Extreme Novice! Help!

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
i think that would be great, but if they need heat, like someone said, you might have a hard time keeping them warm. it depends on your situation and your chicks though. my chicks didn't need heat for long at all.

 

[Maureen&chickens]

I had a rubbermaid bin in the mudroom with pine shavings on the bottom and an old screen on the top. That worked very well.

 

[Foxhound lady]

I used a plastic tote and shavings and a small dog ex-pen with a old sheet to cover it (it was July in TX so no heat lamp needed) and they all survived.

For the next set (Oct) we used a large dog crate that has the square spacing instead of the long rectucalr spacings also a 500 series vari kennel will work too. We used straw as the bedding. This was thier night time quarters and the were let out in a mini tractor in the garden during the warm parts of the day.

 

[WilczenskiFarm]

Maureen&chickens :

I had a rubbermaid bin in the mudroom with pine shavings on the bottom and an old screen on the top. That worked very well.

Ditto... in fact, after we finished the coop enough that they could move in permanently, they cried for hours early that night.... they were so used to being so close together and snuggly at night. It broke my heart!!! But they were fine the next night. They grow up/mature quick!!!

 

[silkiechick05]

Very jealous that you're getting silkies! They are my dream chicken!

We just used a big cardboard box and filled it with pine shavings. Silkies are banties, right? So they're smaller than standard-size chickens.

Yes, silkies are banties lol. however, i went to a show on saturday and was surprised at how big they were!

Since this is my first experience with chickens, i just got pet quality chicks and perhaps later when i have some sense of what is going on i will invest in a show quality one.

 

[Darlasmum]

a chick came walking into our living room while we were watching tv

Instead of pine shavings, I recommend pine pellets. Alot less mess and dust, and very easy to scoop up when the brooder needs cleaning. These are the cat box pine pellets. I found them cheepest at Trader JOs- almost half the price of grocery / pet stores.