one and dose accordingly, but never double up as they will negate each other.

Keep to crumble - starter or grower till they're point of lay. They shouldn't need medicated past 6-8 weeks. If you plan on keeping roos, you can keep them on grower and offer grit on the side, otherwise, you can move to a pelleted layer when they are close to lay.

Pelleted is recommended over loose grain for a few reasons... Top hens will hog the best bits which may lead to nutrition imbalances in lower birds. They will pick through for what they prefer, which can lead to food wastage as well. It is a bit more critical for production breeds, which can be pretty sensitive to deficiencies, but is good to consider in general.

In the run, it is good to have a dedicated covered dust bathing area which can fit all or most if your birds at once for parasite control that is protected from getting wet. - all of my girls enjoy a good dry bath when it's raining out.

Good luck! Brooder babies are very happy man friendly and make lively companions. You're sure to enjoy your little fuzzy top babies.

 

[Priscila Leone]

Any suggestions where to get a coop if I can’t build one??

We got our coop from Bunnings in Brisbane, Australia, but I'm sure you've got equivalent hardware shops in SC. Produce stores also sell them, though usually at a premium price. We've got 6 hens and just modified it a little to accommodate them. We added a base frame to lift it up and a ladder perch. We also treated the wood against rot. Here the problem is the sun and heat so we added a sail shade on top. Their largest coop fits 4 hens, so you'd be fine. With the modification, ours was perfectly adequate for 6 hens. We added a chicken run later. They now spend the day in the run. I'd recommend that, too, but like us, you can get that built by a handyman later. I've attached pics of our coop and run.

 

[3KillerBs]

We got our coop from Bunnings in Brisbane, Australia, but I'm sure you've got equivalent hardware shops in SC. Produce stores also sell them, though usually at a premium price. We've got 6 hens and just modified it a little to accommodate them. We added a base frame to lift it up and a ladder perch. We also treated the wood against rot. Here the problem is the sun and heat so we added a sail shade on top. Their largest coop fits 4 hens, so you'd be fine. With the modification, ours was perfectly adequate for 6 hens. We added a chicken run later. They now spend the day in the run. I'd recommend that, too, but like us, you can get that built by a handyman later. I've attached pics of our coop and run.

I'm sorry, but those dollhouse prefabs are much too small.

 

[akohler]

I’m getting 4 polish hens from a breeder in March. They will be 3 weeks old at the time I have them shipped. I’m thinking of using a large hamster cage as a brooder for them until they out grow it and then what do I use? I’d like to keep them in the house extra long because I heard that especially with polish chickens they can be sensitive to coccidiosis and a good preventative is keeping them inside longer to build their immune systems? So I need to figure out what to keep them in other than just my bathroom chicken proofed


Also does anyone have a shopping list? I feel like I need so much stuff yet don’t really know what. I’m getting a prefab coop to start. It’s got an attached run and should be plenty is space for 4 birds until we’re comfortable letting them free range in our yard while we’re outside.

If anyone has any advice at all I’ll take it! I’m definitely not new to owning animals or even expiring animals at that but chickens are a whole new area I’m not used to at all!

Forget the hamster cage- that won’t last long. I raised my chicks from 3 days old in a horse trough in my laundry room. You can get one at Agway or Tractor Supply. You have to have a heat lamp to keep their surrounding temperature at 93 degrees. And when they are ready to go outside to a coop, at 8 weeks old, it needs to be a sturdy coop with good ventilation. They have a very sensitive respiratory system. And you have to totally clean that coop at least once a week. If you smell an alcohol smell, it is more than ready to be completely changed with new bedding. I made sure the run around my coop was buried a foot down so no predators could dig underneath. I could write a book on my experiences with my chickens!! But I l suggest to you a great resource book called,Fresh Eggs Daily! It was my chicken Bible!!

 

[CDitzel]

Highly agree! They are CUTE…but not functional at all. Any predator at all could easily get in.

We put ours in a large dog kennel that has been reinforced and dug down to prevent predators and we have had no e.

 

[kurby22]

I just wanted to let you know that I have a prefab coop and have never had a predator get in. If you’re planning to free range your flock during the day then I would not be too concerned with it. What my husband and I did was got a large prefab, I think the same dimensions as yours, then built a fence a generous radius around the coop so they can semi-free range. When we are in the yard we open the gates and they get to run free for reals. I live in a mountainous area that has everything from opossum to foxes, bobcats to mountain lions, the occasional lost dog and even bears. Nothing has penetrated our prefab. To secure the run I put this hard plastic chicken wire on the bottom of it, secured by staples. Then I lined the sides with cinder blocks for added security which double as planters for chicken friendly herbs.

I say do your thing girl and just use common sense Polish chickens are so fun by the way, I only have one and she is the sweetest.

Is this the one from TSC called Hill Country? I’ve been eyeing it for my grow outs, how do you like it? The inside looks super open and easy to access!

 

[Windywoo]

I use a dog kennel (large) for my babies but i don't do hardware cloth i use cardboard, go to home depot (or if you have big boxes laying around) and grab a large box and cut it into three pieces to attach to the back and both sides, if you like cut a small piece to go over door. I also use a strip of vinyl flooring on the base..allows for easier clean up and if you use a slightly larger piece bend it up on the sides to stop them from making a mess. The cardboard should be enough if they are inside of kept somewhere where pests and other animals are not going to be around them. however if they are going into an area that something might want them add the cloth.

As everyone has said however, 4 large hens, are going to grow pretty quick if you are not using like a LARGE kennel you might have to rethink in a couple of weeks.

I actually used old feed bags to cover the walls of my kennel for the new lot I have coming next week. I know you don't have any of those yet, but hey save em' mine have come in handy for all types of projects.

Starting
- I did a brooder plate house - the babies go under to keep warm
- I did a red low watt bulb above my brooder to keep them from pecking each other, they get curious with light spots on each other and if there is blood they will peck it.
- water base for mason jar and food base for mason jar (2 of each, very inexpensive, just allows time to clean them, you will be cleaning often they are messy)
- As about 3 weeks i would start putting a small roosting post not very high from the ground, they will start getting adventrous.
- Pine shavings, I use fine but alot of people like the bigger ones.
- electrolyte and probiotic water supplement, I kept my chick on it for most of the first year and definetly in the summer
- Camera, so we hooked up a camera so that when i am feeling uneasy I can look in from my bed and see them. There are some very inexpensive ones that are WIFI and you can hook to the top of your cage and watch from your phone.

GOOD LUCK AND YOUR GOING TO LOVE THEM!!

No one has mentioned the need to raise the feed and water containers to keep the shavings and poop out of them!

 

[curlycropchics]

No one has mentioned the need to raise the feed and water containers to keep the shavings and poop out of them!

OH your right hahahaha You just get so into the moment. I do raise mine.

 

[ViciousLizardEaters]

Chicks can grow extremely fast, later each day the growth should be very noticeable. They may poop a lot in one day. And food and water containers are useful. If a chick gets separated from the others it may make a very loud sound to call for the others. Before they get all their feathers is a great time to train them, when they are grownups it will probably be seriously needed. Things like laying down, coming to you, or at least stopping, right when you say, to avoid any serious injuries, they might go after small animals when they grow up or maybe if they ever run off a callback is useful. They also get sleepy a lot, so don't be worried when they doze off together, they are often way too easily woken. Also do something so you can tell each apart, whether it is a special spot or stripe or temporary leg band so you can keep track of which chickie is who and doing what. Physical features may disappear and change so you may want to be cautious with that. What fun with your chickies!!

 

[MamaBsFunkyFlock]

Is this the one from TSC called Hill Country? I’ve been eyeing it for my grow outs, how do you like it? The inside looks super open and easy to access!

Yes it says “Producer’s Pride Hill Country” on the TSC website. I just have a few bantams and there’s plenty of space for them. I love that the droppings tray slides out which makes it really easy to clean. We filled the run with sand which is also really easy to maintain and our chickens seem to enjoy it, especially the booted ones.