Hens go broody when you don’t want them to… and won’t go broody when you do. Hi everyone! I grew up with various barnyard animals as a child and always wanted to move somewhere where I could raise them again. I recently moved into a house in the country with over an acre of land and I hope I will be sucessful with my childhood dream. I bought a used chicken coop that needs a little TLC and ordered three female Bielefelder chicks and three female Barred Rock chicks. I have plenty of time to prepare for their arrival as they wont be here until July. i want to learn as much as I can about raising baby chicks as possible before they arrive.
Everything old is new again
- Thread starter Ryfexxor
- Start date
- Jan 30, 2015
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Hi and welcome to BYC.
Here are some links to useful resources:
Pork Pie
Here are some links to useful resources:
- List of guides on how to use the site - “How to...” guides
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Pork Pie
Hello there and welcome to BYC! 
I am sure you will enjoy this new adventure! You picked some nice breeds. Definitely follow the links @Pork Pie has left for you, our Learning Center has oodles of good reading. And feel free to post in our forums should you need other help.
Great to have you aboard and welcome to our community!
I am sure you will enjoy this new adventure! You picked some nice breeds. Definitely follow the links @Pork Pie has left for you, our Learning Center has oodles of good reading. And feel free to post in our forums should you need other help.
Great to have you aboard and welcome to our community!
I always start mine out with the medicated chick starter feed for about three weeks. If you are having yours vaccinated for that, dont worry about it. The one time I didnt do that I had a chick die from coccidia.
Put thier water on something that they can get to but keeps the shavings or whatever bedding your using out of the water. Chicks can get messy.
Do NOT use a heat lamp. Chicks can overheat if its positioned to where they cant get away from the heat. Its also a fire hazard and runs up your electrical bill. I use a chick heat plate thats adjustable. They are only for indoor use so if you keep them outside its not ideal.
When I do use a heatlamp setup in the barn, I use a 100w light bulb at first, lowered down and secured so the can get under it when necessary. I move it up a little once a week as they feather out. Honestly, during the summer when it was so hot I didnt use one at all. They did fine. But when I did and as I raises it up from them I also changed to a 60w, then a 40w, until they were fully feathered, then just turned it off during the day if it was warm.
They grow fast so make sure they have room to grow.
Put thier water on something that they can get to but keeps the shavings or whatever bedding your using out of the water. Chicks can get messy.
Do NOT use a heat lamp. Chicks can overheat if its positioned to where they cant get away from the heat. Its also a fire hazard and runs up your electrical bill. I use a chick heat plate thats adjustable. They are only for indoor use so if you keep them outside its not ideal.
When I do use a heatlamp setup in the barn, I use a 100w light bulb at first, lowered down and secured so the can get under it when necessary. I move it up a little once a week as they feather out. Honestly, during the summer when it was so hot I didnt use one at all. They did fine. But when I did and as I raises it up from them I also changed to a 60w, then a 40w, until they were fully feathered, then just turned it off during the day if it was warm.
They grow fast so make sure they have room to grow.
Welcome to BYC.
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We are glad you joined our flock!Jump right in and make yourself at home.
This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:
Coop Ideas:
Chicken Coops.
What exactly did you Google to get here? <<<<<<<<<<<
BYC has an APP!
Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Congratulations on your new country home and your first step into a very satisfying hobby.
Glad you joined.Congratulations on your new country home and your first step into a very satisfying hobby.
Glad you joined us. Congratulations on your new place. Ask away I'm sure there will always be someome with an answer. A lot of us have hatched and raise our own chicks. I do. I have used medicated chick feed. The medication in it helps the chicks to get a resistance to things like Coccidiosis which is one of the more common ailments that can kill chicks and young birds. It's in the environment so best for them to gain help in developing a resistance to it. Good luck with your new flock when you get them and have fun...
Fantastic that you're planning ahead.
Post pics of your coop in a new thread here and we can help you plan
Oh, and....Welcome to BYC! @Ryfexxor
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!
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