Introduction and new to chickens, advice needed please :)

[NonnasBabies]

Welcome from Louisiana!

 

[The Red Rooster]

Welcome to BYC!

You'll find lots more info here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/11/raising-baby-chicks

I'll give you some advice.

They need to be warm, but not hot. The box you have them in right now won't work. They need a little more space. An empty fish tank works great, but if you don't have that you can get a card board box that's bigger instead.

If the chicks move away from the heat lamp, that means they are too hot. If they move really close to the lamp, that means that they are too cold.

Good luck!

 

[orumpoultry]

x2

Welcome to BYC!

You'll find lots more info here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/11/raising-baby-chicks

I'll give you some advice.

They need to be warm, but not hot. The box you have them in right now won't work. They need a little more space. An empty fish tank works great, but if you don't have that you can get a card board box that's bigger instead.

If the chicks move away from the heat lamp, that means they are too hot. If they move really close to the lamp, that means that they are too cold.

Good luck!

 

[Choffman]

x2

Welcome to BYC!

You'll find lots more info here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/11/raising-baby-chicks

I'll give you some advice.

They need to be warm, but not hot. The box you have them in right now won't work. They need a little more space. An empty fish tank works great, but if you don't have that you can get a card board box that's bigger instead.

If the chicks move away from the heat lamp, that means they are too hot. If they move really close to the lamp, that means that they are too cold.

Good luck!

Thank you for the link. I've actually been reading up on it like crazy since we got them the other day. The box that your referring to (it must be the one you saw in the first post) is what the Farm Supply store sent them home in. That was just there travel box. If you look close you can see the car dash behind them. But thank you for making sure they weren't stuck in that tiny box!! . I can't imagine how you would even feed or water them in that tiny travel box. When we got them home we transferred them to a very large cardboard box but have switched to a rubbermaid bin off the advice from another poster here. Much easier to keep clean and the thermometer I have sticks to it well. I do have a empty aquarium but it's not as big as the container we are using now, would the glass be better than the plastic? So far they are doing great and the coop will be (hopefully) built this Saturday or Sunday.

 

[Fleabuskitty]

I would keep them in the rubbermaid bin if it is bigger. The more space, the better, and the less often the bedding has to be changed. Plus the glass might confuse them

I don't know if you've noticed how chicks tend to toss their bedding into their waterer, but if that becomes a problem, I recommend using a water bottle (like for rodents. You can poke a hole in the side of the bin to attach it). It stays much cleaner and therefore is better for the chicks and easier for you. The one thing I dislike about chicks is how messy they are when it comes to their food and water!

 

[Choffman]

I would keep them in the rubbermaid bin if it is bigger. The more space, the better, and the less often the bedding has to be changed. Plus the glass might confuse them

I don't know if you've noticed how chicks tend to toss their bedding into their waterer, but if that becomes a problem, I recommend using a water bottle (like for rodents. You can poke a hole in the side of the bin to attach it). It stays much cleaner and therefore is better for the chicks and easier for you. The one thing I dislike about chicks is how messy they are when it comes to their food and water!

Yes, they are messy messy. My grandma, my girls and myself are always cleaning their waterer out. Somehow food ends up in there too..lol. The water bottle is a great idea!! Do they pretty quickly pick up on how to use it? I'd hate for them to get dehydrated.

 

[Fleabuskitty]

Mine have figured out water bottles pretty quickly. You just have to touch their beak to it so that they get the idea that water comes from it and maybe squeeze it so that they see a drop of water and peck at it. Once one figures it out the other will copy her. I hate cleaning wood shavings and poo out of waterers so much that even my adult chickens (and quail) use water bottles. They make special "chicken nipple waterers", but I think those are too expensive when you can make something almost exactly like them with a $2 rabbit waterer and an empty 2-liter soda bottle

I actually keep extra soda bottles full of water so that when I'm in a hurry in the morning I can just switch out the water bottle top without having to deal with the hose or anything.

 

[Choffman]

It's a great idea to get them using them now..lol. I'm going to stop by Orschlen's tomorrow and pick one up! Thanks so much! I'm thinking you just saved me a whole lot of work.. I'll let ya know how it goes.