Is the brood good?

[TomceD04]

So i decided to buy 2 baby chicks and this is the brood i made, is it good?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The best way to tell is by their behavior. If they crowd the light, they're cold. If they stay far away, they're too hot.
For the most part, it looks like it will work.
I don't recommend starting with only 2. Chickens need friends, chicks die and it is difficult to add birds after they have matured.

Good luck and welcome.

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas and

! Pleased you joined us! A couple things I notice about your brooder....it seems like there is a very limited area for the chickens to be in the warmth of the heat lamp without being completely in (which may be too hot) or completely out (which may be too cool). Is there a way to suspend the light above the brooder? That would increase the lit, warm surface area and the chicks could drift in and out of the heated area to regulate their temperature. Also, being cardboard it looks a little dangerous to me with the light being on the brooder floor like that. Wouldn't want to see you have a fire! Here's a link to a first rate article in the Learning Center about raising baby chicks and it talks about brooder set up:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens
Best wishes and thanks for joining BYC!!

 

[ChickAsThieves]

I think it would be best if you re-designed this brooder a bit. First of all, that light looks like a fire hazard considering you are using a cardboard box. Also, the chick could easily be burned as it looks like the bulb doesn't have a cover over it. It also seems really bright and chicks need to rest to grow properly. It may be hard for them to sleep when they have stay so close to such bright light to stay warm.

Also, you need to put something non-slip on the bottom of the box. If the chick's feet don't have a good grip, they can get a condition called splay leg.

Please feel free to ask everyone here lots of questions! We were all new once and everyone just wants to be helpful!

 

[TomceD04]

How does this look?

 

[TomceD04]

Tho i dont know what to put on the ground for them to walk on, also my chicks are eating too much, is that normal or should i take away thier food for a while, even you can see it in the photo, they're in the food container.

 

[TomceD04]

I put the thing back on the lamp so hopefully it increases heat for my babies, thx for the support.

 

[drumstick diva]

the light is still a danger to them and a fire hazard. Can you get them out of a cardboard box and into one of the big Rubbermaid totes, and put wire over the top to keep them from flying out and keep pets from coming in. You could get a brooder lamp and clamp it to the outside of their tote. The wire on top would be an added layer of insurance, that it wouldn't fall on the chicks.

 

[N F C]

 

[ChickAsThieves]

You could use pine shavings, or drawer liner, probably even paper towels. Anything that isn't smooth.

If they are hungry, let them eat. They aren't like humans, they don't overeat at this stage! Adult chickens may out of boredom, but (in my opinion) chicks won't.

The light is not ideal. Do you have a local feed store? Even a Petco should have heating elements for reptiles that might work. The bright, uncovered bulb is not safe or healthy for their development. A well covered heating pad might even be a better option, but I've personally never used one.

I have used a mounted heat lamp in the past, and now I'm using a "brooder hen" heating plate. The chicks really seem to like it, and it gives them a natural sleep/wake cycle.