New chickens!!

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Peepies

Peepies

In the Brooder
Feb 18, 2018
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I am going to be getting some new chickens and want to now what are the bacis I need before a get them in about a week!! Could use some help thanks!!
baby-chickens.jpg
:ya
 
Welcome to BYC! As previously mentioned, the articles section should give you all you need, but here are some basics.

-They should be fed chick starter/mash until they are around 4 weeks old. After that, grower crumble, and layer pellets/crumble when they reach laying age. (That's what I do personally)

-Make sure they have fresh food and water 24/7, they are growing babies and cannot go long without food

-I like to start out at 95 F for the first week, and reduce it by 5 degrees every week, until it reaches normal temperature. It doesn't have to be exact, but if they are all clustered under the light chirping they are too cold, and if they're all crammed on the other side it's too hot. If they're milling around, sleeping under the light but not squished under there, then it's good.

-Keep the brooder clean and use bedding that will give them some grip. Paper shavings or paper towels work, as do some wood shavings, but you need to be careful because some woods aren't good for them (I can't remember which ones).

-Also important, if you see poop dried on their butt you should wash it off with warm water. It's a simple cure for something that can become very dangerous if not fixed, it can prevent them from being able to poop and cause them to die, but it's easy to take care of. It's called pasty butt, if it happens you should look up the details.

Again, these are just basics, and you should do some research in the forums and articles. Not sure if you've had chickens in the past, but if you haven't I can tell you it's a wonderful experience. Best of luck to you and your new baby chicks!
 
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Greetings and welcome to BYC! So glad you joined us. First, the wood (chips) you should NOT use is aromatic cedar. There are several different kinds and the ones that are NOT aromatic are fine. The ones you buy for like hamster cages and used in hope chests and closets to prevent bugs/moths (smells REAL strong like cedar) are no good and can kill young chicks. Bad for adults too, especially in poorly ventilated or closed spaces (may be why it kills bugs inside chests and closets?). For baby chicks, you should get the coarse pine chips. The fine ones are more like sawdust and they may try to eat them and choke.

There's a wealth of info, knowledge and experience shared in the multitude of threads. Browse around and see what interesting stuff you can find. By all means post away when the desire strikes you, especially if you have questions (provide as much detail/info as possible and pictures truly help)... With all the great folks here, generally someone will respond in no time at all. Please make yourself at home!

Oh, if you haven't done so already, PLEASE put at least your general location in your profile. It could be very important if/when you ask for or offer help or advice. You know, climate issues and such. Old folks like me :old will never remember & look there first. To add it, mouse hover over Account top right and a drop down will appear. Click on Personal Details and scan down. You'll see the spot for Location. Then go to the bottom and save changes. Thanks! Hope you enjoy the site!
 

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