Chick Brooder Essentials?

[mintychick]

I think I wanna get two buff orpington chicks, and this will be my first time raising 1 day old chicks. I have only raised 2 week old chicks. How do I set up the brooder? I am planning to get them May-June, and I live in Southern California, so I don't know if I should provide a heating lamp or what?

 

[Jbum]

Here is mine. I read to keep them around 95 degrees first week and drop 5 degrees each week by simply raising the heat lamp.

No issues this far

 

[igorsMistress]

Yay for new adventures!

You can use a heat plate or a bulb. A plate is a more natural experience for the chicks. Otherwise, all the things you needed for the older chicks.

 

[TomZilla43]

You have to provide some additional heat, a heat lamp or heat plate will work. When I got my last really young chicks I used a Mama Heating pad(MHP) and was really happy with the results. It's fairly easy to set up and allows the chicks to have a normal day/night cycle w/o light being on continuously, probably the closest thing to what they experience w/ a broody mama. There's a lady on here who has posted a few wonderful threads explaining the set-up. Here's the link to the one I based my set-up on: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update/450

 

[blackdog043]

Do you have other chickens currently? If you don't you should consider getting 3, just in case one of the 2 don't make it. Then you won't have one lonely chick/chicken, they like to have friends.

You will need the same things you used for your 2 week chicks.