Check my check list. Chicks in 2 days...

[TerryH]

Good evening all. Just wanted to make sure that we have everything we need for our coming little ones. We are picking up our chicks Tuesday evening. We're using a spare room in the house as the beginning spot for the brooder.We really wanted them to start in the house so we can have as much time with them as possible and keep a close eye on them. They will move out to my shop in a few weeks if the coop isn't done by then. Hopefully the coop will be done in 2-3 weeks.

Chicks: 3 - Buff Orpingtons, 3 - Black Astrolorps, 3 - Copper Marans, 3 - Blue Laced Red Wyandottes --- hopefully all hensw but time will tell.

Please check our list of things....

Brooder: Refrigerator box setup to be 3x3 to start and expandable to 3x6. I cut it 24" tall. I'll make a chicken wire cover.

Bedding: The room has a tile floor and I cut pieces of cardboard to cover the tile. Newspaper covered with puppy pads over the cardboard for the first week then newspaper with pine shavings over the cardboard.

Heat; MHP as per the MHP thread.

Food/Water: Regular quart plastic waterer and feeder. Marbles to go in the waterer for safety. Will change to horizontal nipple feeder as soon as they are able. I have some pieces of wood to put the feeder and waterer on to keep them out of the shavings once we get to that point.

Food: Non-medicated Chick Starter

Toys: marbles, small mirror, small rubber balls, some pieces of wood 4x4's etc..for them to climb on.

Questions: We bought electrolyte powder but not sure if we should use that or sugar water at the start. How long before we just give them regular water? Should we be give them probiotics?

We have scratch but not sure when we should start giving it to them.

What kind of treats would be good?

Also have DE. Add a little to the shavings once we get to that point?

Not sure what to give them for dust bath. Suggestions?

We know to look for pasty butt and any generally sick acting ones but is there anything specific that we should be checking for?

We are excited but also a little nervous. We want to make sure that we've done everything we can for them to be healthy and happy.

Thanks for any help!

Terry

 

[mamatink7]

Sound pretty good to start. Let them only to have feed for 2 weeks then start treats or other stuff once you add that then you give them chick grit. Only sprinkle it. For treats, try the meal worms, frozen corn in water muffin pan on warmer days they'll be pecking machines. Scratch is for older chickens I think. You don't want chicks to have calcium until 16 weeks or when you switch feed to layer.
Don't move them into coop till between 5-7weeks; depending on amt of feathers. Once they have fully feathers then they can be officially moved out. You can take them out to play for little bits though, it's funny to see then learn to forage. You can try giving them clumps of grass in brood box as well.
Dust bath can be a mixture of DE, I heard DE is pretty much useless (just today per several ladies). When they go to area and play outside, they will do dust bath practicing naturally. Not sure how to use dust bath in brooder box or when.
This is what I can tell you for now. Just suggestions. Good luck and have fun.

 

[Folly's place]

Overall, a good plan. If you have dogs or cats, hardware cloth makes a safer brooder top, and cardboard isn't going to keep a determined dog out either. Your spare room will be dust covered, and have bad dust in the air, in no time at all. Brooding out of the house is best! Sounds like a nice group of chicks! Don't worry about DE, scratch feed, or dust bathing for a while; after they are out in the coop is plenty of time for the dust bath and treats. Offer grit if you will feed anything other than chick starter. Have everything up and running the day before you pick them up, with a thermometer in the warmest part of the brooder, to make sure it's all working well. Enjoy the babies! Mary

 

[TerryH]

Thanks for the replies! We are doing a dry run tonight. Still need to get the puppy pads. I have the temp probe taped to the cardboard on the floor with the newspaper and shavings on top of it and it's still on 85 so I think the MHP is working perfectly. The room has a locking door so that should hopefully keep the cat at bay.

We have everything in the room covered and it has 2 large windows that we'll keep open. I know the dust is going to be an issue but we really think starting them in the house is best for us and them and we'll just deal with the dust the best we can.

 

[COChix]

Thanks for the replies! We are doing a dry run tonight. Still need to get the puppy pads. I have the temp probe taped to the cardboard on the floor with the newspaper and shavings on top of it and it's still on 85 so I think the MHP is working perfectly. The room has a locking door so that should hopefully keep the cat at bay.  We have everything in the room covered and it has 2 large windows that we'll keep open. I know the dust is going to be an issue but we really think starting them in the house is best for us and them and we'll just deal with the dust the best we can.

Looks good, good luck. I was curious why you were not brooding in the coop but re-read your first post.

 

[Jensownzoo]

You may want to put a chicken emergency kit together now. They always seem to get sick/injured after the stores close! Good things to have in it include poultry nutri-drench, vetericyn spray, blu-kote, electrolytes (which you have), +/- Corid, few small syringes, tweezers, gauze and vetrap is nice.

 

[realsis]

Wow looks great! My chick's ship out tomorrow! I really pray they arrive alive and healthy Tuesday or Wednesday. I really hope not thursday..I ordered in January so it's been a really long wait!I am expecting 1 surprise breed female (likely a production layer). 7 Female Barred Rocks, 1 Female Golden Cuckoo Maren, and 1 Female Silver penciled Rock. For a grand total of 10. Everyone is getting their Mareks vaccine as well. Tomorrow I've got to construct their brooder. I'm using a large dog cage to brood in. I'm making a draft boarder out of cardboard to go along the sides, the bottom tray is plastic. im putting shavings then covering them with paper towels the first week .I got marbles to put in the water, and this year I'm using a Brinsea brooder. They ship out tomorrow at 3 eastern, noon my time! I'm sure hoping for a Tuesday arrival!! Good luck with your new chicks. I hope you post lots of pictures!

 

[mamatink7]

You may want to put a chicken emergency kit together now. They always seem to get sick/injured after the stores close! Good things to have in it include poultry nutri-drench, vetericyn spray, blu-kote, electrolytes (which you have), +/- Corid, few small syringes, tweezers, gauze and vetrap is nice.

typical things found at TSC? I hadn't put together one either. Getting first 6 on the 27th, this is last week I can put things together for them.

 

[TerryH]

Wow looks great! My chick's ship out tomorrow! I really pray they arrive alive and healthy Tuesday or Wednesday. I really hope not thursday..I ordered in January so it's been a really long wait!I am expecting 1 surprise breed female (likely a production layer). 7 Female Barred Rocks, 1 Female Golden Cuckoo Maren, and 1 Female Silver penciled Rock. For a grand total of 10. Everyone is getting their Mareks vaccine as well. Tomorrow I've got to construct their brooder. I'm using a large dog cage to brood in. I'm making a draft boarder out of cardboard to go along the sides, the bottom tray is plastic. im putting shavings then covering them with paper towels the first week .I got marbles to put in the water, and this year I'm using a Brinsea brooder. They ship out tomorrow at 3 eastern, noon my time! I'm sure hoping for a Tuesday arrival!! Good luck with your new chicks. I hope you post lots of pictures!

Thanks! We are picking ours up locally tomorrow. Really glad that I didn't have to have them shipped. This whole chicken deal has been for my wife's birthday which is tomorrow!!

 

[TerryH]

You may want to put a chicken emergency kit together now. They always seem to get sick/injured after the stores close! Good things to have in it include poultry nutri-drench, vetericyn spray, blu-kote, electrolytes (which you have), +/- Corid, few small syringes, tweezers, gauze and vetrap is nice.

Thank you so much. I'll track those things down.