Cleaning and roosts for babys?

[the Precious Ladies]

Ive only had my chicks for 5 days and got them when they were a day old. I was wondering for the weekly cleaning ( replaceing bedding and stuff) do you replace all the bedding? (ours is pine shavings) or just sort through it and claen only the soild parts. Also, I have a silver Wyanadotte- Silverwing- and she already has her wing feathers and a few tail feathers! All the other chicks only have about half the about of wing feathers. Silverwing fly to the top of the brooder then "roost" there. Is it time to put in the stick roost? All the other chicks try to copy her (shes the highest in the peacking order it seems

) but they can't hold on or fly up high enough. ( It is a low brooder, about 6'', but they are living in the bunny room, which has a locked door)

 

[TajMahalChickens]

How often you replace the bedding depends on your space you have them in and the number of chickens. I have my 28 six-day-old chicks in a 24" by 18" area, and I plan on cleaning it tomorrow. It is probably easiest to just clean everything out. I would suggest putting a piece of cardboard on the bottom of your brooder and then putting your bedding on top of that - that way you can just lift up the cardboard, scrap off the dirty bedding (or throw the bedding and cardboard away), and put a new piece of cardboard in.

I think it is a little early to put in perches. My book here (Storey's Guide to raising chickens) says that light breeds @ 4 weeks and heavy breeds @ 6 week should start to have perches. Your guys seem active, so you should probably start a little earlier.

Hope this helps!

 

[dieselgrl48]

Some breed's of bantams like OEGB's, Duckwing's etc.My duckwings were some of my highest roosting bantam's I ever raised.They would roost in 14Ft horse stall rafters, tree's anything!. highlearn to fly and want to roost very early.Most of the time when they start trying to roost they will stay close to the brooder like roost on the edge etc.At one month mine were flying out of the box and roost roost, pretty soon We gave up and they free ranged in the basement for over a month where it was warm lol.I would put a stable lil something for them I think it encourages them to stay next to the other chicks if you don't want them roosting on your furniture etc. whatever is nearby their brooder.Cause they gonna get going everywhere lol trust me. Good Luck with your chicks

DG

 

[the Precious Ladies]

Thank you !!

 

[bigdawg]

my chicks like to roost on the plastic feeder. and poop there also. put them something to roost on. if they use it good if they dont they will