Need advice on raising chicks

[BirdyGirl7198]

Hey guys! Thanks for reading
We are planing on getting about 10 Buff Orpington chicks, Yay The problem is I don't know much about raising chicks. This will be our first time owning chickens as we recently moved out of the city to a farm. My mom wants to use them for meat and eggs (I don't like the meat part, I love chickens). We already have a brooder from the time my sister and I had Indian Runner ducklings so we are good there. But we still need to build the coop.We don't have a lot of land (only 6 acres) but we do have a 2 acre peice of land with lots of grass and trees that we would like them to free range on. So basically just tell me all you know about raising little chickens Any advice is appriciated!

Carmen

 

[nanaluvsgps]

Wow 6 acres is quite alot for chickens, but they will love every bit of it! Well you have the brooder so the heat lamp and food and water dishes. I recently just bought 2 plymouth rocks on sunday there only 5 days old. They are inside and have a heat lamp and beanie to sleep on. We feed then chick starter and have a shallow water dish. We take them out side for about 20 mins and just sit with them on the grass while they explore. but they get cold really quickly so don't stay out there long if it is cold. I would buy sexed chickens as we have one male and one female and its going to be tragedy when we have to give him away. Just socolise with them. p.s they keep you awake just like little babies so set them up in a room with a door but its so cute when they start chirping because they think you are there mother. So basically just keep them warm give them plenty of food and water and use a nice bedding not wire or anything i think using wire is crule an it also gives them bumble foot. Good luck on your chicks when you get them.

 

[Judy]

Our Learning Center (top of page) is full of information for beginners. You could also buy Raising Chickens for Dummies from our store. Of course there is also a wealth of information in our regular forums. don't forget to check out the stickies, in the blue box at the top of any forum. These are threads that members felt were particularly helpful, so were sort of "bookmarked."

 

[BirdyGirl7198]

Thanks for all your help! I have the basic idea because I have raised ducklings before but I know chicks have slightly different needs. We already have a feeder and a water dish. We are planing on growing them on organic food and letting them free run. We are hoping to get themm to imprint on us like the ducklings did. That way they should be easier to handle when they get older. I'm really excited to let them outside when they are still really young. That way they will follow us arounf