Help my chicks are arriving sooner than thought!

[Bluegrasschicken]

I am in a slight panic! I had an order with mypetchicken for May 11th, but every color Silkie and two other breeds I wanted came available to ship TODAY!

I have the "chick starter kit" with panels and a 12 x 12 chick brooder heating plate from MPC, but that is where my readiness stops.

So many questions....I have the panels and shavings from the kit, but what should I use as the floor? A kiddie pool? Should I put puppy pee pads under? A bath towel I can wash daily? Can't buy paper towels around here. Do I clean it all out daily?

How much handling can they take if arriving at 3-4 days old? I have 8 and 6 yr old kids that will be gentle, but also will want to be all over the chicks...what age and how much can they be handled (picked up) each day?

The kit comes with 5 lbs unmedicated feed. How long will that last for 8 bantam chicks? When I restock, should i buy medicated or stick with unmedicated? If I don't use medicated can I still let the chicks outside for a little bit when they are 3-4 weeks old and it's warm enough?

Do I need to buy grit? Electrolytes? Something for them to perch on?

Thank you!

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi there. Welcome to BYC. How exciting the chicks are coming early!

First, the feed should last a bit but they're messy little beasts and will spill it unless you can prevent that. What kind of feeder are you using? Having another bag of feed on hand would be a good idea. Have the chicks been vaccinated? If so for what? You should not feed medicated feed if they were. You can bring in a shallow pan of dirt or a plug of grass from your yard to expose them and get their immune systems working until they go outside.

You won't need to clean every day but should be prepared for messes like spilled water. A kiddie pool would be a great idea but they'll be flying out of that brooder kit in short order. You don't need pee pads, using shavings is pretty standard. Do you have other pets? What about a coop?

The more the kids handle them the more used to it they'll be. If you notice the chicks are stressed then I would say it's too much. If they seem ok it's not too much.

Good luck! We love pics so I hope you share with us when they arrive!

 

[Bluegrasschicken]

Hi there. Welcome to BYC. How exciting the chicks are coming early!

First, the feed should last a bit but they're messy little beasts and will spill it unless you can prevent that. What kind of feeder are you using? Having another bag of feed on hand would be a good idea. Have the chicks been vaccinated? If so for what? You should not feed medicated feed if they were. You can bring in a shallow pan of dirt or a plug of grass from your yard to expose them and get their immune systems working until they go outside.

You won't need to clean every day but should be prepared for messes like spilled water. A kiddie pool would be a great idea but they'll be flying out of that brooder kit in short order. You don't need pee pads, using shavings is pretty standard. Do you have other pets? What about a coop?

The more the kids handle them the more used to it they'll be. If you notice the chicks are stressed then I would say it's too much. If they seem ok it's not too much.

Good luck! We love pics so I hope you share with us when they arrive!

Thank you! Not been vaccinated. Is it ok to change feeds when this bag runs out or better to stick with what they are used to? What should I use as a "floor" to the brooders underneath the shavings? Just the regular floor or something else? I feel like It would take a ton of bedding to not have it all slide around on a tile floor. I have a "1 qt feeder with feeder base" according the the website. The panels are 20" high....what age will they start to fly out of that?

I do have two Jack Russells so the chicks will be kept in the laundry room. The Jacks can't go by where the coop will be (also don't have that yet!).

 

[igorsMistress]

Thank you! Not been vaccinated. Is it ok to change feeds when this bag runs out or better to stick with what they are used to? What should I use as a "floor" to the brooders underneath the shavings? Just the regular floor or something else? I feel like It would take a ton of bedding to not have it all slide around on a tile floor. I have a "1 qt feeder with feeder base" according the the website. The panels are 20" high....what age will they start to fly out of that?

I do have two Jack Russells so the chicks will be kept in the laundry room. The Jacks can't go by where the coop will be (also don't have that yet!).

You had a wrench thrown in the works didn't you? Goodness. Btw, love the Jacks

If you put the brooder in a kiddie pool you can put down a couple inches of bedding and when it gets messy add more on top of that. The chicks will trample it all down and you can sprinkle on some more as needed. No mess on the floor. As for when the chicks will be able to fly out, it depends and they may never try. You can put something over the top to prevent them getting out. I used an old window screen but even some bird netting clipped to the brooder would work. I suggest something stable to put the feeder and waterer on. A small paver works great for this. Once the feed you have is nearly gone you can mix the feeds. Gradually add more of the new stuff to the old as you switch them over.

Since the chicks aren't vaccinated I strongly suggest a shallow pan or small dish of dirt from where you're going to put the coop. This will expose them to the germs in their world and they'll start building immunity. Also, nutridrench or some electrolytes/vitamins would come in handy for shipped chicks. It can help them recover from shipping stress.

 

[igorsMistress]

You can buy this at pretty much any feed store

 

[Kgbao]

You can buy this at pretty much any feed store
View attachment 2110397

They also have this same brand name but it’s probiotics, helps with digestion and immunity.

 

[Kgbao]

You can always also use a large card board box to keep them in. With the shavings and heat plate and all in the cars board box, or a large packer/tote.

 

[A & H]

About chick handling, I would say not more than twice a day unless the kids are SUPER gentle, because gentle to a 70lb kid is different from gentle to a two ounce chick. If they are over stressed they may have pasty vent, etc. But you should definitely be handling them because they need to get used to it. Hope this helps.

 

[Kgbao]

About chick handling, I would say not more than twice a day unless the kids are SUPER gentle, because gentle to a 70lb kid is different from gentle to a two ounce chick. If they are over stressed they may have pasty vent, etc. But you should definitely be handling them because they need to get used to it. Hope this helps.

Thanks A&H I was going to mention that but failed when I got to looking for that picture

 

[Bluegrasschicken]

https://www.amazon.com/Purina-80427...ick+grit&qid=1588002886&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-8

is this what I want? It comes the soonest.