ChickyHawk
Songster
- Dec 23, 2018
- 31
- 53
- 101
Hi, we are new to raising chickens! Just got our flock this week - 4 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Plymouth Rock (all 3 weeks old). My husband and I started building the coop this fall and just finished last weekend, but these girls aren't ready for it yet. I thought we were getting older hens from a friend but that didn't work out. So we ended up getting some from a local feed store instead. I hadn't done any research on a brooder or anything like that because, like I said, I thought our hens would be older. But I couldn't brake my little girl's spirits because they have been so patiently waiting for their chickens. My teenage son reassured me that chicks would be fine in a large rubbermaid bin until we figure something else out. So we got the chicks, starter feed, waterer, bedding, already had a heat lamp, and that's it. But now one of the chicks has flown out of the bin a few times. So we placed some netting on top to help with this.
Basically I have a few simple questions:
Can I just use bagged sand bought from Home Depot as grit, or no?
And about the brooder.. Can I construct a makeshift brooder out of cardboard boxes. And how big would it need to be?
We live in Southern California and the temps now are 62 high /42 low. At how many weeks should I wait till they can call the coop home.
Wood shavings, good or bad? I read yesterday that they ca cause respiratory problems? What else should I use?
Would they need the heat lamp out there at night?
And, when do chickens begin sleeping on a roost?
Thanks for reading this. And Even if you could help me out with even one of these question. I would appreciate that so such. Getting the chickens the other day created some anxiety in me because usually I don't pull triggers on projects unless I research the death out of the topic. And sometimes that will cause me to never go through with it because I will get overwhelmed with information. I try to read about other peoples mistakes to avoid making them myself - but most times that just stalls the project. My point in all this is, I knew I didn't know everything about raising chicks but decided to get them anyway because I am realizing that sometimes you just have to jump in and learn as you go.
Basically I have a few simple questions:
Can I just use bagged sand bought from Home Depot as grit, or no?
And about the brooder.. Can I construct a makeshift brooder out of cardboard boxes. And how big would it need to be?
We live in Southern California and the temps now are 62 high /42 low. At how many weeks should I wait till they can call the coop home.
Wood shavings, good or bad? I read yesterday that they ca cause respiratory problems? What else should I use?
Would they need the heat lamp out there at night?
And, when do chickens begin sleeping on a roost?
Thanks for reading this. And Even if you could help me out with even one of these question. I would appreciate that so such. Getting the chickens the other day created some anxiety in me because usually I don't pull triggers on projects unless I research the death out of the topic. And sometimes that will cause me to never go through with it because I will get overwhelmed with information. I try to read about other peoples mistakes to avoid making them myself - but most times that just stalls the project. My point in all this is, I knew I didn't know everything about raising chicks but decided to get them anyway because I am realizing that sometimes you just have to jump in and learn as you go.