New to raising chicks

[Dudududu]

Hi, I recently bought some 3 week old chicks the other day and needed Some tips to ensure my chicks safety, this is my very janky coop. This red light I turn on for the night when it gets cold. I had a few questions Do I really need this heat lamp at night? It gets around 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the house at night. Is this a suitable temporary coop for the chicks until they feather? What breed are these chicks? Is it normal for chicks to have watery poop? When’s a good time to let them outside? How big should the coop be for only two chicks? I know these are quite a lot of questions but this is my very first time owning chicks and I want to make sure that I keep the, safe and comfortable my houses average temp is 75.

 

[_meels_ the chicken mom]

Hi, I recently bought some 3 week old chicks the other day and needed Some tips to ensure my chicks safety, this is my very janky coop. This red light I turn on for the night when it gets cold. I had a few questions Do I really need this heat lamp at night? It gets around 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the house at night. Is this a suitable temporary coop for the chicks until they feather? What breed are these chicks? Is it normal for chicks to have watery poop? When’s a good time to let them outside? How big should the coop be for only two chicks? I know these are quite a lot of questions but this is my very first time owning chicks and I want to make sure that I keep the, safe and comfortable my houses average temp is 75.

 The coop can be fairly small if theres only two. I suggest at some point getting more than two. They can go outside after 2 months. Make sure to make sure they get a run, or free range. And make sure that no dogs will get in by them. Its pretty cold at 70 degrees. They might be a RIR or golden comets. Or wheaten. Watery poop is ok as long as they get it gone before 2- 3 months

 

[HomeofTheChicks]

Chicks need to be kept at least 95 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that they don't become too cold to eat or drink. The box looks fine to me! I'm unsure of what kind of breed the chicks are. It is normal for the chicks to have watery poops. If it's constantly watery it may be because they are drinking more so than they are eating which could become an issue. Chicks when they get about 6 weeks old can be moved outside as long as the temperature isn't below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I would say for a coop for them maybe 4 square feet per chicken. Make sure the chicks drink and eat plenty. I recently had an issue with two of my chicks where they got dehydrated from not knowing where the food and water were even though it was a small tub. They had wobbly heads and a loss of coordination. One of them quit breathing and got stiff. I thought it died but it miraculously came back to life. I assisted it in drinking and it sprang right back up and hasn't had any problems so far. unfortunately, the other one died because I was too late.

 

[Dudududu]

Chicks need to be kept at least 95 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that they don't become too cold to eat or drink. The box looks fine to me! I'm unsure of what kind of breed the chicks are. It is normal for the chicks to have watery poops. If it's constantly watery it may be because they are drinking more so than they are eating which could become an issue. Chicks when they get about 6 weeks old can be moved outside as long as the temperature isn't below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I would say for a coop for them maybe 4 square feet per chicken. Make sure the chicks drink and eat plenty. I recently had an issue with two of my chicks where they got dehydrated from not knowing where the food and water were even though it was a small tub. They had wobbly heads and a loss of coordination. One of them quit breathing and got stiff. I thought it died but it miraculously came back to life. I assisted it in drinking and it sprang right back up and hasn't had any problems so far. unfortunately, the other one died because I was too late.

Yeah, I hope that as the chicks grow up it gets easier to care for them.

 

[HomeofTheChicks]

I have read that having newspaper for chicks contains chemicals that may not be safe for the chicks. I use pine shavings which I recommend as one of the best bedding choices.
Another thing I forgot to add is that while pine shavings are okay, you should never expose the chicks to "pine needle" bedding. I made this mistake and all of my chicks swelled up and died.

 

[Rurumo]

The chicks need that heat 24/7, and likewise, they need to be able to escape the heat to regulate their body temperature. They will still need supplemental heat for a couple more weeks.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Chicks are unable to regulate their body temperature until they are fully feathered at 5 to 6 weeks, so yes, added heat is absolutely necessary. Lay a thermometer directly under the heat source so you know exwhat temp it actually is in the brooder. Start day old chicks around 88 degrees, lower the temp by 5 degrees once a week until you reach room temp. Here is a good article from our Learning Center on raising chicks to 6 weeks of age. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/brooding-chicks-the-first-6-weeks.74640/

Good luck and welcome aboard!

 

[Dudududu]

I have read that having newspaper for chicks contains chemicals that may not be safe for the chicks. I use pine shavings which I recommend as one of the best bedding choices.
Another thing I forgot to add is that while pine shavings are okay, you should never expose the chicks to "pine needle" bedding. I made this mistake and all of my chicks swelled up and died.

Thanks for the tip I didn’t know that newspaper could possibly be dangerous thanks for the heads up!

 

[Dudududu]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Chicks are unable to regulate their body temperature until they are fully feathered at 5 to 6 weeks, so yes, added heat is absolutely necessary. Lay a thermometer directly under the heat source so you know exwhat temp it actually is in the brooder. Start day old chicks around 88 degrees, lower the temp by 5 degrees once a week until you reach room temp. Here is a good article from our Learning Center on raising chicks to 6 weeks of age. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/brooding-chicks-the-first-6-weeks.74640/

Good luck and welcome aboard!

What if the chicken is mouth breathing I heard that’s a sign of heat exhaustion or somthing like that? Cause my chicken did that a couple times

 

[TwoCrows]

What if the chicken is mouth breathing I heard that’s a sign of heat exhaustion or somthing like that? Cause my chicken did that a couple times

You may be over heating them. Keep the temp at 88 degrees, make sure your brooder is not crowded and each chick has 1 Sq foot. Keep the heat off to one side so there are cool spots in the brooder to cool down if needed. Use a reliable thermometer.