questions. New to chicks

[junior67]

Hello. I have some questions (well lots but will just start with some). We are going to be getting some chicks around March (hopefully), need to build a coop and run still so hope weather is good enough to get it going so it is ready when chicks are ready to go outside. Anyways......... I had some questions about a brooder/ best place to keep them etc. I live in MA, in a small house with 2 adults, 2 teens, dogs and cats so no extra rooms to keep the chicks in. I was thinking of using a dog crate for the chicks with wire around it so they can't escape and no kitty paws can reach in. We are getting a puppy at some point so once done with it for the chicks it can be set aside and used again then so not a waste. We are thinking of getting 6-8 bantam chicks. So guess 1st question is what size crate should I get???? I am thinking of using the heating pad over the wire grate for heat for them so what size pad would work for that many chicks? Also where should I keep them? in my livingroom? in an unheated basement that we do use but it does get pretty chilly down there on cold days........... Also at what age can I put them in the coop and get them out of my house, planning on running electric out there so can move the heating pad set up out there so they can stay warm enough. I do want them to be used to us and friendly so they are pets as well so that is why I want them in the house at first. Sure I will have LOTS more questions but think that is the main ones to start.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You can brood them outside in the coop - keeps the mess out of the house and there's no need to transition them out in that case. As long as the heat pad is in a draft free spot they should be fine even down to close to freezing temps (you can add an towel or two around it to help hold heat in if needed). If you want them friendlier just visit them several times a day, I can't say the chicks I've brooded indoors are any more or less friendly than the ones brooded outdoors.

This is my outdoor brooding set up: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/ and yes I use a heating pad.

If you absolutely want to brood indoors, keep in mind they generate a lot of "dust" that will get on anything nearby, so place the brooder somewhere you don't mind getting dirty or is at least easy to clean. As far as crate size, since you mentioned getting a dog later, get one that will fit the size of dog you're planning to get (so if a big dog, then get a big crate).

 

[spartacus_63]

We are not planning on more than the initial clutch. My husband was thinking maybe 4 chickens, I want 6-8 since I want certain breeds and don't want to have to choose and would like 2 of each breed so there isn't anyone "left out". so don't see him agreeing to more than the 6-8. I was shocked when he even brought up having chickens but think our neighbors chickens that come to visit here and there got him wanting some. haahaa.

Someone should do a poll of how many BYC members did not plan to add to their flock after the initial flock...

 

[humblehillsfarm]

hmmmmmm interesting. I wonder if the local feed store has them sexed or if they are just straight run too. I didn't think to ask. They don't have the pre-order list out for another week or two they said. So guess I will wait on that and see.

I like the bathroom idea but we only have 1 and with 4 people in the house the light is bound to go on at least once a night if not twice. then my husband is up at 5am and my girls and I get up anytime between 6:15-7:25 depending on the day and if they have in school or remote learning that day so not sure how the bathroom would work with that. 4 people (2 are teen girls) and 1 bathroom doesn't make for a quiet room from dusk till dawn. haahaa. In May here, in MA, the basement would be plenty warm enough and it is draft free. there are a few windows and as I said it is used so people are down here since this is my computer "room" and my husband watches tv down here as well. I could always move them upstairs for the day but if they are in a big dog crate not sure how easy that would be. Good thing I have at least another month or so to think and figure it all out.

Local feed store, especially TSC won't sell them sexed. It's difficult to find sexed bantams.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would not use a heat pad because it will get soiled quickly.

A roll of Glad Press N Seal is am easy way to keep a heating pad clean throughout the brooding process. Just peel it off and toss once you're done for the season.

 

[JaeG]

I like using indoor rabbit cages as brooders. They are spacious enough for chicks to grow up in, they have a door at the front as well as the top, and they have a deep, solid base to contain the majority of bedding. With the solid base it also means the side door is higher up so when you open it the chicks have to jump up on the door frame before they can escape. With a crate they could easily escape when the door was open, which might not be the best thing with cats and dogs about.

I've never used a heat pad or brooder plate but I think it has to be low enough that their backs are against the heated surface. As long as they have an area that's warm enough for them all to warm up sufficiently the temperature of the rest of the brooder doesn't matter. Bantam chicks, being smaller, can feel the cold more than larger chicks so make sure they are toasty.

I always put a blanket around the sides of the brooder to block any drafts at first as well.

Hope that helps some and I'm sure more people will have ideas for you.

Bantams are my favourite kind of chickens.

 

[junior67]

I like using indoor rabbit cages as brooders. They are spacious enough for chicks to grow up in, they have a door at the front as well as the top, and they have a deep, solid base to contain the majority of bedding. With the solid base it also means the side door is higher up so when you open it the chicks have to jump up on the door frame before they can escape. With a crate they could easily escape when the door was open, which might not be the best thing with cats and dogs about.

I've never used a heat pad or brooder plate but I think it has to be low enough that their backs are against the heated surface. As long as they have an area that's warm enough for them all to warm up sufficiently the temperature of the rest of the brooder doesn't matter. Bantam chicks, being smaller, can feel the cold more than larger chicks so make sure they are toasty.

I always put a blanket around the sides of the brooder to block any drafts at first as well.

Hope that helps some and I'm sure more people will have ideas for you.

Bantams are my favourite kind of chickens.

Thank you!!!! I had read about putting cardboard around the bottom part of the crate to help with the mess and that would also help with them jumping out. I LOVE bantams! it is mainly what I had growing up (I grew up raising and showing chickens but haven't had them in probably close to 40 years now). I want to get some buff brahma bantams, Light brahma bantams, silver laced Wyandottes, and maybe silkies (2 of each)....

 

[Taylor39]

We used a dog crate for the same reasons. We lined the bottom half with cardboard which kept curious cats out. Line the bottom with a large trash bag and cover with your bedding material, we were able to reuse the trash bag 3-4 times between cage cleanings. It made changing the bedding really easy, just roll up and carry out to the compost pile.

I do NOT recommend a heating pad. Position a heat lamp (with the red light) over the cage. You can get one fairly cheep at any feed store. We also had ours in an unheated basement and just used an inexpensive thermometer to keep an eye on the temp. There's tons of charts on line that tell you week by week how warm they need to be, but it's easy to tell; As long as they're moving around, making noise and happy, they're doing good. Our light went out in the middle of the night once and we new because they all got completely quiet (side note, they are noisy little beasts! It takes a minute to get used to that) but they just piled on top of eachother to keep warm. We had a 48" crate for 10. It was hig enough until they were able to move to the coop.

Moving outside will depend on the weather and temp. You can start by moving them outside on warm days. You can do a heat lamp in a coop....but you'll get a lot of back and forth on this, it's VERY controversial in the chicken world for many reasons. I personally don't do it, just be safe if you choose to. We really enjoyed our girls in the house more than we thought we would. They ended up staying inside for about 8 weeks in the brooder, then in the garage in the brooder for another 5 weeks after that. We continuously moved the heat lamp further away the last 6-7 weeks and didn't use it at all during the last week (again that depends on the time of year/weather).

They definitely got handled more than the girls that we've hatched under hens in the coop. Be VERY sure to wash your hands whenever handling them however, Chickens carry multiple strains of bacteria that are not dangerous to them, but can make people sick. We made sure to teach the kids to wash their hands first thing after handling the chicks and to never have food and drink around them.

They will defend themselves great from cats once they're about 12-18weeks old. All three of our cats run from the chickens, even the beast that kills rabbits keeps her distance. Dogs can be trickier, ours is well trained and once he realized they were his immediately saw it as his job to protect them and they climb all over him. There are some great YouTube videos of how other people have approached it though.

Good luck! Enjoy! Chickens are amazing and I will never live without them again. They are a lot more work than I expected when I started, but also so much more fun than I imagined!!

 

[Taylor39]

I like using indoor rabbit cages as brooders. They are spacious enough for chicks to grow up in, they have a door at the front as well as the top, and they have a deep, solid base to contain the majority of bedding. With the solid base it also means the side door is higher up so when you open it the chicks have to jump up on the door frame before they can escape. With a crate they could easily escape when the door was open, which might not be the best thing with cats and dogs about.

I've never used a heat pad or brooder plate but I think it has to be low enough that their backs are against the heated surface. As long as they have an area that's warm enough for them all to warm up sufficiently the temperature of the rest of the brooder doesn't matter. Bantam chicks, being smaller, can feel the cold more than larger chicks so make sure they are toasty.

I always put a blanket around the sides of the brooder to block any drafts at first as well.

Hope that helps some and I'm sure more people will have ideas for you.

Bantams are my favourite kind of chickens.

Rabbit cages are such a great idea! Smaller mesh than a crate. We had a dog crate on hand so it just made sense. But it would have saved custom cutting cardboard and Frankensteining it together to fit around the inside to keep bedding and babies in and cats out.

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

Yeah, I was watching a hatchery tour and they said they didn't sex bantams because vent sexing was too hard on their tinier bodies. But that would be frustrating to only have straight run as an option! Not sure where you live, but you could for a place that specializes in older pullets. We have one in Georgia. You miss out on the cute baby stage though.

The colder the location where you plan to set up your "mama heating pad," the more draft-free and insulated you probably want it to be. I haven't had to worry much indoors. We just got standard sized chicks this week, and they are doing great inside. We temporarily started the 3 of them in a large plastic storage bin with clear sides. We used a divider panel from a dog crate as the lid to keep the other pets out, and added some mesh wire over it to keep the chicks in in case they get adventurous. We plan to move them to a larger brooder soon though. For now they are inside and have been doing great! The clear walls are nice so we (and the dogs) can watch them like a tv show, haha.

They are allllmost silent once they go to sleep except for little peep-murmers, and they happily, quietly peep and trill all day. Except if Ieave the room too long...I think one has decided I am "mama," and should be visible at all times. But I digress... my main point is the heating pad, if at the right height and whatnot, should result in MUCH quieter chicks at night from what I've read. It's dark, cozy, and closer to the "mama hen experience" I'm sure all baby chicks crave, haha.

We also have a small house, kids, other pets. What we've been doing is keeping them in the main living area with us while home, and putting them in the shower at night or if away, so we can have them in a separate room from other pets. That way no dogs, cats, etc will be tempted to try to break into their brooder while unsupervised. We've used pine shavings for bedding, which is a little saw-dusty, but not too bad because the solid sides of the tote catch most of it.

I also recommend having a dark area for night time that doesn't get bright at the crack of dawn, unless you want to be woken up by your adoring baby chicken "scream-peeping" for you. Or maybe they will do that regardless - testing that theory tonight by blackout-covering the bathroom window. Fingers crossed!

If you haven't, also look for local chicken groups on Facebook or similar. You can sometimes find out about additional, small local breeders (buyer beware - do your research about them). But some of them will take unwanted cockerels back - not for a refund, but just if you can't keep them and need a place to send them.