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

[Sussex19]

If you get grown hens, be very sure they are healthy, and you will still want to quarantine them for a while.

 

[Chicken poppy]

If you put rocks in the water, or colored glass marbles, you may not need to dip their beaks. They go peck at the shiny marbles (or rocks), and dip their own beaks, and learn where the water is. And after one chick finds the water, the others will follow their example and figure it out too.

Mine must be dumb then because mine didn’t I had to dip a few beaks in even with the rocks.

 

[NatJ]

Mine must be dumb then because mine didn’t I had to dip a few beaks in even with the rocks.

Huh, maybe some chicks are smarter than others. Or maybe I got lucky, and had really attractive marbles

 

[Chicken poppy]

maybe I got lucky, and had really attractive marbles

 

[Acre4Me]

Good luck! All good advice above.

 

[Karel]

Huh, maybe some chicks are smarter than others. Or maybe I got lucky, and had really attractive marbles

Good luck! All good advice above.

Thank you everyone!

 

[3KillerBs]

I wanted to put the red hanging lamp rather than a heat plate.

Are you brooding indoors or outdoors?

If your brooder is in a heated space then the Big Red Bulb is almost certainly going to be too hot and if your brooder is very small that could be extremely dangerous to the little ones.

Being in a hot climate, before I got a brooder plate I would use reptile bulbs in 150, 100, and 75 watts instead of the big 250 watt red lamp.

 

[Folly's place]

Have a thermometer set under the heat lamp, or under the brooder plate, at least the night before you get those chicks, so you can adjust things to be right for them.
They will be fine in the box from the store as long as your car is warmed up.
Make sure you know what chicks of different breeds look like before buying them! Feed stores are famous for mislabeling breeds, never mind sexes. At least have some idea what those chicks are before purchase!
And have fun! I much prefer getting chicks, never adult chickens from anyone else.
Mary

 

[Karel]

Thanks everyone. I was thinking to put the brooder in the garage. But I'm going to test a bit more, making sure the setup is right. There will be more chick days at feed stores.
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 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.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Thanks everyone. I was thinking to put the brooder in the garage. But I'm going to test a bit more, making sure the setup is right. There will be more chick days at feed stores.

Thats the best thing you can do.