Easiest way to raise chicks

[rascal66]

Ever since we invested in a cabinet incubator, we have been hatching anywhere between 30 - 50 chicks every month or other month. Haven't been doing this setup for long, but here is what I do/use currently.

When chicks hatch, I divide them into 2 groups and confine them In a container brooder for about 3-5 days. I have plenty of control of heat and get to closely monitor food/water consumption as well as see the chicks overall health up close. I use heat lamps and dry hay as bedding. In about 3 days, the bedding is changed unless I'm ready to move them to the barn stall, where I brood chicks for 1-2 months. I continue using dry hay as bedding, and do daily spot cleaning (especially where they sleep or hang out the most) and I keep the feeder and waterers on opposites sides of each other to avoid extra mess. About once a week or every other week I do an all out cleaning of the stall. I try to use a light layer of bedding so cleaning is quick and simple. My method isn't perfect- as when they get larger and eat/poop more, It becomes harder to keep clean. So just depending on situations and how the weather is like, is when I can decide if they're good to go outside In a designated area for a semi-free ranging.
So... I do daily cleaning with a pitch fork (which usually takes about 5 minutes) and utilize hanging heat lamps. Its what I've got going decently so far. Cleanliness is very important when brooding a large amount of chicks, I can't stress it enough!

 

[ValerieJ]

Cleanliness is very important when brooding a large amount of chicks, I can't stress it enough!

I agree with this, for any number of chicks. I also think cleanliness is important throughout their lives.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you ever brood chicks that way during the rainy months?

Every month is a rainy month... (real answer: I've always gotten chicks late May, when rains usually start tapering off)

My last go with chicks, yes we had a few rainy days. At first I was paranoid so we moved the brooder into the garage whenever there was rain in forecast, but then we had a pretty big rainstorm while my hubby was at work so I suspended a tarp over the brooder.

Turns out I was making unnecessary work for myself. There's a couple of spots in the run where the brooder stays mostly dry inside due to the way wind/rain blows, but I just hadn't figured it all out beforehand. So I'll do it "right" next time from the start.

 

[ValerieJ]

Every month is a rainy month... (real answer: I've always gotten chicks late May, when rains usually start tapering off)

My last go with chicks, yes we had a few rainy days. At first I was paranoid so we moved the brooder into the garage whenever there was rain in forecast, but then we had a pretty big rainstorm while my hubby was at work so I suspended a tarp over the brooder.

Turns out I was making unnecessary work for myself. There's a couple of spots in the run where the brooder stays mostly dry inside due to the way wind/rain blows, but I just hadn't figured it all out beforehand. So I'll do it "right" next time from the start.

Thanks for that info. I was asking because I'm also in the rainy state.

 

[rascal66]

I agree with this, for any number of chicks. I also think cleanliness is important throughout their lives.

Yes, absolutely! I probably should have been more broad about that statement

 

[David61]

30-50 chicks a month? You have left the back yard and are now on the farm. I guess you need to just do multiple small batch or look at commercial production methods. I had no issues or problems with my first ever 10 chicks.
50 chicks , that five batches of ten. Still doable but you are moving into production farming.

 

[jolenesdad]

We are looking for the easiest way you have found to raise chicks besides using a hen. We have raised them for six years now, and tried many different methods of heating, and bedding. Some of them have worked ok, and some of them have killed the chicks. We don’t want to mess up again this year. I think we like the heat pad method, like the mama hen simulator. That seemed to work well. Our main problem seems to be that the pens get really poopy and are hard to clean with so many chicks in them. We are looking for ideas of something easier to keep day-old checks in that we can easily keep clean and easily keep their water clean. Also what are your favorite heating methods and bedding types? If y’all have any ideas that would be great, we do not want to use heat lamps this year. Thank you so much .

i stagger the brooder, like a few have mentioned. When you’re raising more than 25 at once, it’s fairly impossible to keep individual track of the chicks. I keep various size large troughs to brood for the first 24-48 hours indoors. I keep them on paper towels, so they can see their food, and so I can see the poop and see if there are any issues. At least once I clean this brooder by individually picking up each chick and putting them in a Tupperware tub while I replace the paper towels. This allows hands on to EACH chick to check butts. Once they’re in the larger brooders or pens, good luck individually tracking chicks that aren’t banded and even then it’s hard.

in the winter they move to a brooder in the garage for a week. Summer, fall, spring they go straight out to my outdoor grower pen. It’s 50 square feet, on concrete. 3 inches of bedding and i only need to clean once they’re out of this at 4-5 weeks. It’s under a roof so it stays completely dry.

the most important key to maintaining cleanliness in the brooder is HEIGHT of the waters and feeders. I use wood shims underneath to raise them a half inch at a time. Once you start getting the right height for your chicks, there will be near zero waste/mess.

I think you’re in TX? I’d brood outside as much as possible. The key is to have large enough groups that they share their body heat for warmth and small enough groups that they do not pile and die overnight. For really large groups, I’m thinking of using an Ohio brooder in the future.

 

[NNYchick]

For inside I use a puppy tent it works well for the week I keep them in the house then in the coop I section off an area for the brooder. For heat I use diy brooder plate made using xl heating pad bungeed to a wire shelf and threaded rod for adjustable legs. I raised up 15 bantam chicks like this.

 

[Rothy_058]

So many methods...

Like many have said it all depends on how many chicks you're raising. I do 6 or less at a time and the first couple of weeks they spend in one of those under-bed plastic boxes that you normally use for keeping sheets or clothes in to prevent them from getting dusty. Modified with air holes drilled in the lid and the floor lined with paper kitchen towel. For a heat source we use what we call an 'iron chicken' which is a purpose-built metal heater about 12 inches square and maybe 3.5 inches high which sits on 4 adjustable legs in the corners so you can adjust the height of the heater as the chicks grow.

Again, as may others have pointed out, cleanliness is of paramount importance and in the first week or two there gonna need cleaning out several times a day - at least three but you can't really overdo it... The little buggers are gonna poop everywhere! Water dishes are another potential hazard...we use marbles in the dishes in the first few days to prevent them from accidentally drowning themselves.

They're not very bright but score *high* on the 'Awww...' scale so it's gutting if you're unlucky enough to loose one...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

If you're looking for an easy solution for a small scale setup that doesn't break the bank I have been extremely happy with my 50 gallon Rubbermaid setup!

This is the one I use.


Heat plates are the way to go in my opinion! They're more natural to the chicks, they won't make a peep at night when they're sleeping because there's no light on to keep them awake, and most importantly, they aren't a fire hazard like heat lamps. Glad Press 'n Seal plastic wrap can be placed on top of the heat plate for easy cleanup. Just peel the old sheet off and replace it when necessary. Must be press n' seal, the regular plastic wrap will not stick.

Titan 12"x12" heat plate shown with Glad Press 'n Seal wrap on top.

Heat plate tip: If you get a heat plate with several tiny height adjustments like shown I always set my heat plate on a slight angle so that the chicks can choose whether they want more or less heat under it. For example, the back is low enough that the chicks can lay down and still be close to the heat plate or come in contact with it when standing, but the front has a bit more room. This is also great when raising chicks of different sizes. PS, the plate is hot to the touch but it is a safe temperature for the chicks to touch the plate, see images below.


I use Equine Pine Pellets in the brooder instead of pine shavings and there is far less dust created from them and they reduce the smell. This is far from necessary but I have found this makes clean up a breeze in the brooder! I first place puppy wee pads down before spreading pine pellets. That way I can fold the pad up, throw it away, and replace it when it's time to clean the brooder. So easy!

I have been using this set up all year and it worked perfectly for several hatches, chicks, turkey poults, goslings, and peachicks (quail I started on wee pads only because they're so tiny!). I greatly preferred it to any method I've tried in the past. At around 3 weeks you will need to place a wire top over the brooder so that the chicks don't fly out. This is typically when I move mine to my outdoor set up.