Please advise: what do I need picking up chicks from feed store

[Chicken poppy]

I still would love to hatch my hens eggs. Or even better, maybe she gets broody. She is laying so much all winter. Like daily, barely never a break. She deserves some rest. Although not sure if being broody in winter is considered rest for their physiology.. I just love her so much. She talks to me. Especially when I give her treats she sounds so happy. And only to me. She runs away from everyone else. She makes me feel special.

She loves you lots then. Treasure her. You sound like you treat her well.

 

[Karel]

I was terrified when my partner brought them home. Mini dinosaurs with scales and pecky beaks....flappy wings. So I googled what they need for food, and their coop, etc etc. And now I'm officially addicted to barnyard Chicken. I love how everyone loves their flock!!


I'll get good pictures in the weekend and open a new thread on the proper place. I want to see what mix is in the orange roo. He is such a gentleman.

 

[NatJ]

Is it useful to put a thermostat with the lamp? Or do you just leave that on all time and test how high it has to hang for the correct temp at chick height?

Usually no thermostat. The chicks move themselves in and out of the warmer and cooler areas. You just need to be sure they have the right range of temperatures available. (With a hen, they would snuggle under her to warm up, then run around in the cold, then snuggle underneath again.)

A really big brooder makes life much easier. That way one end can be warm enough in all weather (but sometimes too hot) and the other end can be cool enough in all weather (but sometimes too cold.) Chicks are very good at moving from one spot to another to find a comfortable temperature.

By "really big brooder," I mean 4 to 6 feet in one direction, with the heat lamp all the way at one end. The cool end should definitely stay below 70 degrees, and colder is always fine. Even if the cool end gets cold enough to freeze water, that is perfectly fine when the chicks have a nice warm spot at the other end.

With a smaller brooder, it can be more difficult to get the temperature right, because of what amount of space is heated by the lamp. It often can be done, it just takes more fiddling.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Usually no thermostat. The chicks move themselves in and out of the warmer and cooler areas. You just need to be sure they have the right range of temperatures available. (With a hen, they would snuggle under her to warm up, then run around in the cold, then snuggle underneath again.)

A really big brooder makes life much easier. That way one end can be warm enough in all weather (but sometimes too hot) and the other end can be cool enough in all weather (but sometimes too cold.) Chicks are very good at moving from one spot to another to find a comfortable temperature.

By "really big brooder," I mean 4 to 6 feet in one direction, with the heat lamp all the way at one end. The cool end should definitely stay below 70 degrees, and colder is always fine. Even if the cool end gets cold enough to freeze water, that is perfectly fine when the chicks have a nice warm spot at the other end.

With a smaller brooder, it can be more difficult to get the temperature right, because of what amount of space is heated by the lamp. It often can be done, it just takes more fiddling.

No idea if this is a correct brooder to use but this is what i used for my hatch. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/king-metalworks-105-gal-galvanized-metal-tub

It worked really good for me and was tall enough to keep them in for a while.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Also, if you gently take your fingers and touch the edge of their vent, it can sometimes make them poop.

Obviously have some gloves on, so when they poop, turn the glove inside out.

Just some suggestions

 

[NatJ]

No idea if this is a correct brooder to use but this is what i used for my hatch. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/king-metalworks-105-gal-galvanized-metal-tub

It worked really good for me and was tall enough to keep them in for a while.

There are lots of thing that can work, and different people have different preferences. I personally prefer something larger, even for just a few chicks, but I'm glad it worked well you

 

[3KillerBs]

Is it useful to put a thermostat with the lamp? Or do you just leave that on all time and test how high it has to hang for the correct temp at chick height?

I like to put a thermometer directly under the lamp, sitting on a brick -- which is a good proxy for the height of a chick's back.

A really big brooder makes life much easier. That way one end can be warm enough in all weather (but sometimes too hot) and the other end can be cool enough in all weather (but sometimes too cold.) Chicks are very good at moving from one spot to another to find a comfortable temperature.

Yes. It's always sad to read a beginner's "Help, my chicks are dying!" thread and realize that the poor things were cooked in their little plastic tub because the owner didn't know they needed a cool area as well as a warm one.

By "really big brooder," I mean 4 to 6 feet in one direction, with the heat lamp all the way at one end. The cool end should definitely stay below 70 degrees, and colder is always fine. Even if the cool end gets cold enough to freeze water, that is perfectly fine when the chicks have a nice warm spot at the other end.

Mine is ridiculous, 4'x8', but they use every inch by the time they're 2 weeks old.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/run-to-outdoor-brooder-conversion.76634/

This is an old photo:

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

I agree, if you have the space to build, the more room the better. We used a pretty big dog crate, but by the time we had eleven chicks in there at 6+8 or 8+10 weeks... It was getting a little ridiculous. We kept a close eye on the temperature the whole time, until it was time to shut the heat off. (They were brooded indoors, in my dining room. Lol)

Remember: you will want to start bringing the high temp in the brooder down 5* or so each week, eventually getting them acclimated to room / ambient temperature. Depending on the temperature in your garage vs. coop, you may need to make some judgement calls by the end of their brooding time. As in, hypothetically, it could still be quite cold at night in March, so you might keep them in the brooder longer, without supplemental heat, just at ambient garage temps so they can acclimate before sleeping outside in their new feathers. Or whatever the specific case may be.

 

[3KillerBs]

I agree, if you have the space to build, the more room the better. We used a pretty big dog crate, but by the time we had eleven chicks in there at 6+8 or 8+10 weeks... It was getting a little ridiculous. We kept a close eye on the temperature the whole time, until it was time to shut the heat off. (They were brooded indoors, in my dining room. Lol)

Remember: you will want to start bringing the high temp in the brooder down 5* or so each week, eventually getting them acclimated to room / ambient temperature. Depending on the temperature in your garage vs. coop, you may need to make some judgement calls by the end of their brooding time. As in, hypothetically, it could still be quite cold at night in March, so you might keep them in the brooder longer, without supplemental heat, just at ambient garage temps so they can acclimate before sleeping outside in their new feathers. Or whatever the specific case may be.

View attachment 3392310

Just a note,

Many people here have found that their chicks feather out sufficiently to be weaned off heat several weeks earlier than this rather conservative chart, especially rapid-maturing breeds who have been raised outdoors so that they begin to acclimate to the temperatures early.

In moderate weather I reliably have chicks off heat at 4 weeks with night lows in the 40's (F), though this winter hatch will probably need closer to 6 weeks depending on the weather at the end of the month.

I did, however, have one batch with a couple chicks who had the slow-feathering gene. They needed a little heat at night for 6 weeks even in warm weather.

The point is, go by the chicks' feathering process rather than strictly by the chart. And make sure that they get the opportunity to acclimate to the current temperatures during the process.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Just a note,

Many people here have found that their chicks feather out sufficiently to be weaned off heat several weeks earlier than this rather conservative chart, especially rapid-maturing breeds who have been raised outdoors so that they begin to acclimate to the temperatures early.

The point is, go by the chicks' feathering process rather than strictly by the chart. And make sure that they get the opportunity to acclimate to the current temperatures during the process.

Yes, absolutely! Ultimately we as keepers need to just observe our birds, their development and behavior, be mindful of their situational factors, and respond accordingly. I am still new to all this chicken stuff, but that is what I keep reminding myself, as long as I am keeping an eye on things, considering whether or not I need to act, doing a little research and trusting my gut, that's all any of us are asked to do.