i haven't been aroubd much--had baby #6 on 4/21! he's a great sleeper, great eater, and a total doll! meet Remington Seven, whom we call Remy...
so now, i will be getting my day-old chicks this week, and made this list of instructions...please let me know what i missed! Thanks!!!
CHICKEN-STRUCTIONS
TEMP:
1st week: 95 degrees, reduce heat 5 deg per week, once you hit 70, they're fine (5 weeks on the bulb).
Put a thermometer inside brooder and hang the lamp about 18" off the floor of the brooder to start--watch temp and behavior (if they're huddling under light and peeping loudly, too cold--lower the lamp; if they're backed against the brooder wallls, too hot--raise the lamp)
When they're a full 5 weeks and off the bulb, they can go to the outside coop. If nights still drop much below 60, give them their heat lamp until the temps cooperate or until they're 8-10 weeks.
BEDDING:
Line bottom of brooder with paper towels on top for the first 2 weeks. Once they have learned which stuff is the food, use pine shavings on the paper towel base. You will only need to change paper towels once or twice a week.
FEED & WATER:
Chick Starter feed (crumbles) and grit (sprinkled lightly with crumbles starting on day 3)
Cover a terra cotta plant saucer with hardware cloth and set waterer on the wire. This will keep the water from dampening the litter.
Once the chicks are here, dip each of their beaks in the warm water two or three times for their drink--or they won't know to drink it.
For the first 2 days, add 12 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 12 tbsp sugar per gallon of water. Starting immediately, add a supplement to the water (I got Nutri-Drench). Starting day 3, no more sugar in the water. Just ACV and supplement. Once they're 3-4 weeks old, add a second waterer to the brooder.
Feed them their starter crumbles lightly sprinkled with grit. NO oyster shell until they are off starter feed. Once they're 2 weeks old, start them on kitchen scraps and grass clippings as a supplement to their starter feed. Just put it in the food processor to make a paste with a little water, kefir or milk.
Don't put the food or water directly under the lamp--they'll all need to huddle there to keep warm.
CARE/BEHAVIOR:
Every day, check their butts for poopy paste dried and stuck there. If it is, gently pull the dried poop off. It may hurt a bit if the feathers pull out with it, but there won't be any more feathers for any poop to stick to, and the problem will be solved.
Once they're 3 weeks old, on warm, dry days, they can go outside. Use the big baby pen to put them in the grass so they can scratch and peck. However, they can fly, so watch out. They won't fly far, but they'll flit off and might be hard to catch.
Once they're 1 week old, put in some branches to practice roosting on and playing on.Fix a wooden dowel across at about 6" high as a "real" roost. Once they're in the coop, set up a temporary roost 12" off the floor until they're old enough to get onto the coop roost.
When they're out in the coop full time, switch them to grower's ration until they're 20 weeks. Then they can move to layer's ration.
so now, i will be getting my day-old chicks this week, and made this list of instructions...please let me know what i missed! Thanks!!!
CHICKEN-STRUCTIONS
TEMP:
1st week: 95 degrees, reduce heat 5 deg per week, once you hit 70, they're fine (5 weeks on the bulb).
Put a thermometer inside brooder and hang the lamp about 18" off the floor of the brooder to start--watch temp and behavior (if they're huddling under light and peeping loudly, too cold--lower the lamp; if they're backed against the brooder wallls, too hot--raise the lamp)
When they're a full 5 weeks and off the bulb, they can go to the outside coop. If nights still drop much below 60, give them their heat lamp until the temps cooperate or until they're 8-10 weeks.
BEDDING:
Line bottom of brooder with paper towels on top for the first 2 weeks. Once they have learned which stuff is the food, use pine shavings on the paper towel base. You will only need to change paper towels once or twice a week.
FEED & WATER:
Chick Starter feed (crumbles) and grit (sprinkled lightly with crumbles starting on day 3)
Cover a terra cotta plant saucer with hardware cloth and set waterer on the wire. This will keep the water from dampening the litter.
Once the chicks are here, dip each of their beaks in the warm water two or three times for their drink--or they won't know to drink it.
For the first 2 days, add 12 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 12 tbsp sugar per gallon of water. Starting immediately, add a supplement to the water (I got Nutri-Drench). Starting day 3, no more sugar in the water. Just ACV and supplement. Once they're 3-4 weeks old, add a second waterer to the brooder.
Feed them their starter crumbles lightly sprinkled with grit. NO oyster shell until they are off starter feed. Once they're 2 weeks old, start them on kitchen scraps and grass clippings as a supplement to their starter feed. Just put it in the food processor to make a paste with a little water, kefir or milk.
Don't put the food or water directly under the lamp--they'll all need to huddle there to keep warm.
CARE/BEHAVIOR:
Every day, check their butts for poopy paste dried and stuck there. If it is, gently pull the dried poop off. It may hurt a bit if the feathers pull out with it, but there won't be any more feathers for any poop to stick to, and the problem will be solved.
Once they're 3 weeks old, on warm, dry days, they can go outside. Use the big baby pen to put them in the grass so they can scratch and peck. However, they can fly, so watch out. They won't fly far, but they'll flit off and might be hard to catch.
Once they're 1 week old, put in some branches to practice roosting on and playing on.Fix a wooden dowel across at about 6" high as a "real" roost. Once they're in the coop, set up a temporary roost 12" off the floor until they're old enough to get onto the coop roost.
When they're out in the coop full time, switch them to grower's ration until they're 20 weeks. Then they can move to layer's ration.
