expecting first time chicken parents

[ashkyns]

We live in Huron County MI
My husband and I ordered our first chicken flock yesterday, and they are supposed to arrive April 3rd. I have a feeder waterer some baby sized grit and a red heat lamp. I built a brooder box for them. I saw probiotic and vitamin electrolye supplements but don't know if I should buy those or not. Im also unsure what to use for bedding once the babies arrive. Any advice? There will be 6 chicks altogether, pullets, including 2 Isa browns, a barred rock, a buff orphington, a black austrolorp, and a silver laced wyandotte.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I never bother with the vitamins/elytes for baby chicks. For bedding I use pine shavings with some paper towels on top for the first couple of days to get them used to eating the food not the shavings. Don't use slippery bedding or you might have spraddle leg occur.

Here are excellent chick care resources:


http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickcare.html

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKRaisingChicks.html
scroll down

 

[ashkyns]

I ended up using a tbsp of black strap molasses per gallon of water for the first 3 weeks I used Potting soil 3 inches thick for bedding and they loved it. now they are outside in their temp coop while i build their permanent one. Thanks for the advice