New to chickens and in Alaska starting today!

[chestypuller]

Going to pick up 3 chicks today, dont know nothing about raising them, have no food except the one day supply that the lady is going to give me with them. pulled some items outa my barn to get started that i think i need.

items

1 plastic tote. (for cage)
1 light fixture (for heat)
1 heating pad (for heat dont know what one i will use light or pad)
some wire chicken wire and some 1/4 square wire. (thinking to put over newspaper so they dont destroy it under their feet, and some for the top of the crate to set the light fixture on for a heat lamp.

Gonna go down to the mill and feed store tomarrow when they are open and get some chick feed of some sort, unless you guys have a better suggestion.

will be keep them in my basement tell they can handle the outside, and i get the coop built.

dont know anything about what types these are was told, "Barn yard mixes (barred rock, aracauna or copper maran mix) hatched last Friday."

dont know sexes.

looking for advice, and help.

wanting some chickens to eat, and hopfully lay eggs, and give my 3 year old and infant daughter some fun for us.

Skip in Alaska

 

[OldGuy43]

Forget the heating pad, the light will be more than enough. Get some kind of thermometer so you can tell what temp your brooder is at. Just put them on the shredded newspaper. Your gonna have to change it to often to worry about them tearing it up. What's your plan for watering and feeding them?

 

[chestypuller]

well i was hoping to get one of them waters that gravity feed water into a dish around it, and for food i have been reading here and think i should get that specialized food for chicks at the mill and feed store to have them eat for 6 weeks i understand?

heres some pics of our makeshift rubbermade container with a shoebox in it tell i get some newspaper and waterer.

one has feathers that stick out behind its eyes.

 

[chestypuller]

heres the heat bulb i got, what you guys using?

 

[chestypuller]

heres the one with the feathers behind its eyes

 

[OldGuy43]

Awww, they're adorable. You want to start out with the brooder at around 90° and go down 5° every week. Your lamp looks a little close. You definitely want chick starter.

 

[chestypuller]

Awww, they're adorable. You want to start out with the brooder at around 90° and go down 5° every week. Your lamp looks a little close. You definitely want chick starter.

how are you measuring temp for the chickens? i have the light on half the tote box so they can move out of it if its to hot, the light is about 18 inches from the bottom of the cage.

i was at walmart and picked up another light fixture and light bulb tonight, its got the larger 250watt bulb it was $3.54 and they didnt have a 150watt like i have and got from ace hardware for $12 dollars, so im gonna return the over priced bulb to ace and use the larger cheaper bulb, can maybe move it into the coop come winter. or even in the cold spring.

 

[OldGuy43]

Any kind of thermometer will do.

 

[chestypuller]

Any kind of thermometer will do.

what you guys using a digital probe into the cage or a old style one with mercury like tube? or one of them dial ones? is it placed in the light or on a wall in the brooder?

 

[OldGuy43]

Any thermometer in the brooder. And I wouldn't wait to long. If my guess is correct it's way to hot in there. One like this will work fine.