New Chick Advise? I got em FINALLY

[Hotttmommi]

I am about to be receiving 200 "large breed" chicks. They will be a random mixture of heavy breeds. ( RIR, Barred rocks, White rocks and possibly a few otherr large breeds) Does any one have any advise on housing, kinds of feeders and waterers that have been successfully used and getting them ready to sort and sell. Anything constructive will greatly be appreciated. Please be gentle on me I got into chicks last year and this will be my first time with so many chicks at once. I will appreciate any advise from the seasoned experts that I know are on this site. I am ordering the chicks from a private hatchery and should be recieving them around March 23rd.

 

[laceynoelle]

First of all, good job with the larger breeds. they are way easier to raise and far more hardy.
If youre going for cheap but efficient, pie tins seem to work really well with large breeds. (but for future reference, not bantams) And since you'll have so many, that will be easier. only fill up the water a little bit at first, and you'll need more than one tin for the food and water, maybe two or three of each.
Are you getting rid of them right away? If so, theres really no other way to sort them except by which ones you like better, unless they are sexlinks and you onl want females. If you're going to wait a little bit, agian, just keepthe one that you like, or will bring profit to you organization if you have a working ranch, or even the good looking birds if youre going to show.
Housing for that many will be kinda challenging. since ive never actually seen 200 chicks at once, maybe a kiddie pool with wire over it and a heat lamp on top. you know those little blue ones? I think those will work well, at least for a little bit. Make sure you clean it a lot and its venilated, but not too airy. You could keep them in the garage or outside building, because 200 chicks is a lot to be kept in the house.
Good Luck! i hope i went over everything okay.

 

[Hotttmommi]

I appreciate the advise. I am planning on selling most of them fairly quick for Easter. I will be stressing that anyone who decides they dont want or cant keep the birds to please bring them back to me. I am also planning on picking and choosing thru them as soon as i get them in and see if there are any particular ones that really just catch my eye to keep. I have a 4'long by 2' deep by 2' tall pen that is covered and heated that they will be going into. Coming from a hatchery would you suggest that i start them on medicated feed or just regular starter feed?

And I chose heavy breeds on purpose i dont think i am ready for that many bantams yet. I had a few this summer and they were awesome until the cold weather came in. I feel like they are just too fragile for the crazy weather we have been having here in Ga with the flooding and now the snowing LOL

 

[laceynoelle]

That brooder sound just about right. And this is just personal, but ive never used medicated feed, on bantams or standard. Just normal chick chow, or even the egg layer stuff the big hens eat. (Ground up) im sure its not orthidox, but ive never had a problem with it, so ive never changed. I'm sure game chicks and other poultry may need higher protien levels, but RIRs and rocks and Wyandottes, etc, are the easiest things to raise. Lol can you tell i love them best? Bantams are cool, so are some of the prissy breeds, but Dual purpose farm chicks just rock.

 

[Hotttmommi]

Yeah I like some of the small breeds but i prefer the bigger more hearty ones too. I have an ameracauna that i hatched last summer, she is solid blue and absolutley gorgeous. Ill have to get a good recent pic of her on here soon, I am hoping to get a few more of those this spring too. I experimented with seramas last year and they did good until it got cold. I have never used a medicated feed but just wanted some input I think i will just stick with the regular feed. Thanks for the advise and I will definetly get some pics on here when i get my chickies in.

 

[laceynoelle]

oh good! id love to see the mix! if its a really good one and the birds look healthy, maybe i'll order from the hatchery in the future. Could you PM me the info if its private?

 

[Hotttmommi]

I got my fuzzie butts in today. They are so cute. I ordered 200 and got 100 Rhode Island Reds, 100 White Rocks, and 20 Barred Rocks. And luckily all that was lost in shipment was 1 RIR. From what I understand that is pretty good. Ill get pics as soon as I get some good batteries in my camera. They are so awesome.