New Owner Incoming, with chicks

[Rawrcat]

Hi there!
I have a horse and have been fancying the idea of getting a few chickens to keep the flies at bay since he's been moved to my backyard and the boarding barn had chickens to help keep the flies down. My mom fell in love with some silkie chicks, we brought them home, and they passed overnight.

I believe we kept the light to far away from them afraid of roasting them and instead they were too cold. (I had placed a stuffed animal in there and they were under the stuffed animal in the morning, passed, so assuming they were too cold). Pic is of the set-up they had.

The place we got them from has a "if they die in 20 days, you can exchange them" so I want to make sure everything is perfect before we bring the next two home. It was recommended to me to lower the lamp 24 inches and to pick up a temp gun as the nesting temp should be around 95-100 F.

Any recommendations and advice is more than welcome! I've been trying to find info online, but hands-on help is more than appreciated!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC and good luck with the chicks. A minimum temp of 90 F is desirable. If temp is higher, chicks need enough space to get away from the heat source.

 

[Rawrcat]

Welcome to BYC and good luck with the chicks. A minimum temp of 90 F is desirable. If temp is higher, chicks need enough space to get away from the heat source.

Thank you for the welcome and a reply! Would the bin they are in suffice if they are kept at a steady 90 under the light? Because it would be a bit cooler away from the light from there?

 

[sourland]

They will let you know. If they are too cold, they will cheep incessantly. If too hot they will be trying to get as far away from the heat source as possible and will be 'open mouthed' panting.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! It's hard to manage a little plastic tub as a brooder, because it will tend to be either too warm or too cold. Have a thermometer under the heat lamp at one end of the brooder. It should be about 95F there, and room temp at the other side of the brooder. Your lamp is way too high!!!
Make sure the heat lamp is double or triple secured; don't use that clamp it come with, rather chain it to a solid support overhead, and also tie it with another tie. Make sure the bulb is tight in the fixture so it can't fall out.
Have a hardware cloth lid on your brooder, to keep the chicks inside, pets outside, and the lamp from falling in.
Set it all up, including the waterer and feeder, the day before, so it's in good shape for the chicks.
The other heat source is a brooder plate from Premier1supplies.com or Amazon, or the 'mama heating pad' setup. Very nice!!!
Each chick needs it's beak dipped in the water on arrival, so it knows where the water is. Scatter some chick starter on the floor for the same reason.
Silkies are fragile little birds with nearly non-existent flying ability, and don't do well in either extreme heat or cold. Not a good choice for barnyard fowl!!!
Other bantams will work fine, or heritage standard birds. My Belgian d'Uccles and Easter Egger bantams do well free ranging during the day, and lay cute yummy eggs too.
Many standard sized birds will also be good; which types depends in part on your climate. Look at Henderson's breed chart, for example, for ideas.
Mary

 

[Rawrcat]

Thank you so much Mary! The chickens will be indoor chickens for the most part and let outside in the Spring/Summer under supervision to get bugs (we dont want hawks or coyotes to get them). Ill look into getting a solid stand for the lamp! Thats why I was try to use a stepstool! Do you have an instant- access recommendation I could possibly find in-store for a lamp clamp? And recommendations for a container for the chickies? I was trying to jerry-rig a large dog kennel with cardboard floor and sides but then my mom yelled at me for the size of it. Woops.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Yes Mary is spot on. I just wanted to offer a welcome to the community and BYC! There is nothing I can add.

 

[Folly's place]

Some people use a big sturdy cardboard box as a brooder; I use a leaking 100 gallon water tank, either metal or Rubbermaid, with that hardware cloth top, and a heat lamp tied overhead.
Indoor chickens are a dusty smelly mess! The dust will coat every surface, and is bad for anyone to inhale. Have them outside!
You will need a safe coop and run for them outside; you can brood the babies out there in comfort, depending on your setup and the weather.
I had a few Silkies years ago, and they didn't manage being out there in the barn or paddocks at all. I really do think that your Silkie project should be separate from your actual working barnyard fowl.
Mary

 

[WhiteWyan]

Guinea fowl also good for insect control. Just sayin.

 

[Folly's place]

So true! If only they didn't SCREAM so often!
Mary