New to chicken raising! 🐔

[DobieLover]

I know that the chick's will need to live indoor for the first 3-4mo...

You meant weeks, right?
I've never raised chicks in the house. The first batch were brooded in the garage until they were 5.5 weeks old then they were moved to the newly finished coop with a huddle box to keep warm.
All subsequent batches were raised in the built in brooder/maternity ward in the coop, most of them under a broody hen. I've had less than 2 week old chicks zipping around outside in 23 degree weather that positively thrived!
If you have too many cockerels, they will over breed the pullets and eventually fight. Fight to the point of serious injury and even kill each other. Or one will be dominant and the other(s) will be submissive and always looking over their shoulders. Even if they get along well, the pullets will still be overbred and stressed and that not only affects their quality of life, it affects laying. I've been through all of this.

 

[kaleighmarie1213]

You meant weeks, right?
I've never raised chicks in the house. The first batch were brooded in the garage until they were 5.5 weeks old then they were moved to the newly finished coop with a huddle box to keep warm.
All subsequent batches were raised in the built in brooder/maternity ward in the coop, most of them under a broody hen. I've had less than 2 week old chicks zipping around outside in 23 degree weather that positively thrived!
If you have too many cockerels, they will over breed the pullets and eventually fight. Fight to the point of serious injury and even kill each other. Or one will be dominant and the other(s) will be submissive and always looking over their shoulders. Even if they get along well, the pullets will still be overbred and stressed and that not only affects their quality of life, it affects laying. I've been through all of this.

Oh goodness yes I meant WEEKS. My brain said "3-4wks" and "equals a month" and well, my fingers type faster than my brain sometimes. I feel so silly I didn't notice my oops.

We plan to start very slow and just do 2 or 3 eggs this batch, learn to care for them properly, and in spring we can begin the 3 new chick's for my kiddos to begin their projects. Last thing I want is to stress them out at all or no be able to provide them with enough comfort and safety!

That's fascinating that you have had chick's in cold weather! I keep second guessing my ability to care for them in cold because most of what I read says chick's + freezing cold = death. I don't want to hurt any of them so I'm trying to learn everything I can before hatching anything!

 

[DobieLover]

That's fascinating that you have had chick's in cold weather! I keep second guessing my ability to care for them in cold because most of what I read says chick's + freezing cold = death. I don't want to hurt any of them so I'm trying to learn everything I can before hatching anything!

Sometimes keeping them inside in a brooder causes more harm than good. They thrive being in the fresh air.
I've had mothers bring their chicks outside when they were 24 hours old. It surely wasn't anywhere near 95F, the temp "required" for the first week of brooding with a lamp. It was closer to 65F. I use a brooder plate when I can't use a broody hen. I've never had pasty butt using a brooder plate... or a hen!