I should be getting day old chicks this week! I have questions

[hojo]

Well I will be getting day old chicks this week. I went and got starter food today, and what I got was the wrong stuff (according to the guy that I am buying them from) he said I could start them on it when they were 10 weeks old and told me to go to a different supply store and get medicated starter to give them till they are 10 weeks old. Soooo that was one bad on my part, how many more will I make. This is making me so nervous, like how I felt when I brought my babies home from the hospital.

You should of seen me, I bought starter grit, and adult grit and adult oyster shells, and complete diet and a huge bag of starter food now here I gotta get more. This is crazy! I feel like I have no idea what i'm doing. LOL First time Chickie mom here!

So I am going to keep them in the house and put them under a heat lamp, what other things do I need to know to raise these babies?

Help! LOL

Also I will be getting a little older chicks, I can't remember how old he said they were, maybe he said 3 weeks old, they are still so cute, will I need to keep them in the house also? What should I do? He has them outside under a heat lamp right now. Advice welcome

 

[fargosmom]

Don't worry about making mistakes - you'll get through this. First off, I didn't use medicated feed and our chicks turned out just fine. The medicated stuff will help prevent illness if they're not kept in clean conditions, but if you keep them clean, warm and dry they'll be fine. Just make sure, if they're one day old, that you keep them at about 90-95 degrees for the first week, and then decrease temp by 5 degrees each week after that. There's lots more info here - just do a little poking around and you'll be fine. Enjoy your new chickies!!

 

[firedove]

Make sure they have plenty of water all the time. Look for their reactions under the light, if they are staying far away from the light or panting and/or spreading their wings out they are too hot and you need to raise the light, if they are huddled together under the light they're too cold and you will need to lower the light. Watch for pasty butt! That is when they have some poo stuck on their anus area so they can't poop. If you see that, or feel it, you will have to use warm water and break it up so their hiney is clear again. You may have to do it several times before it clears up. If the chicks seem lethargic when you get them, give them a bit of sugar in the water, just a little bit to help their energy level, too much could cause pasty butt problems.

Your 3 week olds could be kept in the house under a light or outside under a light. Either way they will need the light until at least 6 weeks old (fully feathered) OR when your night time temps are 70 degrees or higher. Either way, make sure they have a draft free, dry, place at night.