Finally getting my first chicks!!! Advice?

[amandarey20]

I'm getting day olds and I have the brooder all set up for them. But I need ideas on making a small homemade waterer and feeder. I'm only getting three chicks. Also if anyone has it a timeline of when they get what kind of food and when they should start eating grit and oyster shells and when they will start producing eggs.

I'm getting 3 Barred Rock chicks. Any comments on that? I'm so excited.

 

[TigerLilly]

Congrats on your new babies.
This site is awesome for us 'newbies.' Check out the INDEX & just start going through the sections.
Here's a link on one DIY feeder, but there are plenty more you can check out. I made my own from one of these instructional posts.
Good luck & have fun. Take care to do some extra reading on CHICKEN MATH, if you havent already...

 

[Heckel's Hens]

My "babies" are only 6 weeks old, but I'll tell you what I kow so far!

They start on chick feed, which has more protein than regular food. I bought a waterer, but hubby made a feeder. Just a couple of small boards nailed like a trough, with a small layer of wire over the top to keep them from stepping in it.

My Barred Rocks are some of my favorites so far! Since the VERY FIRST DAY I got them, they have been the most curious by FAR! Very friendly. They do peck now, but usually to check things out.

Good luck! Be sure to get a brooder lamp to keep the temp up for the first 6 weeks or so.

 

[happychickengirls]

Congrats on your new chicks!!! I also have a Barred Rock among a few others but they are good egg layers and a hearty bird!!!!
Mine started laying eggs around 5 months. Most people feed their chicken starter feed -you can either feed them medicated crumbles or non medicated crumbles. That is up to you!!!! You usually feed them this for the first few months then move up to other food as they become older. Do not feed them grit or oyster shells right now- they are just babies. Im sure there is a thread on here for all the food recommendations and the age in which to feed them that. But enjoy your little chicks , they grow up soooo fast. They are alot of fun!!

 

[Judy]

Just put a couple of small dishes out with some chick starter feed in one and some water with marbles or small rocks in it in the other. Lay some paper towels out on the bottom of the brooder as a beginning litter. And go to the Learning center at the top of the page where you can read about the basics of new chicks.

 

[newchik715]

Little feeders and waterers are not expensive at all. i just bought mine when i had chicks the first time. i kept them in the house for about five to eight weeks with trips outside and then moved them out to the coop. they get stinky fast...and they get too big for the brooder anyway. i kept mine on the starter until they were 18 weeks and then switched to layer feed. my first egg came at 20 weeks exactly but i do not think that is the norm. good luck with your babies and i suggest some sort of cover for the top of your brooder if you do not have one now as they will literally fly the coop as soon as they can!

 

[amandarey20]

My brooder is an old rabbit hutch so its off the ground and has a roof that we modified by putting roof tiling on it so itll withstand through rain and all that.

 

[amandarey20]

When a chicken gets "broody" what does that mean?

 

[sillyovrsilkies]

Quote:
It simply means the hen has a strong desire to incubate eggs. There are some breeds that tend to be more broody than others which makes for good mothering!

 

[HelenaJean]

A broody hen is a hen that will sit on a clutch of eggs in the hope of hatching them. Chickens aren't very smart, so they sometimes sit on nothing while broody. You know a hen has gone broody when she stays in the one spot, shuffled down on the eggs for days and at night time too, if you go near her (depending on how agressive she is) she will make clucking noises, fluff up her feathers and some even peck when you go to touch her to have a look at her eggs. They are very patient, sitting there (moving once daily to have a drink, some food and to deficate) until their eggs hatch. their eggs don't hatch after 21 days? 30 days? she doesn't know or care, she'll stay there.
A 'brooder' is a contraption used to raise eggs in replacement of a hen.

I find the best waterer, is simply a bowl with marbals or small rocks in it. That way, the small babies can't fall in and drown, but they can drink from in-between the marballs. Dog bowls are good for this, they're very stable, so they won't knock over easily.