New Fowl Parents

Date sort Score sort
EmilyP

EmilyP

Songster
6 Years
Apr 18, 2016
364
129
166
Elberton, Georgia
Hello! We are new to the fowl world but we have 8 chicks (7- around 3wk old, 1 maybe 2wk old judging by her development) and 6 ducks (5 Roen/Mallards?-2wks, 1 Pekin-3wk). Any advice on coops, runs and free-ranging would be extremely helpful! Our little guys are already giving me and my fiance tons of joy and entertainment! We have a chicken coop in the process of being built but are clueless on what to build for the ducks. Also any help with supplementing they may need, I asked at TSC about some grit and the girl told me she's never given it to hers in 20 years and they have been just fine (I didn't find that useful). Thanks for any help/advice/suggestions!! I'll try to get good pictures of our babies tonight without their red heat lamp glow! Emily + Cory
 
Welcome! This is a great site full of helpful people, just ask questions as you go. You will probably find most of your answers in the learning center
https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

As far as grit goes. I do not provide grit, but that is because I free range and my birds have ready access to gravel and sand and find their own grit. If you keep your birds contained then you should provide them grit. They probably do not need it to digest commercial food, but they would need it to digest any plants or treats you offer them. Just place a small pan of it out for them they will eat/play in it.
 
Hi and welcome to BYC.

You may wish to consider joining your state thread as it will put you in touch with other BYC members in your area - just type the name of your state in the search box.

All the best
CT
 
Our little duck babies
400

Some of our chicks
400

Chicken-little. She's about a week younger than the rest
400

The two with darker heads were "unsexed" we think they are both Roos... But that is our extremely uneducated opinions
400
 
OrganicFarmWife said:
Welcome! This is a great site full of helpful people, just ask questions as you go. You will probably find most of your answers in the learning center
https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

As far as grit goes. I do not provide grit, but that is because I free range and my birds have ready access to gravel and sand and find their own grit. If you keep your birds contained then you should provide them grit. They probably do not need it to digest commercial food, but they would need it to digest any plants or treats you offer them. Just place a small pan of it out for them they will eat/play in it.
Click to expand...


The only greens they have gotten was when we took them outside to play in the grass last night. They weren't really sure what to do out there but I'm sure as they get more comfortable they will enjoy more! It was a closely supervised and short field trip though since we had some Hawks fishing in the pond last night.
 
If the chicks are just eating their chick feed, they don't need any grit. If they are being fed treats etc. they probably do. Some folks put a small container of parakeet gravel out for them.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom