Ordered my 1st chicks!!

[Jeanette01]

Marbles in the water dish will prevent drowning from what I've seen...

 

[rides2far]

I bought the rubbery shelf liner for my brooders. I bought several rolls & cut them to size. When the got dirty, I rolled them up, shook them out, & ran them thru the washing machine. I put newspaper under them, that I tossed away. Worked out great & I have them for next time. Have fun with your babies!

 

[Jeanette01]

Ooh!! I like that idea!! The chicks don't try eat the mat?

 

[3riverschick]

Ooh!! I like that idea!! The chicks don't try eat the mat?

I have used them and never had chicks try to eat them. I have Light Sussex.
Best,
Karen

 

[MonicainAZ]

Report of day 1, based on this thread I tried the heating pad method, since I had one and since the heat lamp was annoying ME! They have not tried to eat it, and seem happy hanging out under it. And they definitely go to sleep when it is dark and get up when it's light.

The only downside is it takes up a lot of space - I only have 4 babies so I am keeping them in a box that is about 2'X3'.

Of course I am in Phoenix, where right now it is about 100 during the day and about 75 at night, and several of the babies slept near the heating pad instead of under it, LOL. But I also like that it heats up one specific area. The heat lamp heats up the whole garage! I don't want them to get too hot either.

When are your babies supposed to arrive?

 

[Jeanette01]

I love that the heating pad works for these little chicks!! I am very excited.. My babies should be here in a couple of weeks.. Longest couple of weeks in my life!! Lol!!

 

[Blooie]

While you endure that long, agonizing wait, how about a little reading material to pass the time. I think you'll find this interesting - at least I hope you do!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors

 

[KatharinetheGr8]

My chicks arrive in about a week, but I've got pullets to keep me entertained until then!

Sounds like you've got the basics covered! I used a red heating lamp for my first chicks and they seemed to do fine with sleep / wake cycles but I'm going to try the mama heating pad for my next chicks. I think the closer you can get to how mama would do it the better.

I've been wondering what people think is the best chick starter feed? I used the Dumor Chick Starter for my last girls, but am open to suggestions for my next babies. The Dumor was just easy to access at my Tractor Supply Store. There are several feed stores locally I can visit if I need to. Thanks!

 

[lazy gardener]

There is a lot of debate regarding the use of medicated or un-medicated feed. Depending on who you ask, you'll find that folks are pretty opinionated. Amprolium is the product in question. It is a Thiamine blocker. The Coccidia organism needs Thiamine to replicate, so it can't if Amprolium is in the chick's gut. Theory goes that chicks will have the benefit of medication while they build tolerance to the organism that is in all soils. Down side is that they often are taken off the med just when they are turned out onto the soil. The more natural approach, which I use is to expose them to my soils very early, within the first 2 weeks, (this is when they have the most antibodies in their system) so they can start building tolerance as well as getting healthy gut flora from the soil for a more natural flora balance. I've never had a bird with coccidiosis, and do not want to block Thiamine in my chick's diet. Broody raised chicks don't have issues with coccidiosis. Mama takes them out right away and they start eating soil, as well as picking at chicken feces in the yard to build their gut flora.

 

[MonicainAZ]

Here's the fluffy butt cave! When I went out to check on them because they were peeping loudly, they were all huddled up in the far corner. Silly babies. They were happy again once I put them under their heating pad!