California-Inland Empire

[froggiesheins]

We are getting chicks at the end of the week and I have a list of things we "need" in order to get started with them. *newly chicken owners here*
We've decided to get 10 pullets and 1 cockerel instead of the 6 and 1.
-For heat we will be using the mama heat pad.
-Brooder box
-Potty training pads for first few days. When do we switch to shavings?
-shavings
-waterer
-feeder
-starter feed

Is that really it? When do I begin to feed grit, oyster shells, treats (house scraps, homemade chicken treats, mealworms, etc)?

Thanks everyone!

I recommend the small pieces of shavings and U can use them at like after a week or sooner (IMO) Any chicks I have started were on sand from day 1. MAKE SURE the water dish is shallow and put marbles in the water to discourage drowning (yep they not the brightest when i comes to that ). I also recommend placing the food and water up alittle higher and then raising it as they grow, this basically will keep your sanity intact as them little rascals make a MESS of water FAST!
Place many chairs around that brooder because: BROODER TV in on the AIR! e

 

[JShubin]

I recommend the small pieces of shavings and U can use them at like after a week or sooner (IMO) Any chicks I have started were on sand from day 1. MAKE SURE the water dish is shallow and put marbles in the water to discourage drowning (yep they not the brightest when i comes to that

). I also recommend placing the food and water up alittle higher and then raising it as they grow, this basically will keep your sanity intact as them little rascals make a MESS of water FAST!

Place many chairs around that brooder because: BROODER TV in on the AIR!

Good advice.. Keeping water and feed on raised platforms helps to keep them clean. Marbles/rocks too if water dish is deep.

For the first 2 weeks I mixed water in with the feed crumbles..

I always use straw in the brooder from day 1. Never tried sand though.

 

[froggiesheins]

Good advice.. Keeping water and feed on raised platforms helps to keep them clean. Marbles/rocks too if water dish is deep.

For the first 2 weeks I mixed water in with the feed crumbles..

I always use straw in the brooder from day 1.  Never tried sand though.

Just want to add an addendum in regards to straw; gotta keep it DRY! If straw gets wet it molds very easily and then u can get brooder Pnemonia

 

[JShubin]

Just want to add an addendum in regards to straw; gotta keep it DRY! If straw gets wet it molds very easily and then u can get brooder Pnemonia

True!

 

[SewCluck]

I'd like to thank everyone who has replied to my posts. You have all been so helpful!! We started working on our brooder box and hope to bring some chicks home on Thurs and Friday (2 separate locations).

We are hoping to get a Buff Orpington cockerel in our mix!! *crossing fingers* if anyone out there in the IE ends up with one, please let me know. We'll take him off your hands if we don't end up with one.

 

[SewCluck]

We got our chicks today! Ended up buying 13!! We are just now finishing up placing the hardware cloth all around the kennel.

 

[JShubin]

We got our chicks today! Ended up buying 13!!

We are just now finishing up placing the hardware cloth all around the kennel.

Congrats!
They will grow out of the kennel very fast... start building something bigger.
Make sure they arent in the direct sun all day. I've made that mistake thinking they had half shade, but then the sun moves...

 

[SewCluck]

Congrats!
They will grow out of the kennel very fast... start building something bigger.
Make sure they arent in the direct sun all day. I've made that mistake thinking they had half shade, but then the sun moves... 

Thanks! We are working on a tractor and their coop. They will be moving into their coop in about a 1.5 weeks or so. Some are 1.5 weeks old others are 2.5. As for the sun we have placed them under a 10x10 easy up during the day.

 

[SewCluck]

Question: what time are you guys having your chicks turn in for the day?

 

[JShubin]

Question: what time are you guys having your chicks turn in for the day?

When all the other chickens start going to roost.. just before sunset.