Is it too cold outside in the desert for babies??!!

[cjatthefarm]

WOW guys--THANKS!! I may run to the feed store tomorrow for a thermometer. But I will be 'designing' my cardboard brooder w/hardware cloth topping right away!! One thing a 'candle lady' has are strong cardboard boxes!! hehehe
And my guest bedroom will serve as their 1st home!

So! I will post pics of my efforts--AND--the new kids!! I saw a link of the brooder contest held once on here; so lots of ideas at my finger tips!!!!!

Once again--you guys are SUPER!

 

[Rozzie]

A Rubbermaid (or other brand) plastic tub is much better than a cardboard box. It's less likely to catch fire from the lamp, too. Cardboard is just paper, after all.

It's also easier to clean the plastic tub. Actually, what I find works best is to have TWO plastic tubs. You can just swap them from one to the other then clean the dirty one more easily.

 

[cjatthefarm]

Ok! Rubbermaid it is! And a thermometer!

Newspaper with a few shavings? Or no shavings?

Food & water at all times?

I have gotten 'Chick Starter' by Manna Pro. Yeah or Nay?

Thanks!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Definitely X2 what Rozzie said. I used pine shavings for bedding. One bag will cost about $9 and it will last longer than they are in the brooder, even if you change it every single day, like I did. I really like that material. Food and water at all times. I used a small quart-sized vacuum style waterer and placed it on a brick. That will greatly help keep shavings out, at least in the beginning. If I did it over again, I'd start them right off on a poultry nipple waterer. I don't know about Manna Pro. I've always fed Modesto Milling organic.

 

[Lisa202]

Puresnowchick...
Happy Birthday and good luck with your new chicks!!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Thank you!!!


Can't wait to see pics of your babies!!!

 

[Lisa202]

my babies are already 5 weeks old and ready to go into the coop this weekend!!!

 

[Rozzie]

Don't use newspaper or empty feed sacks. Some older resources tell you to do this.

Wood chips are okay. However, you can also use rubber shelf liner. If you do this get the really soft kind that is not slippery at ALL.

http://royalindustriesinc.com/images/barsupply/roy-bsl.jpg

This is really great the first couple of days. Lay a paper towel or two on top of it and sprinkle food all around. They learn to eat really easily this way. Once they've really learned what food is then I put them on other types of bedding (like wood chips). I find it is easier to teach them to eat the right thing, though, if there is nothing to confuse them. (A lot of people do start them on pine shavings from the very beginning but I am hesitant to do so.)

Also, absolutely DO NOT for ANY reason use cedar chips or cedar shavings. Cedar wood can kill chickens. It is very toxic to them.

If you have small chicks, like bantams, you may want to get quail waterers instead of chick waterers, or at least put marbles in the chick waterers. Actually, I put marbles in all waterers. This keeps a weaker chick from accidentally drowning in their water.

If the chicks are very small (some banties, seramas, etc) then you may want to grind their starter feed smaller. An electric coffee mill (very clean) works well for this.

 

[cjatthefarm]

Quote:
Yes! Congrats! And thanks 'neighbor' for answering me with good info!

 

[cjatthefarm]

Quote:
Gee! Thank you! I knew about cedar from reading --here--but what is the danger of newspaper?