chicks on the way

[johnson215]

brooder is set up and ready to go... chicks arrive friday.

so excited

 

[SteveBaz]

to the BYC and I know you are not actually new bc you have 53 posts but since you are having NEW Chicks arriving soon I thought you would totally understand

Week 1 85* to 90* degrees whatever is the most comfortable for the kids. The way to tell is they are huddling up under the light in a group they are huddling bc they are cold and the temp lamp (RED Heat Lamp) needs to be moved closer to increase the heat for them to break up the huddle. If they are around the outside of the light and in a circle around it it is to hot and the heat lamp need to be moved high to lower or reduce the temperature in the brooder.

Week 2 80* to 85* degrees same as above

Week 3 75* to 80 and you can see that I am lowering the temp by only 5* degrees each week

week 4 the same and so on until week 5 when you start to bring the kids outside during the days in a 360 covered pen so they are not picked off by birds of pray or have local predators get to them while your not looking

Then you will continue until the end of week 7 and they are fully feathered and absolutely no heat is needed ever again

VERY IMPORTANT. I DID NOT SEE A THERMOMETER IN THE BROODER AT ALL!!!!!!

Medicated chick feed to develop the birds without Cocci Disease and practice safe disease prevention

Vitamins in the water is healthy for the birds always. Great luck to you with your new kids.

 

[johnson215]

thanks for the advice. since i have them in my sunroom i've never used a thermometer i just watch the way the chicks lay around the light and adjust accordingly. i've brood several times and so far it's always worked out. i hope i didn't jinx myself... now i better get a thermometer...

also i usually have a larger brooder that i made out of wood but it was getting pretty crappy so i need to fix another one. i do have a nice small coop outside that i also have ready for them. it's completely enclosed and i put their heat lamp out there...

 

[Jewels1935]

Can't wait to see them!

 

[SteveBaz]

Quote:
That is perfect having an outside brooder. Man o man the dust from the little kids is horrible. Hard to believe the kids can get that much dirt going but they do and having an outside brooder is the best.

 

[Fierlin1182]

Congratulations! Good luck and I hope you enjoy your chicks!

Our brooder looked more or less similar, except we used some grass clippings instead of wood shavings. They kicked it everywhere, it was a nightmare to get out of the carpet after they moved out of the house.

It's pretty hot where I am so not much heat's really necessary.

 

[kjxoxo1]

How often do you change the litter? What do you have under the shavings? I went thru several boxes because the bottom would be completely wet...it was like the water was just oozing out of the waterer.....just curious.

 

[hemet dennis]

I've never used a thermometer, but I've never kept any of them in the house.

 

[johnson215]

this is the first time i've used cardboard boxes to make a brooder,,
i never really thought about it getting wet... maybe i better put something else under the pine shavings!!!!
i used to have a brooder built out of wood and we had lanolium on the floor.. any suggestions from anyone who has used cardboard boxes??????

 

[kjxoxo1]

I'm using a cardboard box and OMG!!!! It wasn't until I put the waterer inside a pan that I wasn't changing the boxes daily--- the entire box!!!! I used pine shavings the whole 9. I went by a poultry store and got the paper that the chi Ken plants use to catch droppings and put pine shavings on top of that. Now every two days I change the litter but no extreme wetness like before. I will never ever grow baby chicks in the wintertime. Did I emphasize never ever. If not never everrrrrr!!!!!