Getting Ready for First Chicks

[paceysgl5]

Thanks for all the tips!

They'll be in the basement. We're getting 25, but selling 6 right off the bat so will have 19 for us. Originally we were going to use a spare bathroom, when we were only looking to get 8 or so, but somehow that spiraled into 19 so we ended up with the crate. The basement stays about 70 deg, but I think i'll use the idea of taking a blanket over the top of the crate to keep in warmth - i was just worried about it being too close to the heat lamp but it shouldn't be any closer than 12" with the way we're going to hang it.

DH made a dimmer last night for the heat lamp so we can really secure it in place instead of raising/lowering it for temperature. I hope that'll help ease my fears of a fire...

I wish we had a large barn to put the brooder in, but I think the basement will do fine. Have couches/tv down there so we can hang out with the chicks and let them out and about to explore. also have room to expand the brooder w/ cardboard when they get too big for the crate. Not looking forward to the reports of dust - how in the world do they produce so much dust?? Is there a particular bedding that's better for keeping down dust? We'll just have to do a huge cleaning once we get them out to the coop

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Quote:
No. The oats are partially steamed before being rolled so they are easy to digest.

Yes I keep seeing pictures with the baby chicks curled up next to stuffed animals so i thought that'd be a nice thing for them to curl up with AND to climb around (don't worry, i can throw these toys out when they get pooped on). Bad idea?

I don't suppose it would hurt anything, but it's not necessary. I did once see someone who had put a feather duster standing up in their box that the chicks would snuggle into. It was cute, but if you have a good set up they will get along just fine without it.

Oh, good point. I was going to put a approx 1x1' plywood piece on top of the pine shavings and put their waterers and food on that - trying to keep it away from pine shavings and hopefully keep them from pooping in it too. Sound good? Have a better idea??

I made a little platform from 2x2s with some half-inch hardware cloth stapled across the top. This lets any spills or drips fall through into the bedding underneath where the chicks can't get into while also helping to keep the shavings in the water to a minimum. As the chicks get bigger or the bedding deeper you can use another 2x2 to raise it up more.

PS Regarding pasty butt, every hatchery pamphlet I've read is to check the bums for pasty butt as you're putting them in the brooder, as it's a common condition of babies after travelling for 2 days...so that's why i was going to have warmed water ready for when we transfer them.

I suppose it can happen though I've never seen a chick with pasty butt right out of the box. Usually it shows up the next day or within three days at any rate once they have begun eating. Can't hurt to have it on hand at any rate.

Do be careful not to let them become soaked as you're cleaning them though. New chicks are easily chilled and can die on you fast if you don't get on top of warming them again right away.​

 

[Mak]

I gave mine some mashed hard boiled egg yolk starting around 4-5 days- they love it! But just a little, as you do want them to eat mostly their starter feed. I started them on shredded greens and a few other treats at about 2 weeks, also some ground flax and sesame seed. When I started treats other than the egg, I did put a bowl of sand and grit in there with them. They used it for dust bathing, too. I put roosts (small width for tiny feet) in their brooder at about 3 weeks, I think. They took to them almost immediately. In my basement, it was hard to keep the temp up for those first weeks, but it never seemed to hurt them. None ever huddled near the heat light. They stayed around the middle of the brooder and at the other end, and only 2 ever got pasty butt, so I didn't worry about it too much. And I don't mean the temp was low, just not quite up to the 90 deg or so that is usually recommended.

Enjoy your babies!