Picking up chicks on Thursday..

[gamomma]

My brooder is all set up and I will have it all warmed up and ready for my new babies...Going to pick them up at the hatchery here in GA. What should i bring to transport them in? Yes i have OCD and i am a list maker so i just want to make sure i have all me ground covered. Very nervous this will be our first foray into farm animals. On a side note...I dont eat eggs. never have been able to stand the smell

 

[Ashley Pederson]

I am taking an empty diaper box (cardboard) with some small holes cut around top of walls on two sides for ventilation to get mine. I will put a layer of the same bedding Im using in their brooder box in the box for cushion. This is my first batch of chicks as well, so I totally understand the wanting to be prepared feeling! Good luck!

 

[Rose66]

I know you're excited about getting your chicks! Take a box big enough to fit how ever many chicks you are getting. With that said, remember that young chicks like to be close to each other for warmth so you need a box that is just barely big enough when all the chicks are put in. How many are you getting and what age will they be when you get them?

I would put an old towel in the bottom of the box to give them good traction. I do not recommend shavings in the box because they do not give the chicks any kind of traction. You will need to punch a few holes in the top and one side so air can get in but don't punch so many that too much cold air comes in and makes them unable to stay warm by huddling together in the box. I also put the box in the front floor board where I can put the heat blowing on them to keep them warm. If it's a cold day when you pick them up, just go ahead and get used to the idea that you are going to be suffocating from heat in your car in order for the chicks to be warm. It's just a sacrifice we have to make sometimes.

I've also used a very small plastic dog crate before with a towel for traction and it worked out well too. Also some hatcheries provide a box for you so you might want to call ahead of time and see if they do.

How far away from the hatchery are you? What hatchery is it?

 

[collingwood]

I hope you have fun! I can't really help when it comes to raising baby chicks! But other than that I'm okay!

 

[gamomma]

Im getting them from GA Mad Hatcher. Its just shy of 3 hour drive. And we are getting a cold snap here in low country!! Thursday is supposed to be in the low 40s. Chicks are going to be a day/couple day old when i get them. My feet are cold natured so blowing the heater on floor boards wont be a problem.

 

[gamomma]

Yeah we can commiserate together on all the things were doing wrong

 

[collingwood]

Yes we can!

 

[Rose66]

If you want to you can wrap a light blanket or towel around the box to help keep in the warm air while they are in the floor boards. That way you won't have to run the heater quite so much which will help your suffocating from the heat. Keep check on the chicks every so often to make sure they are not too hot or too cold. If you have one of the HVAC thermometers that you can stick down in the box to tell you the temp without having to unwrap the whole box, that would be great.

I've heard of the GA Mad Hatcher. I heard they had good birds so good luck with your purchase.

Rose
*****

 

[willow-wils]

Where is the mad hatcher? Thanks

 

[Rose66]

Where is the mad hatcher? Thanks

It is located in Hawkinsville, GA. Their website is http://www.the-georgia-mad-hatcher.com/index.html