First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[socalchicker1]

Oh wow, I never knew I was supposed to turn off the heat lamp at night to help them sleep. They seemed to sleep/roost on their own without me influencing it. Should I be concerned? But that would explain why with the lights off, they were roosting on the log I gave them. I'm not sure what to do. They seem to need that light on for eating and drinking because when I went to check on them tonight, they'd hardly touched their food & drink. I'd be afraid to turn it off at night - what if they get too cold. I'm thinking I might get a fan in there to cool it down during these hot days?

Also, would sand work for grit? I've heard mixed reviews on giving them table scraps like corn cob. The feed store people said I shouldn't need the thermometer and they also said wait until the chicks were 2 months old before giving them table scraps.

I'm just at a loss of what to do to maintain the appropriate temperature in there. Any suggestions?

 

[vadgoo]

Moved my chicks to coop but I have kept light on at night because I didnt want themto have to adjust to being in dark right after moving. Can I just leave light off tomorrow night, will they panic?

 

[Jensownzoo]

Oh wow, I never knew I was supposed to turn off the heat lamp at night to help them sleep. They seemed to sleep/roost on their own without me influencing it. Should I be concerned? But that would explain why with the lights off, they were roosting on the log I gave them. I'm not sure what to do. They seem to need that light on for eating and drinking because when I went to check on them tonight, they'd hardly touched their food & drink. I'd be afraid to turn it off at night - what if they get too cold. I'm thinking I might get a fan in there to cool it down during these hot days? 

Also, would sand work for grit? I've heard mixed reviews on giving them table scraps like corn cob. The feed store people said I shouldn't need the thermometer and they also said wait until the chicks were 2 months old before giving them table scraps. 

I'm just at a loss of what to do to maintain the appropriate temperature in there. Any suggestions?

Honestly, I've never used a thermometer for my brooders...I let the chicks tell me if they're too cold or too hot by their behavior. When I started out, I was using a heat lamp during the day and a ceramic heat emitter at night, and made sure to provide an adequate temperature gradient so the chicks could self-regulate. I switched to a "Mama Heating Pad" method after the first few batches of chicks and will never use a heat lamp again.

Some of my outdoor chicks are too small to free range yet and are confined to a coop. We had runs of near 100 degree temps this past week. A small high velocity fan inside the coop, a large block of ice in the waterer, and lots of cold veggie/fruit snacks helped get them through it. I don't think I would have had any losses if someone hadn't knocked the fan over while I was attending a funeral.

I start feeding fresh fruits, veggies, herbs, and other greens (all chopped finely in a food processor) plus sesame/flax seeds and live insects (waxworms, mealworms, and crickets) when my chicks are a week old. They are given as treats (no more than 10% of diet) and with grit. I put small boxes of builder's sand in the brooder for grit and dust-bathing purposes. I want my chicks to eat a variety of foods so their gut and the microorganisms that populate it are adapted to what they'll find in daily free-ranging and my routine feeding. Do what works best for you as there's no one right way to feed chickens.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Moved my chicks to coop but I have kept light on at night because I didnt want themto have to adjust to being in dark right after moving. Can I just leave light off tomorrow night, will they panic?

That's what's nice about having the gradual loss of light that a setting sun gives you...the chicks know it's time for bed way before it's too dark to see, so they are all settled in. No panic like happens when you suddenly switch off the light.

 

[porqupine]

Will my chicks naturally learn to roost? They are a little over a month old and went outside full time this week. They have a coop and an attached small A frame run that that is full hardwire clothed/predator proof so I've been not closing up the coop at night so they can peck around in the morning as desired without waiting for me to be up to let them out. After the first day they know to go inside the coop at sunset, and I keep trying to place them on the roost when I check to make sure they have gone in for the night. But immediately they fly back down and are clearly sleeping on the floor through the night. Should I be worried they aren't going to figure it out at all? They have a dowel pole and a natural tree branch (at least an inch or inch and a half in diameter) that are in an X across the upper part of the coop and slope upwards so there are a few height options.

 

[GardenNut]

Will my chicks naturally learn to roost? They are a little over a month old and went outside full time this week. They have a coop and an attached small A frame run that that is full hardwire clothed/predator proof so I've been not closing up the coop at night so they can peck around in the morning as desired without waiting for me to be up to let them out. After the first day they know to go inside the coop at sunset, and I keep trying to place them on the roost when I check to make sure they have gone in for the night. But immediately they fly back down and are clearly sleeping on the floor through the night. Should I be worried they aren't going to figure it out at all? They have a dowel pole and a natural tree branch (at least an inch or inch and a half in diameter) that are in an X across the upper part of the coop and slope upwards  so there are a few height options. 

I put mine on the roost for two nights, and after that they got it. Some may take longer than others, but I think they eventually catch on. I think Mother Nature has them pretty "Hard-wired."

 

[Gowander]

Hey newbie here as well we have 6 SAL and 26 rock Cornish. Had same thoughts as you on roosting but no worries they figure it out as they feel the time is right. My SAL are 7 weeks and they fly up to the roost which is two feet above. Our first roost was two inches high. Anyways enjoy and as my chick guru says. Don't overthink it!!

 

[Gowander]

Oh wow, I never knew I was supposed to turn off the heat lamp at night to help them sleep. They seemed to sleep/roost on their own without me influencing it. Should I be concerned? But that would explain why with the lights off, they were roosting on the log I gave them. I'm not sure what to do. They seem to need that light on for eating and drinking because when I went to check on them tonight, they'd hardly touched their food & drink. I'd be afraid to turn it off at night - what if they get too cold. I'm thinking I might get a fan in there to cool it down during these hot days? 

Also, would sand work for grit? I've heard mixed reviews on giving them table scraps like corn cob. The feed store people said I shouldn't need the thermometer and they also said wait until the chicks were 2 months old before giving them table scraps. 

I'm just at a loss of what to do to maintain the appropriate temperature in there. Any suggestions?

Newbie here as well
We have layers and meat birds all 7 weeks old
Grit, great thread here on grit. After reading yes grit needed helps develop gizzard real important
We were feeding all birds cooked corn on cob at 4/5 weeks man they loved it. Then some greens. But in both cases just as treats
We also had just planted some new grass and we would pick this and hand feed it to them. This was a hit! The benefit here was the close contact we had with the chicks and now they run over to us when we are picking some grass and hang out. A lot of fun

 

[Donna R Raybon]

unless your run is super, super secure, I suggest locking birds in your hopefully solidly secure coop at night. The risk of something getting into run and through open coop door are high. Chickens don't have strong enough feet to really grip and perch. The actually sit on roost. You want roost wide, but not so wide as to catch poop. My chicks have perch in brooder when i see one start getting on top of waterer. Just 2x4 on it's side nailed to another 2x4. If you have real heavy breeds or frizzle/silkie they need a chicken ladder to get on/off roost.

 

[magicstorm]

Will my chicks naturally learn to roost? They are a little over a month old and went outside full time this week. They have a coop and an attached small A frame run that that is full hardwire clothed/predator proof so I've been not closing up the coop at night so they can peck around in the morning as desired without waiting for me to be up to let them out. After the first day they know to go inside the coop at sunset, and I keep trying to place them on the roost when I check to make sure they have gone in for the night. But immediately they fly back down and are clearly sleeping on the floor through the night. Should I be worried they aren't going to figure it out at all? They have a dowel pole and a natural tree branch (at least an inch or inch and a half in diameter) that are in an X across the upper part of the coop and slope upwards  so there are a few height options. 

Mine huddled on the floor for a week or so. Then they used the 2 ft roost. Now they use the 4ft roost. It has been about 3 weeks.