Ok Teach me!!!!!

[6blackchicks]

Hi,

Im new to chookens (as my kids call them) and need all the advice/info and such given to me....

I have 6 chicks ranging from 4w to 6weeks. They are living in a nice big box in my house, with paper as flooring (moving to wood shavings i just bought tonight) they eat the chick mix i got from my local feed place and have that around 4-5 times daily with fresh water. They seem happy, but was wondering if i should be doing anything else or feeding anything else?

We will be building a coop next weekend but dont know the best age to move them.

So give me all your knowledge and wisdom oh wise chicken lovers!! lol

Thank you

 

[annie3001]

from ct. !!
i think your doing fine so far!
about 8 weeks of age, they can go out to the coop!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum!

Glad you are here!

I'm guessing you are in Queensland, Australia so you are heading into your summer. Probably already fairly warm there. Chicks are usualy fully feathered out at about 4 to 5 weeks old so they no longer need extra heat. That is usually when I take them out of the brooder and stop giving them extra heat. If it is cold or expecially cold and wet, I'll go a little longer. I think if you move them to the coop as soon as you finish it, then leave them locked in the coop for about a week so they accept it as home, you will do OK.

 

[AndreaS]

Welcome!

Congratulations on the new chicks! They are SO much fun! Sounds like you are on the right track, but here are some tips:

Everyone is different, but I leave chick feed out free choice for the babies, rather than feeding them at certain times, but that's just me! Even as adults, my girls get access to food and water at all times.

Don't give them any treats until they have grit. You probably already know this, but a lot of people don't. Chickens don't have teeth, and have no way to grind up fiberous foods for digestion. They will eat small pebbles of grit (not just pebbles from your yard) which will help grind their food up. You can purchase chick- sized grit before upgrading to regular sized granite grit as they get older(8 weeks i think). If they don't have grit and eat foods that are not super easily dissolves their systems can back up and they will die.

Check for pasty butt. Again, you probably already know this, but it is worth mentioning. By 4-6 weeks this usually isn't an issue anymore. Sometimes chicks will have some runny poo when they are adjusting to eating food. If the poo sticks to their feathers and cloggs up their vent (all purpose exit chute) they will back up and die. Check all chicks daily for poop stuck to their bum, soak it in warm water to soften it, and wipe/pick it off. Be very gentle! Their skin is so tender and will tear easily. The chick will scream like you are killing it, but just keep it up until their little butts are all clean, dry them off well, and pop them back in the brooder.


As others have said, you move them outside once they are fully feathered. At 6 weeks, you probably aren't far from that! Wait till a nice day, and give them a week closed up in their coop so they know to go back there. Make sure they have crushed granite grit once they are exposed to grass.

Do lots of research on the threads here....there is so much great information on this forum. Also, you may want to start building up a small first aid kit with emergency supplies for your chook's- Some things are difficult to find locally and need to be ordered online, and others may be found at your local feed store. It is nice to know you have a few things on hand for when the occasional emergency/sickness occurs.

Most of all, have fun! They are so sweet at this age!

 

[Mahonri]

As long as they can't escape the run, they can go into the coop as soon as it's built.

 

[6blackchicks]

Just took a photo of my fav at the moment.

Was wondering why this one has five toes and the others only 4???

 

[peewee6765]

probaly different breed!!Some have more then others

 

[Tartannik]

from Scotland! You are going to have lots of fun with your ickle chookens!!
Look forward to hearing more stories about them!