Newbie to chicks and NERVOUS as heck!

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

I ordered four chicklets from MPC, two standard (Sultan and Polish) and two bantams (Polish and Brahma). When I first ordered I was told that it would be a couple of months because they were sold out of Sultans as far ahead as they were taking orders. I figured I had plenty of time to plan everything out and make sure I was comfortable with the idea of raising day old chicks. Well, Friday I received an email that my order will be shipped the week of Monday, June 8th and to expect it by Thursday! That is next week!!!! I've been researching since before I ordered them, so I'm not completely ill-prepared, I just want to make sure I do this right. My brooder setup is a big rubbermaid bin with pine shavings. I have one of the long metal chick feeders and a one gallon plastic waterer. Good for baby chicks? I bought the heat lamp but still have to get a bulb. At the feed store they were out of red bulbs and only had clear bulbs in stock. The employee said that most people use red and to call this week to see if they've come in. What do you all think about that? Should I put a piece of hardware cloth or something over the brooder? What else can you tell me about raising baby chicks? What are some items that I should have on hand? I feel like this is one of those things you can never be too prepared for! I am nervous!

 

[Puck-Puck]

I'm brand new to this myself, so rather than speak from lots of experience, I'll say "there, there" and assure you that Mother Nature will be taking care of most of this for you; it is the chicks who are working the hardest, simply at growing! Do put something over the bin, whether hardware cloth, old oven racks/fridge racks, or the like, even if you don't have pets. It won't be long before the chicks can jump/flutter as high as the top of the bin. Red floodlights/heat lamps can be bought at hardware stores as well. The consensus on this site is it reduces pecking at any injuries that may occur, as it negates pecking-magnet red colour by making everything look red. It would be wise to put the heat lamp in a porcelain lamp base, which is better able to take heat than a plastic one. Put marbles or pebbles in the bottom of the waterer to keep it shallow so they don't drown--that's what everyone says, anyhow.

What little experience I've had tells me that panicking is not necessary or productive--so give yourself a break!

 

[JessaLynn]

We all are nervous the first couple days when they arrive but you will get the hang of it don't fret!
Put paper towl down over top the pine shavings for atleast the first week to prevent them from eating it.They will try to eat at it but don't worry it wont kill them. Add a few tspoons of sugar to the water before they arrive and turn on the lamp the night before to get the area warmed for them.Red bulb is recommended because it seems to calm them and it isn't to bright for them but if you can't get one just use the clear for now.Hardware cloth would work fine to put over top.By the second week they will be trying out their feathers and flapping everywhere.
It's always good to be prepared and read up as much as possible but personal experience will be your guide.Good luck and wish you all the best!

 

[amyc]

Sounds like you're pretty well prepared - if I were you I would at least get a white bulb and do a test run of your brooder temp. You don't want to be messing with lamps and adjusting heat while you've got the babies in there.

Depending on how high the walls of your brooder are you won't need anything to cover right away - but they grow quick. My 1 1/2 week old BRs are starting to jump out. I just use an old window screen on top of my brooder and it keeps them in.

ETA: I did two batches of chicks with a white bulb (its all I had at the time) and they did fine - but maybe I was just lucky, who knows?

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/lcenter.html

Check out the Learning Center - link above and read the home page regarding the raising of buff orpingtons. That's where I got all the information I needed to get started.

Do get a red heat lamp. That's what I used and NEVER had any issues with chicks pecking each other. Plus it makes it easier for them to sleep. You wouldn't want to sleep with bright white light 24/7.

Petsmart has red heat lamps in the reptile section if your feed store doesn't get any. (more pricey though)

I would recommend putting some sort of wire over the top. I used hardware cloth over the top of my stock tank brooder due to cats and dogs. Plus I didn't worry the light could fall into the brooder and cause a fire.

Make sure you have a thermometer in the brooder so you know what the temp is and have that set up 2-3 days prior to getting the chicks so you have the temp figured out ahead of time. It can take some playing around with the height and/or angle of the light. My ten standard chicks liked the temp 90-95 but my three banties liked it 80-85'.

They will let you know how they like the temp by huddling under the light or getting away from it.

Check for pasty butt the day you get them after they have a chance to drink and eat. Three of my standard chicks and two of my banties came home from the feed store with it. Hard and dried up poo covering their vent that prevents them from pooing. Will kill them if not clean off.

Hold their little bum under the barely warm water and gently work it with your fingers to soften. DON'T pull or you could pull out intestine.

I didn't worry about any additives to the water. Just clean fresh water and chick starter crumbles. For my banties, I crushed the starter a little finer for the first three weeks.

Don't worry - just enjoy them when there little because they grow over night.

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

You guys rule! Thanks for the info and the reassurance! I'm hoping this all goes smoothly without any problems! As far as hatchery chicks, is it common to lose one or a few or is there generally a good survival rate?

 

[JessaLynn]

I have only had problems with Mount Healthy Hatchery 2 died for unknown reasons within a week.Never had a problem with Welp Hatchery and they have great quality stock.My blue cochins I got from them are absolutly beautiful and not what you would expect from a hatchery in my opinion.I have always recieved an xtra chick just in case so you shouldn't worry.

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

I would get a little neosporin also. One of mine had a lot of pasty butt and I put neosporin on her to heal. Mine are now 11 weeks old and all 20 are doing well.

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

Thank you

 

[cmjust0]

I'm probably about to anger some folks, but.......

In my opinion -- as a noobie to chickens, but not to internet forums -- the bulb you use should depend more on what it takes to keep your chicks warm than the specific color or specific wattage or what "everybody" tells you to use.

I bought a 250W red bulb because that's what was handed to me at TSC when I bought by lamp and feeders and whatnot.. My chicks, however, were brooded in a mudroom off the house, and the room gets fairly warm during the day. Really warm on sunny days.. I took one look at those little chicks in their little box, then looked at that big honkin' red nuclear reactor of a bulb, and thought....nope. Never even screwed it into the socket, because I knew it would be too daggone hot.

Instead, I put a -- gasp -- regular ol' soft white 100W bulb in there and proceeded to brood the chicks under a lamp for the next four weeks or so with no problems. I could probably have found a 100W red bulb, but the need never arose.. They didn't peck each others' eyeballs out, nor did I ever find anybody with guts hanging out their vent...everything was fine.

FWIW, my dad used to brood day-old chicks in a wire-floored box with a fairly low wattage bulb (40W, maybe?) inside a metal coffee can. The can sat directly on the wire -- there was no light shining down on the chicks. They'd just come circle the warm can if they got chilly...kinda like running back to mama.

Worked like a champ.