My water and feed setup for new chicks.

[glennyg]

Chicks are due in a few days. After reading a lot about water and feed, I'm trying this first. The waterer is height adjustable by the cable tie so I can cinch it up bit by bit as they grow.

I have a gravity feeder but might start with this carton anchored to a timber until they are tall enough to eat from a hanging feeder. If my guestimate is correct, they'll be able to get their heads in this but not foul their food.

I also have a stand up version I can anchor to a wall.

First timer with chicks so I'd love to read your thoughts, thanks.

 

[kengboss21]

the feeder might be ok because of the multiple holes but might need to make 2-3 waterers depending on the amount of chickens

 

[Stephine]

With these feeders there’s nothing holding the feed back - it’ll just fall out. Also I would be worried the chicks might climb in. Best to stick with the classic chick feeders from the store, either the round ones with the holes and the jar on top or a small trough feeder with the grate or holes. You can make a no spill feeder with bent pipe pieces in the holes for when they are grown up a bit. Nipple waterer should be hung with nipple at eye level initially. Start out with a regular waterer though - same design as the chick feeder, with the overturned jar and marbles in the dish for safety. When they first arrive they need to hydrate well and figuring out the use of the nipple is a bit too much in the first few days. Depending on how many chicks you will be getting you might need several nipple waterers.

 

[glennyg]

Chicks are due in a few days. After reading a lot about water and feed, I'm trying this first. The waterer is height adjustable by the cable tie so I can cinch it up bit by bit as they grow.
View attachment 3679501

I have a gravity feeder but might start with this carton anchored to a timber until they are tall enough to eat from a hanging feeder. If my guestimate is correct, they'll be able to get their heads in this but not foul their food.
View attachment 3679502

I also have a stand up version I can anchor to a wall.
View attachment 3679503

First timer with chicks so I'd love to read your thoughts, thanks.

Thanks for the advice. All 7 eggs hatched over about 36 hours. The first few days I just added a shallow dish with water, but they know the nipple droppers (x2) well now. They made a mess with my feeders but at least they weren't fouling their food. I'm using a standard hanging gravity feeder now and in a day or two they'll all be too big to climb into the feed.
Hen was so underweight after 3 weeks brooding and then had diarrhoea so she's been to the bird vet for a consult and seems to be improving. Chicks are on medicated crumble anyway and floor gets cleaned and F10 at least twice a day. Family gets moved into a box cage on the lawn of it's warm enough.

 

[Sally PB]

Feel free to post pictures! We love to see little chicks at the cute fluffball stage.

And,

Also feel free to ask questions. The knowledge pool here is both wide and deep.

 

[glennyg]

 

[glennyg]

That's just a bowl of chick starter they get when they get transferred to the outdoor cage for the day so they associate handling with food. There is a gravity feed and two water nipple bottles in there as well.

 

[glennyg]

Do you get chick grit or just trust they'll get enough from dirt when they start free ranging @ 3 weeks? If you do get chick grit, where from?

 

[Stephine]

I always get chick grit. It’s good for them to have from the start to build a healthy gizzard. You buy it at the feed store. Then start by just sprinkling a little bit over their feed. Once they eat their feed well you an give them a little bowl full of grit to eat at will.