How to Raise Chicks

[Chickening101]

Hello, everyone! This is going to be an educational thread on caring for chicks.
Feel free to ask questions about caring for chicks.
Enjoy!

The first 2 days​

For the first 2 days of a chicks life, they don't need to be fed, because they'll live on the yolk that's still inside them. but you should give them heat.
On the 3rd day, give them immediate food and water.

Bedding--the good and the bad​

-Pine Shavings: they're a good choice, but just make sure the chicks don't eat them. You can stop them from eating them by putting soft dish towels or rags on top of a 1 or 2 inch layer of them, and then remove the towels when they are at least a month old, for they will be less likely to eat them then, rather then newborn chicks.

-Newspaper: don't use newspaper, it can create splayed leg, a common leg disability in chicks.

-Straw: it's okay, but doesn't absorb that well, so it will need to be changed regularly.

-Hay: don't use hay, as it gets damp and can cause fungal spores that can cause aspergillosis.

-Shredded Paper: don't use, it's clots together and isn't absorbent

Heat​

Make sure your chicks have a constant heat source.
Go down five degrees each week, starting at 95 degrees farhenheit.

Feed​

Feed your chicks starter feed.
Each brand of starter feed has a different time to move on to grower feed.
It's your choice if you want to give your chicks medicated, non-medicated, or organic feed.

Those are the basics. Ask questions and I'll do my best to answer them!
Hope this helps!​

 

[Chickening101]

How often do you need to change the bedding? There are nine chicks in the brooder and they poop alot!View attachment 554238 View attachment 554239

Yeah, chicks do poop a lot.
To be extra clean, you could clean up the poop whenever they poop, but you can also clean it everyday or every other day.
It really depends on how clean you are.
Hope this helps!

 

[triplepurpose]

I hardly know where to start. So much misinformation on this thread.

Come on now... it's one thing to have a different opinion or particular prefered way of doing things. but it's inappropriate to call any other approach or differing opinion "misinformation..."

Do not use deep litter system with baby chicks. These are babies with immature immune systems.
Karen

Chickens actually have naturally robust immunity, but only if it is developed and "trained", so I don't follow the logic--its like saying that you shouldn't let your children play outside because they might get sick, when in fact we now know the opposite is more accurate. But I explained my logic already (cogently, i hoped), so i won't do so further here (i dont want hijack the thread any more than i already may have ).

But I would like to say that if different approaches are successful, sharing them is not spreading "misinformation." Rather, it's misinformative to suggest so--as is, imho, suggesting to beginners that they need to purchase a lot of equipment (why the hygrometers?) and products ( i've never even heard of "drench") in order to succesfully brood chicks. theres a few of things in the rest of that post too i wouldn't myself practice or generally recommend... But thats not the point...

the point is, we can always accomplish more and have a better time doing it by reasonably discussing and comparing different things that work for different folks than by being inflamatory and accusing each other of posting misinformation. At least, i hope so!

Cheers!

 

[Hybridchucks]

Thats really GREAT!!! Welldone!! its sooooooo easy to read! BIG THUMBSUP!!!

 

[sassysarah]

Great job!

 

[triplepurpose]

Speaking of bedding, we like to do things a little differently. What I've found seems to work really well is a combination of some fine, friable leaf litter or similar and some good, clean dirt (by this i mean free of chemicals, paint chips, obvious vectors for disease, etc.--like good organic garden soil). Preferably this soil comes from our own yard or garden in or near where the chicks will be living as adults.

If the chicks will be incorporated into an existing flock, we incorporate some of the old, active deep litter or earth from that system too. The idea is from day one to exposed their immune systems to small amounts of the coccidia or other organisms good or bad native to the environment they will be living in, analogous to probiotics or vaccination respectively--as opposed to brooding in an isolated, nearly sterile environment before abruptly introducing them to the native ecosystem later on.

The exact ratios or types of materials vary and are still something we will continue to experiment with.

But when dryish, a mix of soil (with all its native microbes) and fine carbonaceous material is excellent at absorbing moisture and odor--better than anything else we've used. This diverse substrate is also a source of natural grit and entertainment as they scratch over it (if bugs or worms in it too so much the better!)

We use enough to make a litter layer in the brooder several inches deep. it is stirred/cultivated with a garden handtool regularly if it gets caked. Depending on the size of the brooder box and number if chicks, it may be changed once or not at all before they go outside at around four weeks. Having a moisture-proof bottom of some sort is important.

We also rarely have issues with the dreaded "pasty butt" with this system, but its hard to say what if any part of it is responsible, though i do suspect a link with the access to soil. I can say that we used to often have those problems when we didnt use dirt but now almost never do...

I prolly missed a couple deets but thats the general idea... thanks for starting this helpful thread, and cheers!

 

[triplepurpose]

If people do like scooping out poop and changing bedding every day, thats fine!

but...it really isn't necessary if you follow these three points: 1, provide a large enough brooder space for the number of chicks; 2, use a suitable litter substrate of some sort with both good absorbant and microbial properties (perhaps such as described in previous post); and 3, make it as deep as is practical or possible--then it can be "stirred" without needing to remove or add anything during the brooding period (since the key to manure management is really more about the ratio of bedding to poop, not the frequency of changing it). This is what we try to practice. and we NEVER allow it to stink (this is not good for the chicks)--or if it does, we change it promptly. actually it stinks less than when we used to do shallow straw or shavings over newspaper and clean it every day. but like i mentioned before, we dont normally have to empty it if we follow the above guidelines...

deep litter is used for full-grown chicken coops full of big birds with big turds, where it is never removed for years at a time sometimes. so there is no reason why the same can't be used in a brooder that is only occupied by tiny chicks for a few weeks--and indeed plenty of people do.

It has huge labor saving potential and i find it much smoother and natural to manage. if done properly its a lot more than just "lazy mans bedding"--it actually does a better job at managing smell and hygiene than many alternatives...

cheers!

 

[3riverschick]

I hardly know where to start. So much misinformation on this thread. Start chicks out at 90 not 95 degrees. Lower by 5 degrees a week until about 70 degrees or if the breast of the bird is fully feathered.
Do not use deep litter system with baby chicks. These are babies with immature immune systems. In the first week floor the brooder with something on which the chicks' feet can get a grip. Thick absorbant white paper towels work well. 3-6 layers deep. Change when the chicks cannot walk through the Brooder without walking in poop constantly. About every 2-3 days
Or if it smells like ammonia. Go to the farm or feed store and buy the small bottle of Bovidr Labs Poultry Nutridrench.
Http://www.nutridrench.com
Put one half teaspoon in a quart of water. Do this for the 1st 2 weeks to get them off to a strong start
Get a medicated chick crumble. Naturewise by Cargill makes a good one. No need for apple cider vinegar in the water. The Drench does the same thing. One other thing you can do
Think of your chicks as walking gastrointestional tracts. I'm serious. The health and proper functioning of the G.I. tract affects so much the the baby birds well-being.
That's why you give the Drench water.
Now go to the store and get some Okios Triple Zero Yogurt vanilla . Give the chicks a feed each day for the first week. Take it out of the brooder after 10 minutes so it doesn't spoil under the warm Light.
When the chicks are a week old, sprinkle some chick grit on the floor of the Brooder. After they figure out what it is, get a small cup and put it in with them. They will eat the grit as they need it. They don't need it to digest the chick feed. It is needed to exercise the gizzard so it will grow stronger, larger and healthier. You probably won't see a difference in the chick. Everything is going on inside the bird.
That's about it. After the chicks outgrow the paper towels, go to Tractor Supply and get the white bale of pine shavings not the yellow bale. It is kiln dried. Floor the Brooder with 3 inches of the shavings. Change when you notice amonia smell. Maybe every 4-5 days. Go to Walmart and get the digital hygrometer they sell for about 9.00 place in corner of brooder floor where you can read it. Lowe's sells the nice porcelain socket brooder lights for about 8 dollars. Check your local swap meet or ma and Pa hardware store for incandescent bulbs. Soft white. Use a 100 watt bulb
Then in a week or two, back down to 75 watts. No need for 250 red heat bulb.
Best,
Karen

 

[henaynei]

I have been feeding a finely ground organic non-GMO starter that is about 20% protein since hatching to Java chicks who are now almost 4 weeks old. There are quite, but not fully feathered. They are inside on wood chips. I am free feeding in a large line feeder as well as giving them soaked feed 2-3 times a day. With them is a gosling of the same age, but not the size of course.
This is my first time raising chickens and geese. About when should I switch to grower?

 

[Chickening101]

I have been feeding a finely ground organic non-GMO starter that is about 20% protein since hatching to Java chicks who are now almost 4 weeks old. There are quite, but not fully feathered. They are inside on wood chips. I am free feeding in a large line feeder as well as giving them soaked feed 2-3 times a day. With them is a gosling of the same age, but not the size of course.
This is my first time raising chickens and geese. About when should I switch to grower?

It really depends which brand you're using.
Some brands require switching to grower feed at 12 weeks, while some at eighteen.