I've been hoping around the forums trying to find answers to all my questions so I'm fully prepared for when we get our chicks. But some things I just don't know. So I thought I'd ask. Here goes.
1 - I was on ebay and I saw the vitamin packets. How long do you add these to a chicken's water? Certain age? Do you quit or just keep using it?
2 -Also on ebay I saw these little colored rubber bands for I guess their ankles. What would those be for and are they necessary?
3 - Grit. I understand why they need it, but I don't know when to give it or how much or how often.
4 - After the chicks get a certain age, can you just feed them scraps, yogurt, milk, whatever? Or do you always need to have a chicken feed and the other things are just snacks? What ARE the best things to feed them that I would have in my kitchen?
5 - We're trying to decide if we need to build a coop with double walls and insulation inbetween or if a lamp or heater would be enough during our Missouri winters. I don't want to get into winter with extra lamps and realize I needed insulation... Anything else the coop should have for winter? Or does everyone just get rid of their chickens in winter and start all over?
6 - Paint - will it hurt the chickens to have the coop painted? Will they peck at it and cause them harm? What about if we're sealing up seams to keep it warmer for winter, I guess we'd use a caulking? Would that be a problem for them as well?
7 - Does anyone here do longer light with their chickens for winter production? Does it hurt them to do production year around instead of having a winter break?
8 - The light we use in their coop in the winter, I read somewhere that a blue lightbulb is best since they can't see blue and can sleep when needed. Something like that. What does everyone use?
9 - I'm confused as to what should go inside on the floor. Some people say hay, others say leaves, shavings or newspaper. Is there something different in the nesting boxes? What works best and is least expensive?
10 - I don't know where we're getting our chicks from yet but when we do, if I'm not sure they've been vaccinated, is there something to give them to make sure they don't get diseases? Will the medicated food or vitamin packets help with that or do I need to get something else?
I'm trying to compile a list of all the things I need before we get started. Tell me if I'm missing anything:
Brooder
Coop
Waterer/Feeder
medicated food (do they have this in organic?)
water
grit
light for winter
hay or shavings (or we have a huge compost pile of recent leaves)
1 - I was on ebay and I saw the vitamin packets. How long do you add these to a chicken's water? Certain age? Do you quit or just keep using it?
2 -Also on ebay I saw these little colored rubber bands for I guess their ankles. What would those be for and are they necessary?
3 - Grit. I understand why they need it, but I don't know when to give it or how much or how often.
4 - After the chicks get a certain age, can you just feed them scraps, yogurt, milk, whatever? Or do you always need to have a chicken feed and the other things are just snacks? What ARE the best things to feed them that I would have in my kitchen?
5 - We're trying to decide if we need to build a coop with double walls and insulation inbetween or if a lamp or heater would be enough during our Missouri winters. I don't want to get into winter with extra lamps and realize I needed insulation... Anything else the coop should have for winter? Or does everyone just get rid of their chickens in winter and start all over?
6 - Paint - will it hurt the chickens to have the coop painted? Will they peck at it and cause them harm? What about if we're sealing up seams to keep it warmer for winter, I guess we'd use a caulking? Would that be a problem for them as well?
7 - Does anyone here do longer light with their chickens for winter production? Does it hurt them to do production year around instead of having a winter break?
8 - The light we use in their coop in the winter, I read somewhere that a blue lightbulb is best since they can't see blue and can sleep when needed. Something like that. What does everyone use?
9 - I'm confused as to what should go inside on the floor. Some people say hay, others say leaves, shavings or newspaper. Is there something different in the nesting boxes? What works best and is least expensive?
10 - I don't know where we're getting our chicks from yet but when we do, if I'm not sure they've been vaccinated, is there something to give them to make sure they don't get diseases? Will the medicated food or vitamin packets help with that or do I need to get something else?
I'm trying to compile a list of all the things I need before we get started. Tell me if I'm missing anything:
Brooder
Coop
Waterer/Feeder
medicated food (do they have this in organic?)
water
grit
light for winter
hay or shavings (or we have a huge compost pile of recent leaves)
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