questions. New to chicks

[junior67]

Do you still have the crates from the other dogs? What dimensions are they? Also, how many chicks are you getting again?

no we don't have their crates. They are 13 and 11 yrs old now so not sure where they went but the 11 yr old pup is only 5lbs so his crate wouldn't have worked. haahaa. we just ordered 8 chicks, brahma's, cochins, faverolle, and hamburg. should a 36" crate work till they are around 6 weeks old and I move them outside (even if I have to move them out with the MHP)?

 

[birdlover2]

no we don't have their crates. They are 13 and 11 yrs old now so not sure where they went but the 11 yr old pup is only 5lbs so his crate wouldn't have worked. haahaa. we just ordered 8 chicks, brahma's, cochins, faverolle, and hamburg. should a 36" crate work till they are around 6 weeks old and I move them outside (even if I have to move them out with the MHP)?

I think it should work for 8 chicks We've kept ours in smaller

 

[birdlover2]

Be sure to give them a heat lamp or pad and put it mainly on one side so they can go to the cooler side if they want/need. Also try and get one with a tray so you can put the shavings in the bottom. And they often get pine shavings in theri water so change it often.

 

[junior67]

Be sure to give them a heat lamp or pad and put it mainly on one side so they can go to the cooler side if they want/need. Also try and get one with a tray so you can put the shavings in the bottom. And they often get pine shavings in theri water so change it often.

the crate will have a tray but think I am also going to put a box in there or at least pieces of cardboard up the side to keep a bit more of the mess in the crate. Doing a nipple waterer to hopefully help keep that mess down a little bit more. and using a MHP. I don't get my chicks for another (just under) 7 weeks. I am so excited and want to buy everything now and get it set up. LOL but trying to hold off a couple weeks at least. Most likely I will have it all a couple weeks before and then set it up a few days before they are due to come in.

 

[MarciaN]

We did the cave method with our now 3 day olds. Used a large dog crate and wrapped the bottom with some plastic mesh because we have cats inside. The cave is made with chicken wire with a heating pad over the top of it, then a towel, and straw. They love to go inside or sit on the top. And no bright lights in there eyes.

 

[junior67]

We did the cave method with our now 3 day olds. Used a large dog crate and wrapped the bottom with some plastic mesh because we have cats inside. The cave is made with chicken wire with a heating pad over the top of it, then a towel, and straw. They love to go inside or sit on the top. And no bright lights in there eyes.

oh my they are so cute!!!!!!!!!! do you like the straw better than shavings? I am doing the hardware cloth that we will use for the coop/run around the sides since we have cats as well and I know they will have their paws in there if they can! Was thinking of doing a cooling rack for the MHP. what size heating pad do you have? I see you have lots of chicks so if it fits all of them then that size will fit my 8. I can't WAIT to get my babies! I could have ordered them to have them ready earlier but we still have to build the coop and run and have snow on the ground and it is freezing outside and will be for the next few weeks. So had to give us enough time to get that done before they move out there. So I did April 8/9 then need to have outside stuff done sometime in May for them so hopefully we have enough time.

 

[MarciaN]

oh my they are so cute!!!!!!!!!! do you like the straw better than shavings? I am doing the hardware cloth that we will use for the coop/run around the sides since we have cats as well and I know they will have their paws in there if they can! Was thinking of doing a cooling rack for the MHP. what size heating pad do you have? I see you have lots of chicks so if it fits all of them then that size will fit my 8. I can't WAIT to get my babies! I could have ordered them to have them ready earlier but we still have to build the coop and run and have snow on the ground and it is freezing outside and will be for the next few weeks. So had to give us enough time to get that done before they move out there. So I did April 8/9 then need to have outside stuff done sometime in May for them so hopefully we have enough time.

It's a fairly large heating pad, pretty old as well. It's one that won't turn off after a few hrs luckily. But yes we have 11 chicks and 11 more in the bator. I believe all 22 could fit pretty comfortably at this small size and maybe for a few more weeks. The next batch won't be out for almost 2 weeks tho so there going to be in another kennel till they get a little bigger.
What's MHP?
And good luck with your babies! It's really awesome raising chickens. My husband and I are fairly new to it all. As we just started raising in June of last year. But there so rewarding!

 

[rosemarythyme]

What's MHP?

Mama Heating Pad. Basically, what you've built there.

 

[junior67]

was going to have the brooder in my unheated basement, we use it as my husband watches tv down here so kinda his "man cave", and my computer is down here. There are small windows but we still have to turn on the lights during the day most times since as I said the windows are small. Thinking of having the brooder in my livingroom instead as it is heated, a nice big window that I can leave the blinds up on, it is used more during the daytime when my husband is working etc. but HOW messy would it get? I know I have read that they can be very messy. As I have said I am going to have them in a dog crate with cardboard up the sides probably at least a foot. Then hardware cloth around it as well to keep kitty paws out. Would this help keep the mess down?

 

[rosemarythyme]

but HOW messy would it get? I know I have read that they can be very messy.

Chicken dust and dander (which is about as pleasant to clean as grease in a kitchen) can make it a good 6' out in every direction from the brooder, so I wouldn't have it close to any furniture if I could help it.