Preparing for homecoming

[JennaJane23]

Hello all! I'm new to the whole chicken experience and am excited to get my new babies in around 3 weeks. My question is what favorites does everyone have? What has stood the test of time?

-chick waterer
-chick feeder
-brooder light
-medicated chick feed vs not medicated
-chick grit
-treats or no treats

Thanks!

 

[WoDia]

I always brood small groups on piddle pads and paper towels (less dust and quick clean up) in large cardboard boxes, red heat lamp (more calming than bright white) firmly secured…. don’t rely on the attached clamp, non-medicated chick feed, make chick grit available at all times…. especially if you plan to give them chopped greens, etc for treats. Make sure to purchase a waterer that they can’t tip over as they grow. This advice may not help you out a lot, because I don’t know how many chicks you’re getting. All the best in your new chicken adventure!!

 

[Isadora]

Hi and welcome to BYC and the Chicken experience!
I like Little Giant 1 gallon waterers for my chicks.
For feeders I just use a plastic tray feeder with the holes cut in it. Really the chicks don't use these for very long so it's not like they need to withstand months of wear and tear.
I don't use medicated feed but that's a personal preference.
I also don't give my chicks treats until they're fully feathered. I want to make sure they get all the nutrition they need so only offer them actual chick starter.
And to go along with that, since I'm not giving them any treats, I don't offer grit until they're introduced to treats.

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

- Chick waterer
- Chick feeder
For these the small 1 quart plastic ones at TSC or your local farmstore are what I use. I also use these for taking chickens to fair. When your chicks get older they will need a larger feeder and waterer. I started with plastic 1 gallon water and 1 pound feeder. They both broke. I bought a 2 pound plastic feeder. My grandma bought a metal one, hers is more durable. I also bought a 2 gallon metal waterer. It is easier to fill and more durable.

-Brooder light
Whether it has a light or not you will need a heat lamp. I use a adjustable reptile heat lamp, because as the chicks get older, you should make it cooler in their brooder. Many people use red light heat lamps. I have also used those. In my experience day old chicks like it about 95 F. It also depends on how many chicks you have. Then decrease it by about 5F each week. If the chicks huddle, they are cold. If they pant, they are hot.

- Medicated feed vs. Non medicated feed.
I have used both. It also depends on chicks. I would say if you got them shipped then medicated is the way to go. Just picked them up from TSC? I think normal chick feed is fine. I just hatched some tiny miracle babies. They have plain chick feed. I do suggest you give Save-a-chick or hydro hen. Hydro hen is cheaper and possess the same qualities. You just mix into water.

-Chick grit
- Treats or no treats
I have never gave chick grit. However I don't give mine treats either. The first time they get treats is when they go outside. They dont get grit out there either. I know they should, but they don't. I have 2 year old chickens and this is my 3rd batch of healthy chicks, all have lived fine without grit. That being said, you should get chick grit. It is healthier for the chicks if you do. As long as you give grit, I think treats are an option. I would skip the first week though. With older chicks, many people offer chunks of grass and dirt.

I keep my chicks in a tote with shavings as a brooder. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

[JennaJane23]

I always brood small groups on piddle pads and paper towels (less dust and quick clean up) in large cardboard boxes, red heat lamp (more calming than bright white) firmly secured…. don’t rely on the attached clamp, non-medicated chick feed, make chick grit available at all times…. especially if you plan to give them chopped greens, etc for treats. Make sure to purchase a waterer that they can’t tip over as they grow. This advice may not help you out a lot, because I don’t know how many chicks you’re getting. All the best in your new chicken adventure!!

Hello! Thanks for the reply. I'm getting 11 (hopefully 10 female and 1 male). I was reading online to put marble or rocks in the waterer and then I was thinking of using the long feeders with the holes in them so they don't fall in. I was going to get a large plastic tote and put holes in the top so my cats don't get them and get one of those brooders that has the flat metal top. I'm away at work most days so I'm a bit worried about using one of the traditional style heat lamps. What kind of chick feed and grit do you use? Why do you say non-medicated? Thanks!

 

[JennaJane23]

Hi and welcome to BYC and the Chicken experience!
I like Little Giant 1 gallon waterers for my chicks.
For feeders I just use a plastic tray feeder with the holes cut in it. Really the chicks don't use these for very long so it's not like they need to withstand months of wear and tear.
I don't use medicated feed but that's a personal preference.
I also don't give my chicks treats until they're fully feathered. I want to make sure they get all the nutrition they need so only offer them actual chick starter.
And to go along with that, since I'm not giving them any treats, I don't offer grit until they're introduced to treats.

Thanks for the info, I'll look up that waterer! I think i like those plastic feeders too.

 

[Ridgerunner]

-chick waterer

I started out using these

But switched to this. My 3' x 6' brooder is outside in the coop. If yours is inside your house your wants are probably different. My broods are typically in the range of 20 chicks. I found the plastic ones can be knocked over and unless they are really level they can leak. If the black rubber bowl freezes it won't break, I just turn it over and beat it against the ground or stomp it to get the ice out. For young chicks I put rocks in it so they can walk on it without drowning.

The will poop in either of these so you need to empty the water daily. They need clean water. Emptying it daily also keeps mosquitoes from breeding in it since it is outside. Raising either off the coop floor helps reduce how much trash they scratch into it. Some people use nipples but I've never tried those.

-chick feeder

I use this one, should be available at any feed store. I made a U-shaped form to keep them from turning it over when they stand on it.

-brooder light

I assume you are talking about what you use to provide heat. I use a heat lamp, which wattage bulb depends on the temperatures. I brood outside whether the temperatures are below freezing or in the heat of summer so I change with the conditions. If you use a heat lamp toss that clamp so you are not tempted to use it. I consider it dangerous. Support the lamp with wire or chain so it cannot fall or get knocked over.

Heating pads and heat plates are really popular. If you are brooding in the house and only a few chicks one of those are probably your best choice. People also use pads and plates outside. What you need is a brooder that has one spot warm enough in the coldest conditions and a spot cool enough in the warmest conditions. A heat lamp in your house can easily overheat the entire brooder.

-medicated chick feed vs not medicated

I'll copy something I wrote a few years back so maybe you can make an informed decision.

First you need to know what the "medicated" is in the medicated feed. It should be on the label. Usually it is Amprolium, Amprol, some such product, but until you read the label, you really don't know. Most "medicated' feed from major brands for chicks that will be layers uses Amprolium, but there are a few out there mostly for broilers that use other medicines. I'll assume yours is an Amprolium product, but if it is not, then realize everything I say about it may not apply. And it is possible that the "medicated" is Amprolium AND something else.

Amprol is not an antibiotic. It does not kill anything. It inhibits the protozoa that cause coccidiosis (often called Cocci on this forum) from multiplying in the chicken's system. It does not prevent the protozoa from multiplying; it just slows that multiplication down. There are several different strains of protozoa that can cause Cocci, some more severe than others. Chickens can develop immunity to a specific strain of the protozoa, but that does not give them immunity to all protozoa that cause Cocci. Little bitty tiny baby chicks can develop that immunity easier than older chickens.

It is not a big deal for the chicken’s intestines to contain some of the protozoa that cause Cocci. The problem comes in when the number of those protozoa gets huge. The protozoa can multiply in the chicken’s intestines but also in wet manure. Different protozoa strains have different strengths, but for almost all cases, if you keep the brooder dry, you will not have a problem.

To develop immunity to a specific strain, that protozoa needs to be in the chicks intestines for two or three weeks. The normal sequence is that a chick has the protozoa. It poops and some of the cysts that develop the protozoa come out in the poop. If the poop is slightly damp, those cysts develop and will then develop in the chick's intestines when the chicks eat that poop. This cycle needs go on for a few weeks so all chicks are exposed and they are exposed long enough to develop immunity. A couple of important points here. You do need to watch them to see if they are getting sick. And the key is to keep the brooder dry yet allow some of the poop to stay damp. Not soaking wet, just barely damp. Wet poop can lead to serious problems.

What sometimes happens is that people keep chicks in a brooder and feed them medicated feed while they are in the brooder. Those chicks are never exposed to the Cocci protozoa that lives in the dirt in their run, so they never develop the immunity to it. Then, they are switched to non-medicated feed and put on the ground where they are for the first time exposed to the protozoa. They do not have immunity, they do not have the protection of the medicated feed, so they get sick. Feeding medicated feed while in the brooder was a complete waste.

I do not feed medicated feed. I keep the brooder dry to not allow the protozoa to breed uncontrollably. The third day that they are in the brooder, I take a scoop of dirt from the run and feed it to them so I can introduce the protozoa and they can develop the immunity they need to the strain they need to develop an immunity to. To provide a place for that slightly damp poop, I keep a square of plywood in the dry brooder and let the poop build up on that. I don't lose chicks to Cocci when they hit the ground.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding medicated feed to chicks, whether the protozoa are present or not. It will not hurt them. They can still develop the immunity they need. But unless the protozoa are present, it also does no good.

If you get your chicks vaccinated for Cocci, do not feed medicated feed. It can negate the vaccinations.

-chick grit

One of the first thing my broody hens do when they bring their chicks off of the nest is to take them to a bare spot of ground where they can peck at it. Among other things they are getting grit into their system. When I give them some dirt from the run they get grit, get any probiotics the adults may have, and get started on working at any flock immunities they may need. You probably don't have adults so you don't get the benefits of probiotics but dirt gives you the other benefits. Or you can by properly sized chick grit at the feed store.

-treats or no treats

As long as all they eat is the chick feed they don't need grit. It's already ground up even if it is in crumbles form. But if they eat much of anything else they need grit to grind it up in their gizzard.

The chick feed contains all the nutrients they need and in the amounts for a balanced diet. If you feed treats you can upset that balanced diet. I don't care what the treat is it is not a balanced diet by itself. I don't see anything wrong with treats, whatever you are calling treats, as long as it is in pretty small amounts. The general rule if thumb is that all the treats combined in a day should be less than 10% of their daily diet. Who can tell what 10% is, I can't. If they can clean it up in about 10 minutes you should be fine.

I know this is long but you asked a lot of questions. Hopefully you can get something useful out of this. And good luck with those chick.

 

[JennaJane23]

- Chick waterer
- Chick feeder
For these the small 1 quart plastic ones at TSC or your local farmstore are what I use. I also use these for taking chickens to fair. When your chicks get older they will need a larger feeder and waterer. I started with plastic 1 gallon water and 1 pound feeder. They both broke. I bought a 2 pound plastic feeder. My grandma bought a metal one, hers is more durable. I also bought a 2 gallon metal waterer. It is easier to fill and more durable.

-Brooder light
Whether it has a light or not you will need a heat lamp. I use a adjustable reptile heat lamp, because as the chicks get older, you should make it cooler in their brooder. Many people use red light heat lamps. I have also used those. In my experience day old chicks like it about 95 F. It also depends on how many chicks you have. Then decrease it by about 5F each week. If the chicks huddle, they are cold. If they pant, they are hot.

- Medicated feed vs. Non medicated feed.
I have used both. It also depends on chicks. I would say if you got them shipped then medicated is the way to go. Just picked them up from TSC? I think normal chick feed is fine. I just hatched some tiny miracle babies. They have plain chick feed. I do suggest you give Save-a-chick or hydro hen. Hydro hen is cheaper and possess the same qualities. You just mix into water.

-Chick grit
- Treats or no treats
I have never gave chick grit. However I don't give mine treats either. The first time they get treats is when they go outside. They dont get grit out there either. I know they should, but they don't. I have 2 year old chickens and this is my 3rd batch of healthy chicks, all have lived fine without grit. That being said, you should get chick grit. It is healthier for the chicks if you do. As long as you give grit, I think treats are an option. I would skip the first week though. With older chicks, many people offer chunks of grass and dirt.

I keep my chicks in a tote with shavings as a brooder. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Thanks for the info! I'm getting the chicks driven here/meeting part way (11 orpingtons). I'll google the hydro hen, thanks!

 

[JennaJane23]

I started out using these
View attachment 2979885

But switched to this. My 3' x 6' brooder is outside in the coop. If yours is inside your house your wants are probably different. My broods are typically in the range of 20 chicks. I found the plastic ones can be knocked over and unless they are really level they can leak. If the black rubber bowl freezes it won't break, I just turn it over and beat it against the ground or stomp it to get the ice out. For young chicks I put rocks in it so they can walk on it without drowning.
View attachment 2979887

The will poop in either of these so you need to empty the water daily. They need clean water. Emptying it daily also keeps mosquitoes from breeding in it since it is outside. Raising either off the coop floor helps reduce how much trash they scratch into it. Some people use nipples but I've never tried those.


I use this one, should be available at any feed store. I made a U-shaped form to keep them from turning it over when they stand on it.

View attachment 2979898

I assume you are talking about what you use to provide heat. I use a heat lamp, which wattage bulb depends on the temperatures. I brood outside whether the temperatures are below freezing or in the heat of summer so I change with the conditions. If you use a heat lamp toss that clamp so you are not tempted to use it. I consider it dangerous. Support the lamp with wire or chain so it cannot fall or get knocked over.

Heating pads and heat plates are really popular. If you are brooding in the house and only a few chicks one of those are probably your best choice. People also use pads and plates outside. What you need is a brooder that has one spot warm enough in the coldest conditions and a spot cool enough in the warmest conditions. A heat lamp in your house can easily overheat the entire brooder.


I'll copy something I wrote a few years back so maybe you can make an informed decision.

First you need to know what the "medicated" is in the medicated feed. It should be on the label. Usually it is Amprolium, Amprol, some such product, but until you read the label, you really don't know. Most "medicated' feed from major brands for chicks that will be layers uses Amprolium, but there are a few out there mostly for broilers that use other medicines. I'll assume yours is an Amprolium product, but if it is not, then realize everything I say about it may not apply. And it is possible that the "medicated" is Amprolium AND something else.

Amprol is not an antibiotic. It does not kill anything. It inhibits the protozoa that cause coccidiosis (often called Cocci on this forum) from multiplying in the chicken's system. It does not prevent the protozoa from multiplying; it just slows that multiplication down. There are several different strains of protozoa that can cause Cocci, some more severe than others. Chickens can develop immunity to a specific strain of the protozoa, but that does not give them immunity to all protozoa that cause Cocci. Little bitty tiny baby chicks can develop that immunity easier than older chickens.

It is not a big deal for the chicken’s intestines to contain some of the protozoa that cause Cocci. The problem comes in when the number of those protozoa gets huge. The protozoa can multiply in the chicken’s intestines but also in wet manure. Different protozoa strains have different strengths, but for almost all cases, if you keep the brooder dry, you will not have a problem.

To develop immunity to a specific strain, that protozoa needs to be in the chicks intestines for two or three weeks. The normal sequence is that a chick has the protozoa. It poops and some of the cysts that develop the protozoa come out in the poop. If the poop is slightly damp, those cysts develop and will then develop in the chick's intestines when the chicks eat that poop. This cycle needs go on for a few weeks so all chicks are exposed and they are exposed long enough to develop immunity. A couple of important points here. You do need to watch them to see if they are getting sick. And the key is to keep the brooder dry yet allow some of the poop to stay damp. Not soaking wet, just barely damp. Wet poop can lead to serious problems.

What sometimes happens is that people keep chicks in a brooder and feed them medicated feed while they are in the brooder. Those chicks are never exposed to the Cocci protozoa that lives in the dirt in their run, so they never develop the immunity to it. Then, they are switched to non-medicated feed and put on the ground where they are for the first time exposed to the protozoa. They do not have immunity, they do not have the protection of the medicated feed, so they get sick. Feeding medicated feed while in the brooder was a complete waste.

I do not feed medicated feed. I keep the brooder dry to not allow the protozoa to breed uncontrollably. The third day that they are in the brooder, I take a scoop of dirt from the run and feed it to them so I can introduce the protozoa and they can develop the immunity they need to the strain they need to develop an immunity to. To provide a place for that slightly damp poop, I keep a square of plywood in the dry brooder and let the poop build up on that. I don't lose chicks to Cocci when they hit the ground.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding medicated feed to chicks, whether the protozoa are present or not. It will not hurt them. They can still develop the immunity they need. But unless the protozoa are present, it also does no good.

If you get your chicks vaccinated for Cocci, do not feed medicated feed. It can negate the vaccinations.


One of the first thing my broody hens do when they bring their chicks off of the nest is to take them to a bare spot of ground where they can peck at it. Among other things they are getting grit into their system. When I give them some dirt from the run they get grit, get any probiotics the adults may have, and get started on working at any flock immunities they may need. You probably don't have adults so you don't get the benefits of probiotics but dirt gives you the other benefits. Or you can by properly sized chick grit at the feed store.


As long as all they eat is the chick feed they don't need grit. It's already ground up even if it is in crumbles form. But if they eat much of anything else they need grit to grind it up in their gizzard.

The chick feed contains all the nutrients they need and in the amounts for a balanced diet. If you feed treats you can upset that balanced diet. I don't care what the treat is it is not a balanced diet by itself. I don't see anything wrong with treats, whatever you are calling treats, as long as it is in pretty small amounts. The general rule if thumb is that all the treats combined in a day should be less than 10% of their daily diet. Who can tell what 10% is, I can't. If they can clean it up in about 10 minutes you should be fine.

I know this is long but you asked a lot of questions. Hopefully you can get something useful out of this. And good luck with those chick.

Thank you for all the info. That is very interesting about the medicated chick feed. I'm happy to learn as much as I can before my babies arrive so I can make sure they are happy and healthy.

 

[JennaJane23]

I started out using these
View attachment 2979885

But switched to this. My 3' x 6' brooder is outside in the coop. If yours is inside your house your wants are probably different. My broods are typically in the range of 20 chicks. I found the plastic ones can be knocked over and unless they are really level they can leak. If the black rubber bowl freezes it won't break, I just turn it over and beat it against the ground or stomp it to get the ice out. For young chicks I put rocks in it so they can walk on it without drowning.
View attachment 2979887

The will poop in either of these so you need to empty the water daily. They need clean water. Emptying it daily also keeps mosquitoes from breeding in it since it is outside. Raising either off the coop floor helps reduce how much trash they scratch into it. Some people use nipples but I've never tried those.


I use this one, should be available at any feed store. I made a U-shaped form to keep them from turning it over when they stand on it.

View attachment 2979898

I assume you are talking about what you use to provide heat. I use a heat lamp, which wattage bulb depends on the temperatures. I brood outside whether the temperatures are below freezing or in the heat of summer so I change with the conditions. If you use a heat lamp toss that clamp so you are not tempted to use it. I consider it dangerous. Support the lamp with wire or chain so it cannot fall or get knocked over.

Heating pads and heat plates are really popular. If you are brooding in the house and only a few chicks one of those are probably your best choice. People also use pads and plates outside. What you need is a brooder that has one spot warm enough in the coldest conditions and a spot cool enough in the warmest conditions. A heat lamp in your house can easily overheat the entire brooder.


I'll copy something I wrote a few years back so maybe you can make an informed decision.

First you need to know what the "medicated" is in the medicated feed. It should be on the label. Usually it is Amprolium, Amprol, some such product, but until you read the label, you really don't know. Most "medicated' feed from major brands for chicks that will be layers uses Amprolium, but there are a few out there mostly for broilers that use other medicines. I'll assume yours is an Amprolium product, but if it is not, then realize everything I say about it may not apply. And it is possible that the "medicated" is Amprolium AND something else.

Amprol is not an antibiotic. It does not kill anything. It inhibits the protozoa that cause coccidiosis (often called Cocci on this forum) from multiplying in the chicken's system. It does not prevent the protozoa from multiplying; it just slows that multiplication down. There are several different strains of protozoa that can cause Cocci, some more severe than others. Chickens can develop immunity to a specific strain of the protozoa, but that does not give them immunity to all protozoa that cause Cocci. Little bitty tiny baby chicks can develop that immunity easier than older chickens.

It is not a big deal for the chicken’s intestines to contain some of the protozoa that cause Cocci. The problem comes in when the number of those protozoa gets huge. The protozoa can multiply in the chicken’s intestines but also in wet manure. Different protozoa strains have different strengths, but for almost all cases, if you keep the brooder dry, you will not have a problem.

To develop immunity to a specific strain, that protozoa needs to be in the chicks intestines for two or three weeks. The normal sequence is that a chick has the protozoa. It poops and some of the cysts that develop the protozoa come out in the poop. If the poop is slightly damp, those cysts develop and will then develop in the chick's intestines when the chicks eat that poop. This cycle needs go on for a few weeks so all chicks are exposed and they are exposed long enough to develop immunity. A couple of important points here. You do need to watch them to see if they are getting sick. And the key is to keep the brooder dry yet allow some of the poop to stay damp. Not soaking wet, just barely damp. Wet poop can lead to serious problems.

What sometimes happens is that people keep chicks in a brooder and feed them medicated feed while they are in the brooder. Those chicks are never exposed to the Cocci protozoa that lives in the dirt in their run, so they never develop the immunity to it. Then, they are switched to non-medicated feed and put on the ground where they are for the first time exposed to the protozoa. They do not have immunity, they do not have the protection of the medicated feed, so they get sick. Feeding medicated feed while in the brooder was a complete waste.

I do not feed medicated feed. I keep the brooder dry to not allow the protozoa to breed uncontrollably. The third day that they are in the brooder, I take a scoop of dirt from the run and feed it to them so I can introduce the protozoa and they can develop the immunity they need to the strain they need to develop an immunity to. To provide a place for that slightly damp poop, I keep a square of plywood in the dry brooder and let the poop build up on that. I don't lose chicks to Cocci when they hit the ground.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding medicated feed to chicks, whether the protozoa are present or not. It will not hurt them. They can still develop the immunity they need. But unless the protozoa are present, it also does no good.

If you get your chicks vaccinated for Cocci, do not feed medicated feed. It can negate the vaccinations.


One of the first thing my broody hens do when they bring their chicks off of the nest is to take them to a bare spot of ground where they can peck at it. Among other things they are getting grit into their system. When I give them some dirt from the run they get grit, get any probiotics the adults may have, and get started on working at any flock immunities they may need. You probably don't have adults so you don't get the benefits of probiotics but dirt gives you the other benefits. Or you can by properly sized chick grit at the feed store.


As long as all they eat is the chick feed they don't need grit. It's already ground up even if it is in crumbles form. But if they eat much of anything else they need grit to grind it up in their gizzard.

The chick feed contains all the nutrients they need and in the amounts for a balanced diet. If you feed treats you can upset that balanced diet. I don't care what the treat is it is not a balanced diet by itself. I don't see anything wrong with treats, whatever you are calling treats, as long as it is in pretty small amounts. The general rule if thumb is that all the treats combined in a day should be less than 10% of their daily diet. Who can tell what 10% is, I can't. If they can clean it up in about 10 minutes you should be fine.

I know this is long but you asked a lot of questions. Hopefully you can get something useful out of this. And good luck with those chick.

Also since i'm just getting them I don't have a run set up (spring project) so can i just go out and dig up some frozen dirty to put in with them when it thaws? Also should it have grass on the top? Thanks!