new chicks / question...

[cyart]

I've had my chicks for 3 days now. This morning I removed the papertowels off the pine shavings. Other than providing them with food/water/clean pine shavings/heat/light, I don't have to do anything, right?

Like...
wait a month before adding a stick for them to sit on
wait a month before introducing treats
wait until week 5 or 6 until I introduce them to the outside

Am I correct?

Christine

 

[Chirpy]

Welcome to BYC Christine!

Sounds like you're doing great!!

I put a roost in right away, mine started using it within their first week.

Personally, I wait longer to give them treats but many don't. Make sure they do have grit when they are being fed anything other than their feed.

If it's warm enough outside you can take them outside when they are two or three weeks old. Again, people do it differently. Some people wait until they are much older and some people have week old chicks outside. If you have a broody her chicks will be outside at a very young age so it must be Ok. Just make sure they stay warm and I wouldn't let them stay outside for too long of a time period at first.

 

[cyart]

Thanks for the info.

It's supposed to be 90 this weekend. Do you think I can take them out for like a half hour?


Quote:

 

[bangor777]

one other tip. one day (seemingly overnight!) they all start scratching in the bedding. Quite cute....but when they scratch shavings into the water the water can get all soaked up. i discovered this one day and realized that for a few hours they hadn't had access to any water! (not to mention that changing the water every few hours is a nightmare!) All you have to do is put the food and water up on a board and it stays clean and dry!
lori

 

[gritsar]

Welcome to BYC. Sounds like you got it altogether. As chirpy already mentioned, if mama had them she'd have them outside pretty early. Mine were outside for short playtime @ 3 weeks old.
I'm one of the peeps that started treats early. They got hard boiled egg at about 10 days old. Now at 8 weeks, they eat a variety of treats, but always in moderation. I also used blocks of wood to raise my waterer, which helped for a few weeks. Now both their waterer and their gravity feeder are hung from the top. They still manage to get a few shavings in them, but not nearly as much.

 

[cyart]

Thanks for the suggestions. I added the perch thing and put the water and food on a piece of scrap wood. They look pretty happy!

Christine

 

[MissPrissy]

If the weather is warm my chicks go out after the first week for a little bit every day. I have never waited a month.

I put little raised sticks for roosts in the second week. They learn to use them quickly.

I don't consider yogurt a treat. It is a probiotic and is like good health insurance for your chicks. I give it the first week. They get a good healthy boost from it.

 

[Break an Egg]

Let them out as early as a week, the fresh air will be good. I have a brooder that has a permanent perch and has been used for 2 different sets of chicks.

My silkies were in it, and didn't perch until 6 weeks, but I have a barred rock chick in there now that is only a week and she already got the hang of it, so I guess you don't have to wait to put a perch in, unless you want to.

I hope I helped, it can be scary, but you will do fine.