First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[andrea2chicken]

A chunk of dirt (sod) from the yard.

At what age do you do that

 

[gmsmith1980]

At what age do you do that

Mine are about 12 days old. Started at a week old.

 

[andrea2chicken]

Ok I thought about doing that with mine but was not sure how good it was for em. Right now they are happy little peeps we got some pine shavings for them. We laughed as we watch them scratch and tossing it around too funny.

 

[Blooie]

I usually toss some in with them when they are about 4 days or so. Want to make sure they are eating well, staying hydrated, and not having any shipping stress issues (if they've been shipped to me) first and then they get dirt!

 

[Siggie]

I am a newbie!! I don't even have my chicks yet, they arrive sometime in early April....I live in Northern Minnesota. I ordered 10 Barred Plymouth Rocks, 5 Black Australorps, 5 Blue Cochins, and 5 Golden Lace Wyandottes. They are all straight run because I just couldn't in good conscience condemn any male baby chicks to the grinder I can't wait to get them!! They will be arriving right around the time my 3 grandchildren will be visiting for Easter break! I will post when they arrive! I plan on using a very large rubber maid tote for their little brooding box...I will have to make a screen top for protection because I have one dog that I think will be more interested in eating them than herding them! (I have two Aussies and one border collie) About how long do they need to stay inside in the tub? We still have a ton of snow but it should be gone by next week and then I can begin building the coop!

 

[Jensownzoo]

I am a newbie!!  I don't even have my chicks yet, they arrive sometime in early April....I live in Northern Minnesota.  I ordered 10 Barred Plymouth Rocks, 5 Black Australorps, 5 Blue Cochins, and 5 Golden Lace Wyandottes.   They are all straight run because I just couldn't in good conscience condemn any male baby chicks to the grinder       I can't wait to get them!! They will be arriving right around the time my 3 grandchildren will be visiting for Easter break!  I will post when they arrive!  I plan on using a very large rubber maid tote for their little brooding box...I will have to make a screen top for protection because I have one dog that I think will be more interested in eating them than herding them!  (I have two Aussies and one border collie)   About how long do they need to stay inside in the tub?  We still have a ton of snow but it should be gone by next week and then I can begin building the coop!

You will find that 25 chicks will outgrow the tub very rapidly. There are ways of brooding inside the coop using "Mama Heating Pad" (look for the thread), so if you get your coop done before they arrive, you could even start them off there. If you don't feel comfortable doing that, then the usual time is after they've all feathered out, around 6 weeks of age.

 

[Siggie]

Thank you! I will research here for some suggestions on a different brooding boxes that might fit my flock a little better! Now if I can just figure out where to actually put the coop!

 

[kgb6days]

Hi - we are new 'parents' to 6 baby chicks - 4 black sex links and 2 leghorns. We currently have them living in the bottom of a large dog crate in our master bathroom bathtub (we've never used it for anything else). They are currently 1 week old. No photos

 

[Jensownzoo]

Thank you! I will research here for some suggestions on a different brooding boxes that might fit my flock a little better!  Now if I can just figure out where to actually put the coop!

I have 21 chicks. I took four large cardboard moving boxes from Home Depot, opened them up, and duct taped them together to form the walls of a 5x5' brooder. Used a blue tarp on the bottom. Them poured shavings in about 6" deep. I moved my chicks from their two plastic storage bin brooders (meant to hold xmas trees) into the larger one at 3 weeks old. They're 8 weeks old now and just learned to fly over the 3' walls last week (still working on my coop).

 

[Siggie]

Thanks! Another great idea...my head is swimming! I just read the mamma heating pad thread and also another thread that suggested putting them right out in the coop immediately with the heating pad set up....Wow, I still have so much to figure out before they get here.