Chicks for the first Time

[kynewbchickie]

She's a big girl now. Please excuse the mess in the background. I have the brooder in my office which I can never seem to keep cleaned/decluttered...

I don't believe offices would be nearly as functional if they weren't in a state of organized chaos.

 

[kynewbchickie]

This is our brooder - 4'x4'x2', open top, made of 3/4" ply on bottom, 3/8" on two opposing sides, and 15/32" on the other two opposing sides.
We hung the heat lamp from a floor beam off of a coated galvanized chain on a heavy-duty nail, so we could raise and lower the lamp height easily.







We had to switch from pine shavings to equine stall bedding, as the babies started eating the shavings. The equine stall bedding worked MIRACLES and was so much more absorbent and kept the smell down far better than the pine shavings did. Here's a picture of my babies in the brooder, when they were little week-old fluffs:



And here's one after we incorporated the EE and Buff Orps I saved from the local True Value:



I have a thread with photos up of their coop that will be updated sometime today when the pasture is fenced...it's titled "The Girls Coop is Finished" if you'd like to see the storage barn we converted into a coop.

The guys and girls will go out today when the pasture is fully-fenced, IF the temperature tonight isn't projected to dip below 60. If not, they'll go out tomorrow for sure - we're supposed to be back up into the upper-70s tomorrow. We just experienced a 48-hour Dogwood Winter, so I'm waiting to make sure the temps stabilize again.

 

[EmSteele]

I'm raising in an aquarium, right now.....its been..interesting!

 

[Wendy64]

I have mine in a large dog crate. I had to put something around it til they got big enough and couldn't fit through the bars. Its working great I have been able to give them roosting areas by putting poles through the bars. Good luck

 

[Lori S]

I was tickled to find this thread. I got my very first chicks, 6 buff Orpingtons, yesterday morning. A total newbie, I will check through this thread to see if I can tell what the changes are to come as they grow since you are a couple of weeks ahead. I have them in a galvanized tub in my garage, a clip-on heat lamp attached to a nearby shelf upright. Now am contemplating the larger quarters I know they'll need before going outside. Quart jar fountain and feeder working well. So far all seem happy and healthy. Got them from the Cackle Hatchery folks who were willing to add a chick to get my six. I am giving them (the chicks, not Cackle!) the electrolyte powder just as insurance, along with a bit of cider vinegar in the water, and TSC's starter/grower feed.

Go Orpingtons!

 

[Jeanna Marie]

I don't believe offices would be nearly as functional if they weren't in a state of organized chaos.

Complete disorganization and chaos!

 

[Lori S]

BlueMoonFarm, I know what you mean. My babies spent about 18 hours in transit last Wednesday to Friday AM. All were fine, the two heat packs were still warm. Still it was a relief to see them arrive safely.

 

[Jeanna Marie]

Well..one of my ladies flew the coop this morning. I was awakened at six am to the most dreadful chirping and rushed to the office to find little miss fussy britches on the floor outside thebrooder. She eagerly rushed into my hands to be placed back into the brooder.

They arw growing up so fast! I wish I had taken a picture but I half asleep.

 

[Brandi Leigh]

cute chickies!

 

[one old chick]

hi there, i just joined BYC about a week ago. i have had my chicks two weeks today. i started out with a tub but after a week they needed more. i made a larger brooder for them and they seem more comfortable now. i also had read that at five weeks to add a roost rail but they started flying to the top of my feeder and roosting there last week. they are growing like they are on steroids. i decided to go to petsmart and look for something they could roost on that would fit into the brooder. they were trying to roost on the water so i made a cone and set it on top so they couldn't get on it an knock it over. i picked up a reptile tree. it is made of molded plastic and looks like a natural branch it has graduated height with the highest perch being about 1.5 ft high. THEY LOVE IT! i have seen as many as five of them at a time on it. they sleep on it and are getting quite good at flying to the top perch from the bottom of the brooder without flapping around. I really think it gives them some mental stimulation. i also pour the chick starter over the tree and they love pecking it off it. they would rather eat from the tree than the feeder. i am amazed at only two weeks old they would prefer to scratch the bottom and roost in the tree to huddling in a corner under the heat lamp. they spend less an less time under the light on their own without me always having to adjust the lamp. they are really getting their feathers in some have a deep red feathers randomly coming in. my little tetra tint (rooster hopefully) is getting so big. they are in the house right now but we plan to move them to the barn and provide an even larger space and hang the feed and waterer. i liked the idea of the excersise playyard so we may go with that. Thank you all for your ideas