New Mama Hen!

[newmamahen14]

Proud new mama here!
I am happy to say that I have bought five new female baby chicks. I have two Rhode Island Reds and three Buff Orpingtons. I have only had them for two days now. They've made it through two nights so far so that's good!! They are SUCH well behaved chicks. I have one Red that loves to be cuddled. I bought them at Family Farm and Home in Portland, MI.
As of right now, they are in our mudroom in a clear plastic tote. I didn't want a huge tote right off the bat because the mud room isn't heated and I wanted to make sure they were warm with the bulb I bought. So far so good. When they grow I will be buying something a little bigger to suit their size. The main problem I've ran into is the waterer. They keep kicking their shavings into the water, so I am looking for something better than the waterer I have now. They figured out where the food and water was right away. Very smart birds. The plan for now is looking for wood to build the coop. I saw a coop made out of reclaimed wood and I thought that looked amazing. I'm going for more of the rustic look. I plan on putting the coop right by the garden, which could prove to be a bad idea for my tomatoes come summer. But I think they'll love it down there.
If you have any pointers on raising chickens for eggs (on a small budget) please feel free to give your input!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hi and welcome!
I would go ahead and move to a slightly larger brooder now - this will allow you to move the water to a section that you do not bed with shavings (lay paper towels if you want) and you can also raise it slightly (chest high is good) to further protect it - keep raising it as they grow. Or you can get creative and put a "platform" in for feed/water and then a ramp for them to get up and down to it. It doesn't have to be big or fancy but does the job.
On the concern of size and heat - it's actually a good thing to have enough space for there to be hotter and cooler spots for them to move to so they can regulate their own comfort. It's a good idea for food/water to be in the cooler spots.

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

Congrats on your new babies! Yes, they do love to kick shavings into the water. You will need to raise the water up off the floor. You can use an over turned low bowl, piece of wood or anything keeps the water up higher. Even if it is something they have to step up on to. Use your imagination.

If you need any pointers on raising your new brood, stop by our learning center for lots of great articles on keeping poultry. I will also include the link to raising your chicks in the brooder as well...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens

https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

Enjoy your new babies and welcome to our flock!

 

[drumstick diva]

Have you checked out the Learning Center, it's a great place to start. You might investigate nipple waterers - when you have chicks using them - you don't have shavings getting in there and much less chance for drips. Or you could raise the water dish higher but, within reach, for them.

Have you checked out the coops section - many people build out of repurposed materials? Discarded wooden pallets are one of their favorite scores.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! You've gotten some good advice above, good luck with your chicks! X2 on check out what they call pallet coops, lots of threads on them if you do a search, ie https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/550804/pallet-chicken-coop-ideas and https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/578099/lets-see-your-ugly-pallet-coop/10 And it is always fun to check out your state thread for chicken keeping neighbors https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697050/michigan-thread-all-are-welcome/0_20

 

[gander007]

That is a sure way to reduce the bug population in the garden

 

[newmamahen14]

Thank you so much for all of your advice! I recently bought a bigger tote and a coop for when they grow. I separated the food from the water and raised the water up on cardboard. I think they have fun jumping up and down from the cardboard surface. This way, none of the food nor the shavings are getting in the water... now they just poop in it! They are growing so fast! Their tail feathers are already poking out, and their wings size has doubled since last Wednesday, when I got them. Incredible. I'll be using the coop before you know it! I got the coop from somebody's burn pile. They let me drag it out of there so I could use it before my coop I plan to build is finished. I love the pallet idea, but I've also been playing with a log cabin type of coop. I think that would look great in my neck of the woods!
Thanks again for your advice! Keep it coming!!

-NewMamaHen14

 

[sumi]

Welcome to BYC

Glad you joined us!