Need Help!

[penut1799]

Hi! I will be getting my 1st chicks in 8 days and am NOT prepared! Can you guys PLEASE tell me what to do?

 

[RHRanch]

What do you mean you are not prepared? What is the problem? Do you not have equipment and housing or something? I don't understand the question.

 

[penut1799]

I dont know what to put on the bottom of the brooder. ( sand or wood chips)

 

[Blue_Myst]

Have you checked out BYC's learning center? Here's a link to a bunch of helpful tips on setting up your brooder, feeding your chicks, etc.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-first60days.html

If you have any questions after reading this article, we'll be happy to answer them!

 

[chi-rn]

Have you started with the LEARNING CENTER link? https://www.backyardchickens.com/lcenter.html

 

[penut1799]

Oh thank you! I forgot about that!

 

[JodyJo]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/

go to this link, our BYC home page and read Raising Chickens 101...

It will get you all ready!
And

You can line the bottom of your brooder with pine shavings, with paper towels over that for a couple days, then remove it and the chicks will do great...
Place your feeder and waterer on a block of wood or something similar to avoid waste of food and shavings in water, they love to scratch even as new babies...

Come back with any questions you may have...

 

[Blue_Myst]

Quote:
For the first few days it's best to use something like paper towel (not newspaper, it's too slippery). This way they'll learn to eat their food and not the bedding.

After that, it's entirely up to you! Both kinds of bedding are great and have their own advantages. Pine shavings absorbs spills, whereas sand does not. Sand, on the other hand, often has less smell and doesn't clog up waterers and feeders as much as pine shavings. Shavings you can just scoop out the dirty stuff, but with sand you can use a scooper (you want something with a fine mesh, like a reptile scoop). The plus side of sand is that you won't need to feed your chicks much grit, if any at all.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

 

[RHRanch]

Quote:
For the first few days it's best to use something like paper towel (not newspaper, it's too slippery). This way they'll learn to eat their food and not the bedding.

After that, it's entirely up to you! Both kinds of bedding are great and have their own advantages. Pine shavings absorbs spills, whereas sand does not. Sand, on the other hand, often has less smell and doesn't clog up waterers and feeders as much as pine shavings. Shavings you can just scoop out the dirty stuff, but with sand you can use a scooper (you want something with a fine mesh, like a reptile scoop). The plus side of sand is that you won't need to feed your chicks much grit, if any at all.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

What they said!