New to raising chickens

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Thewaters7

In the Brooder
Apr 17, 2020
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Hi! My name is Jennifer and I am new to raising chickens and will be receiving mine in a month or so! I am super excited!! We have raised pet cows, squirrels, donkeys and my husband has had chickens all his life but I haven’t. Is there anything that I should know while waiting on my babies to get get here?
 
Make sure you check all chicks for pasty butt when they arrive. If any have it you will have to check every day and gently clean it off until it goes away. Pasty Butt can be caused from shipping stress. If not taken care of poo dries on their back side and plugs up the vent making it impossible for them to go poo. They will die pretty quickly if this happens. Use a warm soft cloth to gently clean it, if you are too rough you could tear their skin. I would also add an electrolyte/vitamin supplement to their drinking water at least for the first couple of days. Any bedding you use in the brooder should be large enough that the chicks don't eat it, I would supply chick grit just in case. If they ingest their bedding they wont be able to break it down which could cause problems. Buy chick waterers if you can, if not put pebbles or marbles, (just make sure they are large enough they can't eat the pebbles if that is what you go with) in the waterer so they can not drown, chicks get sleepy and could fall asleep and their head could fall into the waterer. I have never had it happen, just read about it. After a week or so you should be ok. Make sure all chicks eat and drink when you get them home. When you hang your heat lamp (if using one) make sure it is at one end of the brooder so they can get out of the heat if they get over heated. I use a chick brooder heat plate they are safer than heat lamps but cost way more. They have adjustable leg's so you can raise it higher as the chicks grow. They like to crawl under it and it is supposed to be a more natural why to brood chicks. Also make sure you use medicated chick feed it helps with coccidiosis. The more you hold and interact with your chicks the tamer they will become. Just supervise children, and if the chicks are tired and sleeping let them sleep. Enjoy your sweet new babies and I hope this has help.😃
 
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Hi Jennifer,
I highly recomend you get this book and read it cover to cover.
Its easy to read, well written and made me laugh several times at the stories and situations us chicken owners encounter.
After you are done, you will have down to earth basic knowledge.
it was one of my first chicken books and i still refer to it every so often.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/662182...backyard-a-beginners?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=
 

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