New chicks

[lillychick]

After having my beautiful Ruby leave us in July I have now decided to get some new babies. My previous chicks (Isa Browns) were 5 months old when I got them and Ruby was 8 years old when she passed. I am new to bringing up babies Holly and Molly so any advice is welcome. They are New Hampshire's and are just gorgeous.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Hey sorry about Ruby but congrats on Holly and Molly!

 

[featheredplanets]

What cuties

There’s some great articles on BYC about raising chicks. Even if you know how to, it’s good to read through for any tips! https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens.47691/

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I'm a big fan of New Hampshires, having had a couple in my very first group of chicks. Like @featheredplanets mentioned, there is a wealth of resources here, and the BYC Learning Center is a great place to start.

Chicks of Holly and Molly's age need to be kept warm and secure (and prevented from doing something fatally silly). I brood very young chicks on paper towels with a shelf liner strip to help strengthen their legs and prevent splay leg. I also prefer the Mama Heating Pad or heat plate to using a heat lamp, for safety and chick comfort reasons. One thing I recommend strongly is checking for pasty butt at least once a day for the first week - little chicks can get chilled, paste quickly, and deteriorate just as quickly from it; gently soaking off any crust quickly, offering probiotics, and making sure they're not too cold (or warm) will help them survive this vulnerable period in their lives.

Wishing you, Holly, and Molly the best... and hope to see updates!