New to raising chickens

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BabyMomma

BabyMomma

Chirping
Mar 4, 2025
8
64
54
New Hampshire
Hello! I am a new member and very excited to start my first flock! I will be getting 8 baby chicks hopefully either this weekend or sometime next week. As long as I can beat the crowds of other people looking to get them also! Hahaha!! I have the brooder box all set up just waiting for baby chicks. My husband is very handy and loves to build and he is building our coop. We decided to purchase a metal framed run that is 20 feet long by 10 feet wide and stands 6.5 feet high in the center. We live in the country surrounded by woods and I wanted a large run because they will be in it quite a bit. We will only let them free range when we are out with them. I did grow up with chickens when I was young and so I do know a little about caring for them and keeping them safe. We will be covering this run with hardware cloth and burying it 2 feet down. I am a hairstylist of 30 years and own my own business, but working less as I approach 60yrs later this year. I’ve always wanted to have my own backyard flock of chickens, but with raising children and working so much, I never felt I could give them the time needed. But now I can! I have a two year old French bulldog named Lemon. I hope training her to except these little chicks as part of the family will go easy. Lemon loves all other dogs, cats, and any age human. So I think with a little time getting used to them she will be good.
Here is a question…. I purchased a Brooder heater plate that has three temperature modes. It came with absolutely no instructions on how to use low, medium or high temperature. And only shows you how to lower and raise the heater plate. The lowering and raising and tilting I totally understand. But I don’t want to have the heat on too low or too high for my baby chicks. Any advice would be very grateful! Thank you all so much and I’m very excited to belong to this wonderful group!
 
Hello and Welcome to BYC. Thanks for joining this fun and poultry loving community. I've never used a plate type heater before. I would do the same as with any other heat source and check set it so the chicks can come and go to get warmth as they need it. A thermometer reading of 95° at first and a reduction in the temp as they feather out is what I believe it should be. Others that use a plate can best advise on this.
 
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Hiya, and welcome to BYC! :frow

Good advice from @Nomadicus When you don't know, go by the temperature it puts out by where the chicks would feel it.

Glad to hear you're using HWC to keep the chickens safe!

Here's our Learning Center. You might find some articles in there, which are all written by our members that may be helpful.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
BabyMomma said:
I have the brooder box all set up just waiting for baby chicks.
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Can you post pictures? If you've raised chicks before you know you need 2 sq ft per chick for the first 3 week then need to bump up.
BabyMomma said:
My husband is very handy and loves to build and he is building our coop
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Hopefully he visited our coop and run forum to learn all the guidelines for building a structure suitable for chickens. One with huge amounts of predator secure ventilation but protection from drafts. Is he building poop boards?
BabyMomma said:
hardware cloth and burying it 2 feet down
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You don't need to dig down. Just spread the 1/2" hardware cloth out from the base of the run 18-24" and pin it down with HD landscape staples and you're done.
predator apron.jpg

Let the grass grow back through it. If it's in an area with pine needles or leaves, toss some over the top of it to blend it in.
 
DobieLover said:
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.

Can you post pictures? If you've raised chicks before you know you need 2 sq ft per chick for the first 3 week then need to bump up.

Hopefully he visited our coop and run forum to learn all the guidelines for building a structure suitable for chickens. One with huge amounts of predator secure ventilation but protection from drafts. Is he building poop boards?

You don't need to dig down. Just spread the 1/2" hardware cloth out from the base of the run 18-24" and pin it down with HD landscape staples and you're done.
View attachment 4065684
Let the grass grow back through it. If it's in an area with pine needles or leaves, toss some over the top of it to blend it in.
Click to expand...
Thank you!! He will be so glad to not need to dig all around this big run. I did see someone do your suggestion, but wasn’t sure about it. So thank you again! About my brooder…. I purchased a 55 gal storage tub. I am closing off part of it so the chicks don’t wander off too far from heater plate. Then open it up when they get bigger.
 
BabyMomma said:
Thank you!! He will be so glad to not need to dig all around this big run. I did see someone do your suggestion, but wasn’t sure about it. So thank you again! About my brooder…. I purchased a 55 gal storage tub. I am closing off part of it so the chicks don’t wander off too far from heater plate. Then open it up when they get bigger.
Click to expand...
Also, we do know about size and importance of ventilation and poop boards. Thank you, I will definitely check out coop forum to be sure we aren’t missing anything.
 
BabyMomma said:
Hello! I am a new member and very excited to start my first flock! I will be getting 8 baby chicks hopefully either this weekend or sometime next week. As long as I can beat the crowds of other people looking to get them also! Hahaha!! I have the brooder box all set up just waiting for baby chicks. My husband is very handy and loves to build and he is building our coop. We decided to purchase a metal framed run that is 20 feet long by 10 feet wide and stands 6.5 feet high in the center. We live in the country surrounded by woods and I wanted a large run because they will be in it quite a bit. We will only let them free range when we are out with them. I did grow up with chickens when I was young and so I do know a little about caring for them and keeping them safe. We will be covering this run with hardware cloth and burying it 2 feet down. I am a hairstylist of 30 years and own my own business, but working less as I approach 60yrs later this year. I’ve always wanted to have my own backyard flock of chickens, but with raising children and working so much, I never felt I could give them the time needed. But now I can! I have a two year old French bulldog named Lemon. I hope training her to except these little chicks as part of the family will go easy. Lemon loves all other dogs, cats, and any age human. So I think with a little time getting used to them she will be good.
Here is a question…. I purchased a Brooder heater plate that has three temperature modes. It came with absolutely no instructions on how to use low, medium or high temperature. And only shows you how to lower and raise the heater plate. The lowering and raising and tilting I totally understand. But I don’t want to have the heat on too low or too high for my baby chicks. Any advice would be very grateful! Thank you all so much and I’m very excited to belong to this wonderful gr
Click to expand...

BabyMomma said:
Hello! I am a new member and very excited to start my first flock! I will be getting 8 baby chicks hopefully either this weekend or sometime next week. As long as I can beat the crowds of other people looking to get them also! Hahaha!! I have the brooder box all set up just waiting for baby chicks. My husband is very handy and loves to build and he is building our coop. We decided to purchase a metal framed run that is 20 feet long by 10 feet wide and stands 6.5 feet high in the center. We live in the country surrounded by woods and I wanted a large run because they will be in it quite a bit. We will only let them free range when we are out with them. I did grow up with chickens when I was young and so I do know a little about caring for them and keeping them safe. We will be covering this run with hardware cloth and burying it 2 feet down. I am a hairstylist of 30 years and own my own business, but working less as I approach 60yrs later this year. I’ve always wanted to have my own backyard flock of chickens, but with raising children and working so much, I never felt I could give them the time needed. But now I can! I have a two year old French bulldog named Lemon. I hope training her to except these little chicks as part of the family will go easy. Lemon loves all other dogs, cats, and any age human. So I think with a little time getting used to them she will be good.
Here is a question…. I purchased a Brooder heater plate that has three temperature modes. It came with absolutely no instructions on how to use low, medium or high temperature. And only shows you how to lower and raise the heater plate. The lowering and raising and tilting I totally understand. But I don’t want to have the heat on too low or too high for my baby chicks. Any advice would be very grateful! Thank you all so much and I’m very excited to belong to this wonderful group!
Click to expand...
I can't advise you on the brooder heater plate, but I do have some additional thoughts for you to consider.

Wet weather brings disasters. Young chicks are very susceptible to coccidiosis. Get some Corid and have that on hand, also some B Complex too. You can buy both online at very good prices compared what they sell in stores.

Might also get medicated chick feed too.

We also are surrounded by woods, or better stated, we do live amongst the woods. Cover your runs with tin and take additional precautions to prevent Bird Flu. We have two 7' x 9' x 32' runs connected to our coop. We've adapted the runs to function like greenhouses too. Wet or cold weather we roll down the sides where the poles rest in aluminum gutters. Sunny weather they get sunshine and great air flow.
 

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