Hello from New Brunswick, Canada

[luckyduckys]

Hey from Bathurst NB! Rescued a female mallard at the beginning of December. Completely fell in love now I'm looking for more (ducks). Do you know where I can find a hatchery? I'd like to get some chicks.

 

[roostersandhens]

 

[crazyfeathers]

Welcome Mike!

 

[gander007]

Alright Mike

great to have you here with us

Well it sounds like you are ready for the change

 

[sourland]

Mike has not been on site in five months.

 

[Stussy]

Hello all. No, I've been very busy the last few months with work, surgery, etc. I'm back and my wife and I ordered 10 egg laying chicks today. They will be here around April. They will be one day old chicks.

This past summer we built our coop and my father had meat kings to try it out. With my very busy fall and winter so far, I did not get the chance to winterized the coop, so April will be a good time to get chicks I think.

I wasn't expecting them to be only a day old. So now I need to build myself a brooder. I have a question for all of the experts:

How long should I keep chicks in a brooder before I introduce them to the coop? April can still have cold days here in New Brunswick. Some days I think I bit off more than I can chew, but I know I'm a newbie and it will come together in the end.

Thanks in advance for your helpful tips and advice.

PS- here are a few pics of the coop I built this past summer. It worked well with the meat kings. Enjoy.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello all. No, I've been very busy the last few months with work, surgery, etc. I'm back and my wife and I ordered 10 egg laying chicks today. They will be here around April. They will be one day old chicks.

This past summer we built our coop and my father had meat kings to try it out. With my very busy fall and winter so far, I did not get the chance to winterized the coop, so April will be a good time to get chicks I think.

I wasn't expecting them to be only a day old. So now I need to build myself a brooder. I have a question for all of the experts:

How long should I keep chicks in a brooder before I introduce them to the coop? April can still have cold days here in New Brunswick. Some days I think I bit off more than I can chew, but I know I'm a newbie and it will come together in the end.

Thanks in advance for your helpful tips and advice.

PS- here are a few pics of the coop I built this past summer. It worked well with the meat kings. Enjoy.

April shouldn't be too early because you are going to need to keep these babies indoors and under a brooder lamp for 6 weeks before they can go out to the coop. You can use a cardboard box or a big plastic tote, but use something with solid walls and a solid floor to keep the drafts out. Give them about 1/2 square foot per bird. Get a heat lamp, infra-red preferred, and a thermometer. Keep the heat off to one side, and the water and food on the other side so they have to leave the heat to get to the goods. Put the thermometer on the floor directly beneath the light source. Leave it on 24/7. Start at 95 degrees the first week, and lower the temp by 5 degrees each week for 6 weeks. At 6 weeks, they will be old enough to be taken out to the coop and survive the temps. Do not cover the lid of the brooder with anything but a screen or wire to allow for good heat and oxygen exchange. If they get too crowded in any time during the first 6 weeks, you may need to go to a larger brooder during this time. I always end up expanding their space around 3 or 4 weeks of age.

Nice coop! They will have a nice home.

 

[Stussy]

Thanks TwoCrows for the tips. My wife just corrected my math. We ordered 8 chicks, not 10. I was thinking of making a brooder 2x4 feet. I think this will be good then going by your tip of 1/2 sq ft per chick. I guess it depends on how quick they grow too. That's ok, I like to build things.

Mike

 

[boost01]

Hey mike! We're new to raising hens also. We live in Moncton, got our flock of 12 almost 2 weeks ago. They are super happy with their coop which my husband constructed from scrap lumber. They are fenced in using dog fencing with rocks around perimeter. We also have kids, though young, my son 2.5 loves to interact with them. And my daughter, 9 months, talks to them. This will be our first winter, but plan to insulate the coop, use an infrared bulb for heat (and apparently doesn't mess with they're laying pattern). So far, only 2 are laying, I gather they are still stressed from the move.

I will post pics soon.

Hi there, also from Moncton NB (well, 20 mins north). We just got 4 chickens this spring and I am loving it. My little one (2.2yrs) isn't so sure, but he is slowly coming around