Let's help those out that are brand new to chickens. This is what I've learned through trial and error in the last month about my chicks and housing them:
-Build or buy the coop BEFORE you bring the chicks home. You won't believe how fast they grow and you don't want to be without a bigger space for them when needed.
-As soon as the chicks are big enough, I've elevated the water by placing it on a brick or two. This keeps it much cleaner when they start to scratch their bedding. They also seem to poop in it less when it's not right on the ground with them.
-Sand has been the best litter for my brooders. I started out with pressed wood shavings, but they were expensive and I couldn't scoop out just the poop. the pellets also turned to sawdust when wet, and then the chicks would eat the sawdust. The sand dries out the poop so I can skim the top of it with a kitty litter scoop and leave the rest. My brooders never stink! I still scoop them daily. Another benefit of sand-they have unlimited grit available to them for eating and dust baths.
-After about the first week, I aim the heat lamp on half of my brooder box so they can self-regulate temperature. I keep the food and after in one half, and the light on the other. The light causes bacteria to grow a lot faster than without, plus they like cool water.
-Chicks like things to roost on. I started out with bricks. They love them because they get warm under the heat lamp, plus they are easy keep clean. I scrape the poop off of them, then rinse every few days as needed. They also like a piece of 2x4 laid flat, then turned on its side when bigger. A branch works well too. I suspend my branches between bricks to get them completely off the ground. Keeping the brooder interesting reduces pecking and fighting. I also put a clod of dirt in at around 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. My dirt had grass attached, so I just trimmed it down so it wouldn't get stuck in their crop. They went nuts over it!
-Poultry Drench and Vitamins & Electrolytes are your best friend. We had a chick that was 2 days old and stopped eating, drinking and walking soon after we got it home. I am convinced the Poultry Drench kept it alive when it didn't eat for nearly 24 hours.
-Apple cider vinegar keeps your chicks healthy. I use a cap full in my 1 qt. waterer. One gallon waterers should have a tablespoon. It guards against bad bacteria. I also use it to clean the brooders, feeders, and waterers.
-When my chicks first came home, I used an adjustable tripod stand to keep the heat lamp on. I kept a thermometer in the brooder and adjusted it up or down based on how warm I needed it. I have my brooders in the garage, so they required frequent checks when the temp dropped at night and rose during the day. Look for panting (too hot), and loud peeping and huddling under the lamp (too cold).
-I want my chickens to be pets, as well as a source for amazing eggs. To tame them, I make sure I go out several times a day and hold each one of them for at least a few minutes. Don't chase them around the brooder to pick them up. You can offer crumbles out of your hand, or treats after the first few weeks. I dug up worms from my garden, then got some mealworms. I say"chick, chick, chick!" and shake the bag of mealworms and they come running up to me. They are smart and figure out patterns pretty quickly. If you feed chicks treats, they will need grit to digest them.. A dish of sand works fine for this, if you're not planning on using sand as your litter. You can also draw a small dot on the palm of your hand and wait for them to hop into it to investigate.
-By the second week, I needed a top on my brooder because they started to fly up to the edge and perch. I made an inexpensive lid with a wood frame and chicken wire. It works great and doesn't get in the way of the heat lamp.
-And lastly, keeping chicks is addictive! I've brought home 4 separate batches now!.The first batch is almost a month old, so I had to create a separate brooder for the younger ones. They trampled the babies when I tried to integrate them. Be prepared with a second brooder if you plan on bringing home more chicks, or to use as isolation if someone gets sick. I have a 4 month old Silkie pullet that took to the chicks on the first day and she's been raising them. She's the perfect broody mama and it's made things much easier on me. Unfortunately, I only have 1 Silkie and the first batch of chicks are so attached to her, I can't move her to the other brooder with the newer chicks. The cry when I take her out of the box!
I hope this helps those of you who are just bringing chicks home and are wondering "what now?" Please share your tips and what you've learned!
(my brooder setup pictures are in my signature)
-Build or buy the coop BEFORE you bring the chicks home. You won't believe how fast they grow and you don't want to be without a bigger space for them when needed.
-As soon as the chicks are big enough, I've elevated the water by placing it on a brick or two. This keeps it much cleaner when they start to scratch their bedding. They also seem to poop in it less when it's not right on the ground with them.
-Sand has been the best litter for my brooders. I started out with pressed wood shavings, but they were expensive and I couldn't scoop out just the poop. the pellets also turned to sawdust when wet, and then the chicks would eat the sawdust. The sand dries out the poop so I can skim the top of it with a kitty litter scoop and leave the rest. My brooders never stink! I still scoop them daily. Another benefit of sand-they have unlimited grit available to them for eating and dust baths.
-After about the first week, I aim the heat lamp on half of my brooder box so they can self-regulate temperature. I keep the food and after in one half, and the light on the other. The light causes bacteria to grow a lot faster than without, plus they like cool water.
-Chicks like things to roost on. I started out with bricks. They love them because they get warm under the heat lamp, plus they are easy keep clean. I scrape the poop off of them, then rinse every few days as needed. They also like a piece of 2x4 laid flat, then turned on its side when bigger. A branch works well too. I suspend my branches between bricks to get them completely off the ground. Keeping the brooder interesting reduces pecking and fighting. I also put a clod of dirt in at around 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. My dirt had grass attached, so I just trimmed it down so it wouldn't get stuck in their crop. They went nuts over it!
-Poultry Drench and Vitamins & Electrolytes are your best friend. We had a chick that was 2 days old and stopped eating, drinking and walking soon after we got it home. I am convinced the Poultry Drench kept it alive when it didn't eat for nearly 24 hours.
-Apple cider vinegar keeps your chicks healthy. I use a cap full in my 1 qt. waterer. One gallon waterers should have a tablespoon. It guards against bad bacteria. I also use it to clean the brooders, feeders, and waterers.
-When my chicks first came home, I used an adjustable tripod stand to keep the heat lamp on. I kept a thermometer in the brooder and adjusted it up or down based on how warm I needed it. I have my brooders in the garage, so they required frequent checks when the temp dropped at night and rose during the day. Look for panting (too hot), and loud peeping and huddling under the lamp (too cold).
-I want my chickens to be pets, as well as a source for amazing eggs. To tame them, I make sure I go out several times a day and hold each one of them for at least a few minutes. Don't chase them around the brooder to pick them up. You can offer crumbles out of your hand, or treats after the first few weeks. I dug up worms from my garden, then got some mealworms. I say"chick, chick, chick!" and shake the bag of mealworms and they come running up to me. They are smart and figure out patterns pretty quickly. If you feed chicks treats, they will need grit to digest them.. A dish of sand works fine for this, if you're not planning on using sand as your litter. You can also draw a small dot on the palm of your hand and wait for them to hop into it to investigate.
-By the second week, I needed a top on my brooder because they started to fly up to the edge and perch. I made an inexpensive lid with a wood frame and chicken wire. It works great and doesn't get in the way of the heat lamp.
-And lastly, keeping chicks is addictive! I've brought home 4 separate batches now!.The first batch is almost a month old, so I had to create a separate brooder for the younger ones. They trampled the babies when I tried to integrate them. Be prepared with a second brooder if you plan on bringing home more chicks, or to use as isolation if someone gets sick. I have a 4 month old Silkie pullet that took to the chicks on the first day and she's been raising them. She's the perfect broody mama and it's made things much easier on me. Unfortunately, I only have 1 Silkie and the first batch of chicks are so attached to her, I can't move her to the other brooder with the newer chicks. The cry when I take her out of the box!
I hope this helps those of you who are just bringing chicks home and are wondering "what now?" Please share your tips and what you've learned!
(my brooder setup pictures are in my signature)
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