First Month Mistakes

[Kiki]

I'd really like to know what you would have done differently in the first month of raising chicks.

Looking back would you have heated them differently or would you have started with a bigger brooder?

Is there anything that you would have done differently knowing what you know now?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

My first babes:
Less heat, bigger brooder, and I wish I woulda kicked them out sooner

 

[ChickForLife]

Short version: A raised waterer helps tremendously!

Long version: When I go my first batch of chicks almost 2 years ago I had one of those plastic waterers which work fine but it kept getting super messy on the ground. I has to change their water multiple times a day and it was a huge hassle. Once I took some advice from a hardened chicken keeper to raise it on a string or a brick I only had to change water once a day! I just laid an extra brick I had under the waterer and it worker magic! It was a huge time saver. For all newbies I recommend trying out this trick!

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Use a tub brooder, not an old dog cage I had lying around.

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

Probably teach them to use a nibble water to keep clean longer

 

[SilverBirds]

For starters, I would have used a heat plate over a heat lamp. I had the lamp to close to the brooder and one of the chicks got fried. I would have stuck them outside WAY sooner too. My first three were 10 weeks old when they went outside for the first time. I also would have used different food/waterers.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Don't let them stay in the bathroom until they're 6 weeks old. Your toothbrush gets covered in chick dust. (Which isn't necessarily that bad. Just not super hygienic)

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

Use a tub brooder, not an old dog cage I had lying around.

Just because I am curious why? I use a tub for the first week and then I switch to dog kennel so I am curious.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Just because I am curious why? I use a tub for the first week and then I switch to dog kennel so I am curious. View attachment 3069275View attachment 3069274

You could not put any bedding in the kennel because of the bars. Paper towels was the best you could do, and they ended up soggy and torn to shreds and did absolutely nothing. With the tub you can use paper for the first few days, the put a nice few inches of shavings down.

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

You could not put any bedding in the kennel because of the bars. Paper towels was the best you could do, and they ended up soggy and torn to shreds and did absolutely nothing. With the tub you can use paper for the first few days, the put a nice few inches of shavings down.

What's why I put cardboard around it. But that makes sense....I have sifisticated birds and at a week they just jump out of the tub lol so they instead of being in the hours they go to garage in dog kennel...I have never had them jump out of the dog kennel so I like it better.