I have QUESTIONS!!! any help???

[Fluffy Chick 15]

OK. So im supposed to be getting Silkie chicks next Wednesday. This is my first time and I dont have a clue about....... anything really. I could use some help.
Question: I've heard that the chicks should have no draft of any kind, and their box needs a lid, but what about a light too? how do i set it up?
What do I feed my chicks? I've seen "chick starter" "chick crumbles" and I've seen medicated and non-medicated, what do I buy?
Also, water: do I just give them regular tap water or do I need to add something like sugar, vitamins, medication, vaccines??? what do I do with water?
Im going to sound really stupid but, what is a brooder? and am I supposed to have a certain kind of light on the chicks or a certain colored light? what do I do with that?
Im kind of freaking out because I dont want to kill my chicks! Thanks, I'd love the help!

PS some pics might be helpful

 

[sune42]

I recommend going to your closest bookstore and buying this book.

 

[Tala]

Sometimes you can borrow a book from the library instead, so maybe check that out.

This might point you in the right direction: https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-first60days.html

Pictures of brooder set-ups: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6233

 

[sune42]

Quote:
Good call. I suggested the book as opposed to the forum because it seems like OP has no prior knowlage about chicks. A book would give her sound advice to get her started with out the varying opinions that you can get on a public forum.

 

[Fluffy Chick 15]

Thanks guys. Thats a really good idea and I dont know why I dint think of it before!

 

[44Wolves]

Quote:
No Draft
It Depends. You could buy any of the 4 feed.
A Brooder is a place where you will keep the chicks
I reccommend getting a RED light as it doesn't disturb them at night, while white lights make night like day.

 

[nursecat9]

I also recommend grinding up even the crumbles feed. Bantams are so small they can have trouble eating even the crumble feed, so I put the crumbles in the food processes or blender to pulverize it some more, and never had any problems. Good luck!

 

[the Precious Ladies]

OK. So im supposed to be getting Silkie chicks next Wednesday. This is my first time and I dont have a clue about....... anything really. I could use some help.
Question: I've heard that the chicks should have no draft of any kind, and their box needs a lid, but what about a light too? how do i set it up?
What do I feed my chicks? I've seen "chick starter" "chick crumbles" and I've seen medicated and non-medicated, what do I buy?
Also, water: do I just give them regular tap water or do I need to add something like sugar, vitamins, medication, vaccines??? what do I do with water?
Im going to sound really stupid but, what is a brooder? and am I supposed to have a certain kind of light on the chicks or a certain colored light? what do I do with that?
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Hi

I also got new chicks 3 days ago, I know there supposed to have a lid- but as my brooder Im using a big old rabbit cage and the heat lamp would be too far away if I put the cage Lid on. My chick can already almost fly- but there smart and know to stay in the box else their get cold. Ive been feed my chicks medicated chick starter (crumbles) and there perfectly happy. I would recommend the medicated so they wont get ill so easily or at all ( other people will say your wasting your money, but I dont want to take the chance) I give the regular tap water and there fine, they have enough minerals from the feed. A brooder is an enclosed area (corner of the room, cardbord box- I dont recommend this though- and old hampster and rabbit cages ( you can use your imagination

) You can probably by a heat lamp at a feed or pet store, this is to keep the chicks warm. You'll want the temp to be 95 degress the first week, then lowering the temp by 5 degress each week. You can use a thermometer- but I just can tell by the way the chicks act. If there huddle under the heat lamp- there to cold, if there againts the walls of the brooder- there to hot, and if there roming around the temp is just right>

~ Good luck from the Precious Ladies

 

[flowerchicks]

I use a heating pad instead of a heat lamp. It works great if you only have a few babies in a small box. I have never gotten more than 4 babies at a time, and I didnt want to fork out the $$ for a good quality heat lamp. I keep them in a small box that gets bigger as they do, I line it with newspaper and for the first week or so I put paper towels on the papers so their little legs dont sprawl out. I even put a stuffed animal in with them so they can bury themselves under it and feel safe

. I keep them in the bathroom where I can regulate the temp. with a small space heater, also. The first day or so I just sprinkle their crumbles on the paper, since at this point, being about 2 days old, they just want to sleep and eat and poop. I use spring water in a plastic chick waterer I got at the feed store, and a couple times a day I dump out what is in the drinking rim so they get the fresh stuff. I also use the plastic feeder for the crumbles. I get the medicated chick crumbles at the feed store.

Having little babies is a bit scarey at first, I remember that, and the little silkies are sooooo tiny and seem so much more helpless and fragile than the other chicks. I don't know if they are or not, but having a silkie, and australorp and a marans right now, all the same age (5 days old) the silkie is still the more helpless one who tries to bury herself under the others. Have fun and try not to stress too much.

 

[pardenx3]

Quote:
Some PINE bedding and no drafts. As far as light, they need a heat lamp and should have enough room to get away from the heat if they want. Feed a chick starter, which comes in a crumble form. Medicated or not is up to you. We didn't with ours and they are fine. Plain water is also fine, you can add vitamins or electrolites if you would like to help with shipping stress. Again, we didn't and ours have been just fine. A brooder is a large type of box with heat lamp to keep them in until they are fully featherd out. Then they can go into a coop or free range. don't worry, you will do fine!