First time raising chicks. Any tips?

[FamilyFarm12]

Step by step for what?

 

[MyChickens14]

sorry, i meant to say "raising chicks" not just "chicks"
I want to know everything i need for Wednesday when i'll receive my day olds.

 

[FamilyFarm12]

Could you try to post a pic of your brooder so I could see. Is it in your house/garage/coop? Do you have a coop and run ready? They grow fast

 

[FamilyFarm12]

I’m not an expert though somebody else could probably help more

 

[MyChickens14]

My phone never lets me post the picture i want since it never downloads properly. anyone know a better way to post pictures on BYC? but i can describe it for you. it's a cardboard box that measures at around 3ft by 4ft. I put about an inch or two of pine shavings and i also have a heat lamp of which I'm testing the heat all day today. I have a feeder and a waterer of which i will attempt to insert a picture of.
I do not have a coop yet but once the snow thaws we have some old wood in my backyard, my daughter and I will build it then. it'll only take 1 day or 2.
I am not an expert myself but I trust your opinion. I really appreciate it. thanks!

 

[HannaKessler]

It's fairly simple, if everything goes well.

1. On arrival, check chicks for health. Using a clean eyedropper, give nutridrench to any that seem less than perky, or all just to be safe.
2. Place chicks in brooder, watch how they respond to the temp. Raise the light if they avoid it, lower it if they all huddle under it and never leave.
3. At this same time give water. A shallow dish with pebbles/marbles in the bottom or a store bought chick waterer are the best options at this age. The main concern is whether they can climb in and get wet (chilled) or even drown. Take each chick and dip its beak in the water, they should be thirsty and start drinking. From now on water must always be available or their health will suffer very quickly.
4. After everyone has found the water, give food. I have found that the bottom part of egg cartons make good chick feeders, or you can use the ones you buy from the store. The only real reason you need a feeder is so you can guage how much food is left, and to try (as much as possible) to keep poop out of the food. (Side note: there will be poop in the food, water, and every other thing you leave in the brooder, you don't have to panic and keep it squeaky clean or you will never stop cleaning with six chicks. Just clean the brooder about once a day and switch out the water every few hours or when convenient.) Your chicks may find the food immediately on their own, but if they don't seem to get it try tapping the ground next to it to mimic a mama chicken eating the food
5. (Recommended) Love on your chicks. Pick them up and cup them in your hand. Talk to them all, and look into the brooder often. Perch chicks on your finger. When they get a bit older bring yummy treats and take one or two to the couch with you (don't forget to lay a towel). All of these efforts pay off in the future with chickens that are much more friendly. Not all of them will like being held as adults, but they will all love being around you and chatting at you.
6. That's basically it, just keep the food and water stocked up and reasonably clean. The rule of thumb for heat is 10 degrees less a week until it's room temp, but watch your chicks, they will tell you what temp they want.

This list is assuming nothing goes wrong. Some things to look out for:

• Predators: if they are in your garage, they should be fairly safe from wild predators, but what about your own? Make absolutely sure no dogs or cats have access to the chicks.
• Illness: common chick illnesses and their symptoms can be found all over this site. If a chick seems weak, limp, lethargic, or has a pasty butt, look up your symptoms and there will be options available. Having some apple cider vinegar, corrid, and nutridrench around somewhere is a good idea because those three things are the most common remedies needed and every hour counts when dealing with chick illness. Spending the time going to the store can mean missing the window of opportunity to help.
• Injury/malformation: it is highly unlikely chicks from a hatchery will come with a malformation because they would just be culled, but if you ever decide to hatch your own watch out for curled feet/toes. This is a problem caused by incubation, not genetics, and can easily be treated if caught early enough. As chicks get older, there will be some squabbling and pecking. Do not invervein unless you see bleeding or bald patches. In this case, fashion a chick saddle from an old sock, or buy one on the internet. Removing or separating the chick is not a good idea, since reintroduction will only make her endure more pecking. If a chick gets injured in some other way and needs special care, keep it in the brooder separated from others in a see-through container.

If anything goes wrong, feel free to ask about it on backyard chicken. There are bound to be people to help. Good luck and have fun on your chicken journey.

 

[HannaKessler]

My phone never lets me post the picture i want since it never downloads properly. anyone know a better way to post pictures on BYC? but i can describe it for you. it's a cardboard box that measures at around 3ft by 4ft. I put about an inch or two of pine shavings and i also have a heat lamp of which I'm testing the heat all day today. I have a feeder and a waterer of which i will attempt to insert a picture of.
I do not have a coop yet but once the snow thaws we have some old wood in my backyard, my daughter and I will build it then. it'll only take 1 day or 2.
I am not an expert myself but I trust your opinion. I really appreciate it. thanks!

Could try transfering the pictures to your computer and posting from there.

Just a word of caution about cardboard, it gets nasty. A cardboard brooder may not last you the entire time you need to keep chicks inside. It's a fine place to start, but you'll wish it was wood when it starts to soak through. Now this may just be my recent ptsd from brooding ducklings on cardboard talking, but even chicks would really stink up a box once a week.

 

[MyChickens14]

these are the ones i have btw

 

[MyChickens14]

Thank you sooooooo much! I'm so excited to get my adorable little chicken babies!!! I'll try to post chick pics soon! What is nutridrench? What does it do?
Btw we lined the bottom of the cardboard box with a thick, plastic sheet so that it shouldn't get all wet, soggy and dirty. what do you think?

 

[FamilyFarm12]

Yes we would love to see pics when they arrive! Also make sure you have the water mounted a little so it doesn’t spill and the chicks love to spill their food and I have the save food/water containers