Need Veteran Tips: Also Year 5 Update

[Toons]

Long babble.
See end for questions read on if you're bored!



One.

I have one New Hampshire Red remaining.
Overall I started with 12, then was given 9 and then was given 5.
I lost three to some disease and when they died, water poured out of them.
I decided to increase their coop size 4x bigger.

This seemed to work and then weekly would lose 1 to 2 hens to foxes (13) (2 foxes lurk at night, proof by trail cam.) Gained a neighbor who had three kids and a dog who loved to chase chickens. Three dead. I never thought I'd have the patience I did with them.
When the third died violently (bones thrown everywhere) and I felt I needed to tell them I will protect my agriculture as the law allowed, they moved out. Seriously. I dont know how but summer was all I had to endure... Have not been back.

So when I got down to three the fall seemed calm.. Nope lost two more.
Set up trap and for 4 weeks, caught only my cats twice and then an opossum (switched from chicken breast to a greasy overcooked hamburger).
Frustrated, felt like giving up and let the last one solo. Said when she's gone. I'm done.
She survived the rest of fall, unsupervised (fed and watered and treats accordingly) and winter (-20F lowest temp this year) swimmingly! Also has been left alone with no one but now the cats come out and she hangs with them.

END BABEL, START QUESTION(S):

So.. I am going to get a bakers dozen of Australorps. I have had Delawares, New Hampsire Reds, Rhode Island reds, the white birds with the black speckles. But never these guys. My daughter when I have chickens, spoils them I just keep up with them.

Anything I need to know before ordering 13 of these black ladies? I would like to ask:

Any one point out what I need to start with again? Its been 5 years.
I know I'll need to raise them in the living room till they can go outside safely in the coop...:

A tote
A "bale" of Wood Shavings
A thermostat
Feeder
Water container
Heat Lamp
Heat Bulb
Feed (Cant remember but its some chick starter I'm certain)
Antibiotics for the water
Some other thing that you add to the water that helps them?

Also need to know how long to keep them until they can handle Maine spring weather... is it 50 degree nights after three months of age?

Hope you guys can help. I remember finding these so easily before but with people giving me their chickens for so long, I haven't raised from chicks since the very first time.

Thanks for your help!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Antibiotics or probiotics for the water? Never heard of giving chicks antibiotics for...?

They can handle colder temps earlier than you realize. I raised my last batch of chicks outdoors and it was down in the 40s some nights. They were completely off heat at 4 weeks.

 

[aart]

Antibiotics or probiotics for the water? Never heard of giving chicks antibiotics for...?

No need for either, IMO.

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:

They need to be pretty warm (~85°-90F/30-32C)on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.


Or you could go with a heat plate, commercially made or DIY: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate


Oh, and...Welcome Back to BYC! @Toons
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