First time raising baby chicks!

[fluffmabel]

Hi everyone!

I was just hoping to come on here and get help with a couple of questions about my little babies! I have had chickens pretty much my whole life and we have have a couple chicks hatch from an incubator who we have raised, however, I was quite young and now my parents have made it very clear that they are my responsibility this time (not just cuddles with the cutest little fluff balls; everything!).

I have a variety of breeds (silkies, polish, naked neck, araucana and plymouth rock) and they are absolutely beautiful and a I love them to bits. I did lose a couple which was especially hard, however, the chickies are doing quite well - but still very cautious and on edge.

I have 6 chickies roughly 10 days old. They are all getting along great so far, I did notice the naked neck almost squaring up to the araucana this morning but other than that no issues. They all love to have a little snuggle with each other and regularly clean each other.

I got in contact with the farm who sold us the chicks a couple of times to ask them some questions, however, they would never respond. I would really love any advice that anyone could give - I just want to make sure I do the absolute best by my little chicks. The questions I had are as follows:

1. Grit: I know chicks need grit, but I wasn’t aware that it should be offered separately for them to access themselves. Could you explain how this works and whether it’s necessary for young chicks, and if not when it should be given?
2. Entertainment: I’ve noticed our chicks becoming more active and playful. Are there safe ways to keep them entertained at this age? I’ve seen suggestions like perches, mirrors, nibble water feeders, or little blocks to sit on, but I’m not sure what’s appropriate for them yet.
3. Treats: I read on the fact sheet (provided by the company) that from week 6–12 they can have worms. At what age would it be safe to offer mealworms as a small treat? Some sources suggest mashing them up, what do you recommend?
4. Outside Time: My chicks are definitely still young so probably not ready for the outside world yet. But once the weather is nice I am planning to get out into our existing chicken run and clean it up for when the babies are they old enough to move in there. We have a little A-frame enclosure so I was wondering what age it would be safe for them to hang out with me and have a little scratch around in the dirt (while I'm out there with them of course to keep an eye on them and make sure it's not too hot/cold/windy).

If anyone had any thoughts about any of these and any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

A xx

 

[Debbie292d]

Welcome to BYC!

I would recommend you read a few articles about raising chicks that are in our Learning Center. There are hundreds of very informative articles written by our members that will answer questions you didn't even know you had yet.

I'll briefly answer your current ones though:

1: Grit should not be mixed in their feed. It's offered via a separate dish or obtained outdoors. Chicks/chickens need grit to process what they eat, with the exception of their feed and scrambled eggs. It is recommended that chicks receive nothing but their chick crumbles for their first six weeks, but most of us cheat and offer them very minimal treats when their around four weeks old.

2: They don't necessarily need anything, but we put a split log or two in our brooders. Some attach a mirror to the side of their brooder. Chicks don't "play" per se, but having a few things of different heights gives them a little fun to jump on and off.

3: Mealworms are high protein which is good, but also high fat, which is bad, so those should be kept to the bare minimum for chicks. Try whole. If they can't seem to break them, then you could crush a few for them. They'll need grit. A healthier treat is a little bit of scrambled eggs. They don't really need grit for a small amount of eggs. Be careful feeding them much of anything besides their chick crumbles though because they need to fill up on that. It has all the vitamins and nutrients they need. If they are always eating other things, they could become vitamin deficient, and problems will start.

4: I don't know where you live so can't say, but basically, we've taken chicks out on a warm day at a week old, just for an hour or two, then increase that each day. Momma hens have them out at around 1-2 days old.

This is a guide of what temp they should be at for how many weeks they are. Just use it as a guideline, not the law as it varies. We hatch a lot, and some seem to need more heat, some need less.

 

[fluffmabel]

Welcome to BYC!

I would recommend you read a few articles about raising chicks that are in our Learning Center. There are hundreds of very informative articles written by our members that will answer questions you didn't even know you had yet.

I'll briefly answer your current ones though:

1: Grit should not be mixed in their feed. It's offered via a separate dish or obtained outdoors. Chicks/chickens need grit to process what they eat, with the exception of their feed and scrambled eggs. It is recommended that chicks receive nothing but their chick crumbles for their first six weeks, but most of us cheat and offer them very minimal treats when their around four weeks old.

2: They don't necessarily need anything, but we put a split log or two in our brooders. Some attach a mirror to the side of their brooder. Chicks don't "play" per se, but having a few things of different heights gives them a little fun to jump on and off.

3: Mealworms are high protein which is good, but also high fat, which is bad, so those should be kept to the bare minimum for chicks. Try whole. If they can't seem to break them, then you could crush a few for them. They'll need grit. A healthier treat is a little bit of scrambled eggs. They don't really need grit for a small amount of eggs. Be careful feeding them much of anything besides their chick crumbles though because they need to fill up on that. It has all the vitamins and nutrients they need. If they are always eating other things, they could become vitamin deficient, and problems will start.

4: I don't know where you live so can't say, but basically, we've taken chicks out on a warm day at a week old, just for an hour or two, then increase that each day. Momma hens have them out at around 1-2 days old.

This is a guide of what temp they should be at for how many weeks they are. Just use it as a guideline, not the law as it varies. We hatch a lot, and some seem to need more heat, some need less.

View attachment 4242530

Thank you!!! I appreciate this so much! I live in Australia - technically spring at the moment but the weather is still quite gloomy, hopefully we will be seeing some warmer days soon! I might try just for half an hour when I can just sit and keep and eye on them and see how they go.

 

[saysfaa]

..

1. Entertainment: I’ve noticed our chicks becoming more active and playful. Are there safe ways to keep them entertained at this age? I’ve seen suggestions like perches, mirrors, nibble water feeders, or little blocks to sit on, but I’m not sure what’s appropriate for them yet.

Things to scratch - a shovelful of dirt or compost for example.

Dust bath

1. Treats: I read on the fact sheet (provided by the company) that from week 6–12 they can have worms. At what age would it be safe to offer mealworms as a small treat? Some sources suggest mashing them up, what do you recommend?

Remember how small they are when you consider how big a small treat is.

1. Outside Time:

They can handle a very wide range of weather conditions as long as they can get to a warm (or cool) and dry place. It is better to have a range of temperatures so they can move from cold to warm and warm to cold, for example.

That means recognizing where to go as well as it physically being there. A huddle box would allow them to go out in a much wider range of conditions but they might not recognize it is they haven't used it in their brooder.

 

[fluffmabel]

Things to scratch - a shovelful of dirt or compost for example.

Dust bath

Remember how small they are when you consider how big a small treat is.

They can handle a very wide range of weather conditions as long as they can get to a warm (or cool) and dry place. It is better to have a range of temperatures so they can move from cold to warm and warm to cold, for example.

That means recognizing where to go as well as it physically being there. A huddle box would allow them to go out in a much wider range of conditions but they might not recognize it is they haven't used it in their brooder.

Thank you so much! This is great!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!

You've had some really good people respond so far. We can have differing opinions on some of this stuff but look at that as that no one is wrong, there are just different ways to go about it. I'll offer some of my opinions.

Grit: I know chicks need grit, but I wasn’t aware that it should be offered separately for them to access themselves. Could you explain how this works and whether it’s necessary for young chicks, and if not when it should be given?

Chickens do not have teeth yet they eat things that need to be ground up. So they have a specific organ, the gizzard, where things are ground up. It is basically a very powerful muscle with a very tough lining. They eat small rocks (called grit) that are stored in the gizzard and used to grind up the stuff that needs to be ground. As they are used the rocks are also ground up and turned to sand, which passes through the rest of the digestive tract and is eventually passed out of the body through their rear end so these rocks need to be replenished. How long they last depends on the starting size and how hard they are.

Chicks and chickens can find grit in most soils. When they are out with a broody hen you can often see them pecking at the ground. They are getting grit as well as other things. Some of this can be hard rocks, some softer rocks. It depends on what rocks are in your soil. You can buy grit at the feed store. That store grit is made from granite, a by-product of a granite quarry. For your chicks you'd want smaller sizes, it should be called chick grit.

They should get grit before they eat anything that needs to be ground up. Chicken feed in the form of mash, crumbles, or pellets has already been ground up, they do not need grit if that is all they eat. But they need grit if they eat seeds or grains, vegetation like grass or lettuce, or some bugs. Sometimes they eat bedding. I like to give them grit on day two or three in the brooder just in case they eat something where they need it. I offer it a couple of times a week so it stays replenished.

Entertainment: I’ve noticed our chicks becoming more active and playful. Are there safe ways to keep them entertained at this age? I’ve seen suggestions like perches, mirrors, nibble water feeders, or little blocks to sit on, but I’m not sure what’s appropriate for them yet.

Nothing wrong with any of those things but I believe the most important thing for them to play with is room. Don't crowd them. Mine get a perch which they mostly do not use but they are very good at running around. They sometimes swoop in groups form one end to the other.

Treats: I read on the fact sheet (provided by the company) that from week 6–12 they can have worms. At what age would it be safe to offer mealworms as a small treat? Some sources suggest mashing them up, what do you recommend?

Their chick feed should be a balanced diet, everything they need in the proportions they need. If you want you can tell us which specific chick feed you are giving them we can look at the analysis online to see if it is balanced if we can find it online. Any links appreciated. They do not need any treats. They should thrive on that balanced diet.

However, many of us give them treats. A general rule of thumb is that treats should be kept to about 10% of what they eat in a day. The challenge is how do you measure that 10% limit. Another rule of thumb is if they can clean it up in 10 to 20 minutes it is not too much.

Some of us let them forage for whatever they can find to eat. When you do that you have lost all control of micromanaging their diet. If they have sufficient options they are usually pretty good at managing their own diet.

When? About the first thing a broody hen does when she takes them outside is to take them to a place they can peck at grit. Then she takes them foraging. As long as they have grit and the bits they eat are bite-sized, they can have treats at a very young age.

Outside Time: My chicks are definitely still young so probably not ready for the outside world yet. But once the weather is nice I am planning to get out into our existing chicken run and clean it up for when the babies are they old enough to move in there. We have a little A-frame enclosure so I was wondering what age it would be safe for them to hang out with me and have a little scratch around in the dirt (while I'm out there with them of course to keep an eye on them and make sure it's not too hot/cold/windy).

Two main issues. What temperatures are you talking about? Broody hens can raise baby chicks in pretty cold weather. The baby chicks can stay out in near freezing temperatures to eat and drink, but when they get cold they need to go under a broody hen to warm back up. I put chicks straight from the incubator or the post office in my brooder in the coop, even if the outside temperatures are below freezing. I keep one end of the broody warm enough so they have a place to go to so they can warm up when they need to. The other end may have ice on it in freezing weather. Really young chicks spend practically all of their time in the heated area to start with but many people are surprised at how much time they spend in colder areas when they get a little age on them.

The other issue is wind. They stay warm by trapping tiny bits of air in their down. A breeze can ruffle that down and allow those insulating air pockets to escape. Once they feather out the feathers provide a fair amount of wind protection but as long as there is no breeze to ruffle the down they can last a surprising time in colder temperatures. Even after they are feathered out breezes can be a problem but them feathering out is a game changer.

Some people like to take the chicks out for play time as you mentioned. I think that helps them in different ways. The chicks will tell you when they get cold. They will stand still and fluff up. They give a plaintive peep, it sounds really sad. Quite different from their normal playful peep. If you see something like that get them to a warm place.

At 10 days yours are plenty old enough to go outside now. How long they can stay out will depend on the temperature and wind.

 

[Penpal]

You need to show your location so people can give you advice based on your climate.

 

[kattabelly]

Nothing wrong with any of those things but I believe the most important thing for them to play with is room. Don't crowd them. Mine get a perch which they mostly do not use but they are very good at running around. They sometimes swoop in groups form one end to the other.

Agree about the importance of space but I'd add that by ten days old, they should be starting to learn how to move around obstacles to places that are out of sight and not accessible just by moving in a horizontal straight line. Someone posted a study about this recently but I can't remember which thread it was on. Anecdotally though, I've definitely noticed a difference later on between chicks that spend their first weeks in a fairly empty, open space and chicks that are already learning to navigate more complex environments at that age.

Whether they're developing that spacial awareness in the brooder or during trips outdoors probably isn't too important.

 

[fluffmabel]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!

You've had some really good people respond so far. We can have differing opinions on some of this stuff but look at that as that no one is wrong, there are just different ways to go about it. I'll offer some of my opinions.


Chickens do not have teeth yet they eat things that need to be ground up. So they have a specific organ, the gizzard, where things are ground up. It is basically a very powerful muscle with a very tough lining. They eat small rocks (called grit) that are stored in the gizzard and used to grind up the stuff that needs to be ground. As they are used the rocks are also ground up and turned to sand, which passes through the rest of the digestive tract and is eventually passed out of the body through their rear end so these rocks need to be replenished. How long they last depends on the starting size and how hard they are.

Chicks and chickens can find grit in most soils. When they are out with a broody hen you can often see them pecking at the ground. They are getting grit as well as other things. Some of this can be hard rocks, some softer rocks. It depends on what rocks are in your soil. You can buy grit at the feed store. That store grit is made from granite, a by-product of a granite quarry. For your chicks you'd want smaller sizes, it should be called chick grit.

They should get grit before they eat anything that needs to be ground up. Chicken feed in the form of mash, crumbles, or pellets has already been ground up, they do not need grit if that is all they eat. But they need grit if they eat seeds or grains, vegetation like grass or lettuce, or some bugs. Sometimes they eat bedding. I like to give them grit on day two or three in the brooder just in case they eat something where they need it. I offer it a couple of times a week so it stays replenished.


Nothing wrong with any of those things but I believe the most important thing for them to play with is room. Don't crowd them. Mine get a perch which they mostly do not use but they are very good at running around. They sometimes swoop in groups form one end to the other.


Their chick feed should be a balanced diet, everything they need in the proportions they need. If you want you can tell us which specific chick feed you are giving them we can look at the analysis online to see if it is balanced if we can find it online. Any links appreciated. They do not need any treats. They should thrive on that balanced diet.

However, many of us give them treats. A general rule of thumb is that treats should be kept to about 10% of what they eat in a day. The challenge is how do you measure that 10% limit. Another rule of thumb is if they can clean it up in 10 to 20 minutes it is not too much.

Some of us let them forage for whatever they can find to eat. When you do that you have lost all control of micromanaging their diet. If they have sufficient options they are usually pretty good at managing their own diet.

When? About the first thing a broody hen does when she takes them outside is to take them to a place they can peck at grit. Then she takes them foraging. As long as they have grit and the bits they eat are bite-sized, they can have treats at a very young age.


Two main issues. What temperatures are you talking about? Broody hens can raise baby chicks in pretty cold weather. The baby chicks can stay out in near freezing temperatures to eat and drink, but when they get cold they need to go under a broody hen to warm back up. I put chicks straight from the incubator or the post office in my brooder in the coop, even if the outside temperatures are below freezing. I keep one end of the broody warm enough so they have a place to go to so they can warm up when they need to. The other end may have ice on it in freezing weather. Really young chicks spend practically all of their time in the heated area to start with but many people are surprised at how much time they spend in colder areas when they get a little age on them.

The other issue is wind. They stay warm by trapping tiny bits of air in their down. A breeze can ruffle that down and allow those insulating air pockets to escape. Once they feather out the feathers provide a fair amount of wind protection but as long as there is no breeze to ruffle the down they can last a surprising time in colder temperatures. Even after they are feathered out breezes can be a problem but them feathering out is a game changer.

Some people like to take the chicks out for play time as you mentioned. I think that helps them in different ways. The chicks will tell you when they get cold. They will stand still and fluff up. They give a plaintive peep, it sounds really sad. Quite different from their normal playful peep. If you see something like that get them to a warm place.

At 10 days yours are plenty old enough to go outside now. How long they can stay out will depend on the temperature and wind.

Thank you so much - this is truly so amazing. I really appreciate your response! I think it has been so helpful to hear so many perspectives.

Really good to note that before the chicks are out scratching around and eating anything other than their chick feed they should have grit. I live in Australia so just about to head into to Summer and should be well past the cold and windy days (I say that but the last couple of days have been pretty miserable but the weather is expected to pick up next week with lots of sunshine). I will assess on the day to see whether it will be ok for the babies but might give them a go for a short time outside (with my supervision of course). I just really want to get them familiar with the space early, as in the past we haven't and when it was time for them to move outside it was quite emotional and upsetting for both the chicks and us.

The chick feed they have been eating in the medicated chick feed provided by the farm which I was instructed to give them up until 12 weeks I believe! Does this sound right?

Lastly (and this may sound so silly) I wanted to know if anyone had any tricks to get my chicks to feel safe around me and even better if they are down for a snuggle (I LOVE a good snuggle - gently of course!!). I have watched videos about the importance of eye contact, and getting them used to your face, hands, arms etc. Anything else you would suggest. I know some people say it's important to start handling them straight away but I have been a little hesitant as a I lost a few of my little babies (granted the couple of chicks I lost seemed quite weak and fragile when they arrived and discovered pretty bad pasty butt as soon as I got them in the brooder), but as I was having to clean them and regularly checking that the pasty butt had not returned I was handling them more than the others and I have always worried that maybe I was doing it too much or stressing them out. They were only a day old at a time, and the remaining chicks are now much older so are probably much stronger, but would still appreciate any advice anyone may have.

Thank you so much for all your help. I really did not expect this much amazing help and assistance from everyone so quickly. This is truly such a wonderful community and I am so happy I found it!

 

[fluffmabel]

You need to show your location so people can give you advice based on your climate.

Oh yes, apologies I did not realised I could do this. Let me go see if I can figure out how add it!