Hi New here and need help with raising chicks for the first time

[~? 3/4 ~EM~? 3/4 ~]

My husband is bringing home 12 chicks today and I have no clue what we should do. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ncgnance]

Go to the BYC Forum and click on "raising chicks", then read everything you can on the subject. There's plenty of help and advice there. Good Luck, and welcome...

 

[~? 3/4 ~EM~? 3/4 ~]

Thanks

 

[Frizzledhen]

Nothing like putting the cart before the horse.

Put on your reading glasses and start reading. Check out the learning center. You will find all the advice you need to get started.
If you need advice now:
Big cardboard box or plastic storage container,
pine shavings covered with paper towel for the first 3 or 4 days, heat light and thermometer, chick waterer, chick feeder, chick food and lots of time to watch the little fluffy butts. Start out with the temp about 90 to 95 degrees and drop that 5 degress each week until you have reached 70 degrees. The best of luck with your new babies. Enjoy them while you can because they seem to grow soooo fast and before you know it, they will be all grown up.

 

[suenrob]

How did you come up with your user name???? What are we supposed to call you???? lol:/

 

[~? 3/4 ~EM~? 3/4 ~]

EM is my UN on another board that I frequent. We have talked about getting chicks for a couple years now and my husband told me a couple weeks ago that he might order some at the first of April. I didn't know he had done it already until he called me a couple hours ago to tell me that they had come in and he was picking them up today when he gets off work.

I figured that with the cold snap that we're supposed to get tonight that we would bring them inside in a big box with some water and food. The co-op told him that they have everything we'll need to get started. We have a coop that some one gave us but it'll be a couple weeks before I put them in it. During the day I figured I would let them hang out on the back porch of my house.

 

[Cetawin]

You will need to make sure the porch is predator proof, warm enough and that they have a wire top on the cage.

The first week they need to be kept at 95 degrees, week 2 at 90 degrees and decreased the temp 5 degrees per week. They cannot go outside on their own until they are fulled feathered...4 - 6 weeks.

Good luck.

 

[Cheep Mama]

relax and enjoy them. They are only little things for a short while. Just make sure you keep them warm and give them food and water. If they huddle right under the light and stick close together, they are cold and you need to lower the light. If they stay far away from the light, as far as they can get, they are too hot, then raise the light. Make sure you put the light at one end of the box, so they can get out of the heat if needed. Chickens are fun and addicting!!!

What kind of chicks are they? Egg layers or meat?

 

[chcknrs]

Keep food and water at the opposite end of the box from the light. They can go out in the coop earlier if you put a light in the coop that keeps it warm enough.

 

[44Wolves]

~¢¾~EM~¢¾~ :

Thanks

WOW....
this guy is rare....​