First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[OEF5]

So our chicks had a big day on Sunday. We let them out of the mini run and coop to come play in the yard. Weather was great, they followed my wife @Serenashome out of the coop and stayed right with us.


And this:




Enjoy, they are five weeks old now and getting bigger every day. They are pretty nice to watch, and she didn't want chickens because they are mean and peck you!

 

[harley587]

What are the essentials needed for coop living for pullets?

We covered the floors with linoleum and insulated the walls. We plan on using a window as a run door but we don't have the run built yet and it's on the back burner for now since we are going to let them free range in the summer. We want the run done by August but for now it's not priority.

We also want to use the other window in our shed as vent Windows.

What should we make sure in terms of predetor protection and living needs. I know they need feed and water and roosts. Lol but they don't really need the nests until closer to laying time right?

how old?

 

[pinebarrens]

What are the essentials needed for coop living for pullets?

We covered the floors with linoleum and insulated the walls. We plan on using a window as a run door but we don't have the run built yet and it's on the back burner for now since we are going to let them free range in the summer. We want the run done by August but for now it's not priority.

We also want to use the other window in our shed as vent Windows.

What should we make sure in terms of predetor protection and living needs. I know they need feed and water and roosts. Lol but they don't really need the nests until closer to laying time right?

Mind you, I have only ever built one coop, so not what you'd call an expert up in here. From what people have told me, it's important to think about poop management. Decide whether you want a clean-out door that you can push the old litter out. And/or whether you want a poop board or hammock underneath the roosts. Also if you ever see yourself adding electric, it's way easier to wire the coop when you build (and then you can leave hooking it up until later.)

 

[athomas718]

They are 4.5 weeks, 5 weeks on Saturday (roughly) if I had to guess some are 5 weeks now, most are in the middle and some are closer to 3.5 weeks.

 

[athomas718]

We have a wood shed we are converting to a coop.

 

[socalchicker1]

Ok so the sleepy chick seems just fine now but this worrywart if wondering if it's normal for the chicks to cheep a lot. It's not excessive I don't think - actually quite a calming sound, and they seem to sleep and eat and drink and peck around all the time so they seem happy but one thing I read in my book is that they aren't supposed to be too vocal.

 

[3riverschick]

First time chick raiser here and terribly nervous and excited! Brought home 10 baby chicks: 4 Rhode Island reds, 3 Amercauna, and 3 White Longhorns. (I think that's their name). They seem pretty happy so far - sleeping, eating, drinking. One of the Rhode Island Reds seems to sleep more than others though and I'm nervous it's sick. What do I do if it continues to act sickly? They are receiving a drink with probiotics and electrolytes per the feed stores recommendation.

Hi,
It's probably travel stress. Keep an eye on it and the other chicks. travel stress and crop up any time in the 1st week at their new home.
Your store was wise to tell you to give them probiotics and electrolytes. I always give my chicks Poultry Nutri-Drench for stress. Never lost one. Just keep and eye on them. Their tiny G.I. tracts go thru tremendous maturation during the 1st 2 weeks of life. You want to spend time supporting that maturing process so your chicks will end up growing to their full potential. The faster and more completely you can get and keep the microflora functioning correctly in the G.I. tract, the faster and more completely the chick will uptake that nutrition. During the 1st 2 weeks the chick is creating foundations upon which its body systems will function. A setback in nutritional uptake during this time is not optimal, sigh. That's why I use the Drench. It doesn't need to be digested. Mainlines directly into the bloodstream, measurable in 30 minutes. all natural. http://www.nutridrench.com If you are interested in replacing the electrolytes with it, I get mine ( the smallest bottle) at Tractor Supply about 6.99 I add it to their water for the 1st 2-3 weeks. looks like very weak tea. Definitely the probiotics are a great idea. They will help keep the microflora in the G.I tact at the correct ratios so harmful microflora have a hard time getting established there
Best,
Karen

 

[Jensownzoo]

Ok so the sleepy chick seems just fine now but this worrywart if wondering if it's normal for the chicks to cheep a lot. It's not excessive I don't think - actually quite a calming sound, and they seem to sleep and eat and drink and peck around all the time so they seem happy but one thing I read in my book is that they aren't supposed to be too vocal.

They do talk a lot while there's light, but it shouldn't be that loud distressed cheeping designed to bring mama running! If you hear that, go check to make sure everything is okay with food, water, heat, and that they haven't gotten themselves hung up on anything. Sometimes you get a smart chick who figures out that they can get you to appear with the distress cheep...so beware the chick who cries "wolf"

 

[Jensownzoo]

What are the essentials needed for coop living for pullets?

We covered the floors with linoleum and insulated the walls. We plan on using a window as a run door but we don't have the run built yet and it's on the back burner for now since we are going to let them free range in the summer. We want the run done by August but for now it's not priority.

We also want to use the other window in our shed as vent Windows.

What should we make sure in terms of predetor protection and living needs. I know they need feed and water and roosts. Lol but they don't really need the nests until closer to laying time right?

No nests needed until laying time, correct. Good not to get them in that habit of sleeping in them. Mine just started laying last week...I put an old covered litterbox full of shavings in their pen when I saw their combs start reddening and some of the pullets started squatting for me. Those that are laying have found it acceptable.

Feed, water, roosts cover the basics. You'll need to decide what you'd like to use as bedding over the linoleum. Cover any openings with 1/2" hardware cloth to prevent predators from gaining entry. Make sure the door has a raccoon-proof latch.

If you're free-ranging, then having a night-light inside the coop (at least temporarily) may make it easier to get them in it at dusk until they have the routine down.

My smaller free-rangers like to huddle together in a large dog house in their pen for comfort/warmth. The bigger ones prefer the roosts. A cardboard box would probably work just fine for a huddle box if you'd like to provide one (probably a good idea if it gets chilly at night).

 

[athomas718]

No nests needed until laying time, correct. Good not to get them in that habit of sleeping in them. Mine just started laying last week...I put an old covered litterbox full of shavings in their pen when I saw their combs start reddening and some of the pullets started squatting for me. Those that are laying have found it acceptable.

Feed, water, roosts cover the basics. You'll need to decide what you'd like to use as bedding over the linoleum. Cover any openings with 1/2" hardware cloth to prevent predators from gaining entry. Make sure the door has a raccoon-proof latch.

If you're free-ranging, then having a night-light inside the coop (at least temporarily) may make it easier to get them in it at dusk until they have the routine down.

My smaller free-rangers like to huddle together in a large dog house in their pen for comfort/warmth. The bigger ones prefer the roosts. A cardboard box would probably work just fine for a huddle box if you'd like to provide one (probably a good idea if it gets chilly at night).

What are some examples of raccoon proof latches? Right now there is a big turn latch on the shed doors, it is designed for a lock to be in it but we don't, and it's semi rusted so it takes good force to get it unlatched lol.

We want to add a "screen door" made of wire cloth to put inside the shed door as a second layer of protection.

We are putting chicken wire over the vents/Windows and there are two cents at the top of the shed that were there structurally but we are thinking of taking them out and just putting chicken wire over those.

I know the squirrels once thought the shed was there home but we've cleaned their crap/nests/acorn stash up and kicked them out. Do you think they will disturb the chickens when they're out there?

For bedding we are going with deep litter method. So hay at the bottom with some sprinkled DE and then about 6inches of pine shavings.