New Baby Chicks- In Need Of Coop :)

[chickgirl55]

My family recently bought 5 baby chicks (3 Rhode Island Reds, and 2 Golden Sex-Links) I Have A Couple Of Questions.

When Should I Switch The Chicks From Starter To Regular Feed?

When Should I Add A Roost To Their Box?

I Need A Coop, What Should It Look Like? (Pics, Plans, Ideas Would Be Most Appreciated)

Would White Pine Shavings (Originally Used For Rabbits) Be Okay For The Bottom Of Their Cardboard Box?

THANK YOU ALL WHO POST!

 

[Llysse]

Quote:
Hi, Chickgirl. I strongly recommend you get Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens from your local bookstore (or online at Amazon) if you're new to keeping chickens. It will have good answers for you.

Your new chicks must stay warm until they're fully feathered out, this means they'll need a heat lamp or they'll be too cold. They should remain in a warm, draft-free place (like their brooder) until they're 6 to 8 weeks old. Many people will keep their chicks in a brooder for the whole 6 - 8 weeks, but it would be okay to put them in the coop earlier so long as it was set up for their needs. They probably won't need a roost until they're ready for the coop, although some chicks are precocious and would use one if you put it in the brooder with them.

For the first day or two after they hatch, thyey should be bedded on paper towels--not shavings, because they haven't figured out what's good to eat and what's not, yet. They shouldn't be on newspaper, either, because it's too slippery for them and can cause leg problems. After a day or two, pine shavings will be fine.

The instructions on your chick feed should tell you how long they need to remain on chick starter... usually 6 to 8 weeks. Don't put them on lay rations until they start laying eggs though, because all that extra calcium, which is needed for the egg shells, is hard on their kidneys if they have too much before they need it.

As to coop designs, you should check out Backyard Chicken's coop area--there are some need designs and photos there, but Storey's will also have ideas on coops.

 

[Wes in Tx]

Save your money on the book as you can get all your answers here. The post above answerd most of them.

I like to put a small roost in my boxes at about 7 days old. Man be nothing more than a couple 2x4s stacked on top of each other but it gets them in the habit of jumping up on stuff.

Switching feed depends on the brand you use. If you start out with a starter/grower then you switch at around 18-20 weeks. If just starter then you switch to grower at 6 weeks then layer at 20 weeks. Aslo get some chick grit and start sprinkling it on their feed at around 1 week.

Plenty of coop ideals on the net to include at www.backyardchickens.com.