As you all know I raised chickens for many decades here is some tips on what I did with the different aged hatched chicks (1 when the chicks came out of the incubator I had a weaties ceral box Brown box gotten from the grocery store It had either wood chips fine grade or childrens play school sand in it 3-5 inches deep the play school sand I really liked as you could use a cat litter scoop to clean it out daily and then stir it around slowly always used a piece of thin wood shingle cut to fit under the qt jar of water. first day I added 3 tbsp of red jello powder to the qt jar and dipped every chicks beak in it after removing from incubator 2nd day I put regular water in the qt jar (2 I used a 1"x4" piece of wood with a ceramic light fixture screwed to the board as I used mostly 75 watt bulbss on 1st week then went on down 2nd week It laid across top of wheaties brown box and I used bath towel on top folded back at least 1 ft for air to get in Ofcourse they were on the front porch so it was not heated. (3 I used little feeders and the chicks could see the feed and water as they would be eating by 4 days old Now here is a trick I learned. We had cochin frizzles, corniash and modern game bantams so I always kept one small week old modern game female with the newly hatched chicks just out of the incubator this chick will teach the new chicks to eat and drink good. (4 Now we are on week three and three boxes of chicks the new chicks have 1 small modern game pullet from last week put with them and the 2nd and third chicks all go down to the chick house with a metal hover and 100 watt bulb in it they would really need light to see the FEED AND WATER WHICH i PUT CLOSE TO THE EDGES OF THE HOVER Spme times I had 100 watt light bulbs in two other light sockets also (5 I always had either hail screen nailed to wall in corners so they could not get stuck in corners. The two litters of chuicks were always ready to go to the chick house at the ssame time each week I had a new hog house with 8 pens so some times had to put them in a pen as the hatch would be at least 100 chicks and then in week turn them into the other chick pen AT NIGHT even though you have lights they will do better going together at night just open door and then they gradually go into new pen or some come into their pen but it always worked by having a older female in their group[ they were not afraaid of older chicks Any questions just email me or ask here Glenda L Heywood
