Raising Chicks Questions

[The Quail Guru]

I'm planning on getting some chicks online but I got few questions:

1) How many chicks do I need? I'm thinking of only getting about three since I don't have a lot of space to keep them but they will be free range. I'm not sure whether this is good enough or not since I heard that they are social birds.

2) How big should their brooder be and where should I keep it. I was planning on keeping them in a cardboard box. I'm not quite sure on where to keep the brooder yet though. It could be in an empty storage room but its quite cold in there during winter (and yes, it's winter here now in Australia) or I could keep them in a small shed but that's a bit cold as well. Or will they be warm enough in the rooms with a heat lamp? My last place to keep them is in my bedroom which is pretty warm but I don't know whether the chicks smell or not?

3) Do they make a lot of noise? I don't mind noise it's just that I don't know whether my dog will go crazy about the noise or not. Do chicks peep quite a lot or quite loudly? My dogs quite small but she always use to try to attack the quail so she'll probably try to get hold of the chicks as well.

4) How much does it cost to raise chicks into chickens. I'm keeping the chickens as pets so no breeding or egg selling for me but will it cost a fortune?

5) Should I use paper towels as the bedding or an old towel? Is there anything wrong with using these?

That's all the questions for now, thanks for any replies.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Good questions! Here's my best answers:

1) How many chicks do I need? That all depends on how many eggs you want, how many breeds you want to keep, how many birds you have time to care for and how many your area allows you to keep. If you are wanting a small flock that can provide for you and your family, I would recommend anywhere from 3-8 hens. Always make sure they have a buddy.

2) How big should their brooder be and where should I keep it. Chicks grow fast but they also start out very small meaning they don't need a ton os space right away. Here is a guideline to how much room they need as they grow:

Up to 2 weeks: 0.5 sq ft per chick
2-4 weeks: 1 sq ft per chick
4-8 weeks: 2.5 sq ft per chick
over 8 weeks: 4 sq ft per chick
You need to keep them in a warm, draft-free, safe area. A basement, garage or spare room are all great places to keep their brooder. They can smell but if you clean their living quarters regularly, they shouldn't be too bad.

3) Do they make a lot of noise? If chicks are content, they are generally quiet. If they are especially loud, something is wrong. They are either too hot, too cold, hurt or sick. Sometimes there is an occasional chick that just loves to make himself heard but usually they are quiet.

4) How much does it cost to raise chicks into chickens. It's impossible to say for sure. But, remember that they are growing creatures meaning they will need to eat and drink each day. They will poop and make a mess meaning you have to buy cleaning supplies and new bedding. You'll have to purchase their brooder and coop or buy materials to make them.

5) Should I use paper towels as the bedding or an old towel? Is there anything wrong with using these? I wouldn't recommend using an old towel unless you plan on pitching it and replacing it regularly. Paper towels work well for the first few days but soon chicks will develop the instinct to dig and paper towels don't work for that. So, you should use shredded paper, straw clippings or pine shavings. Do not use slippery substances such as newspaper or magazines as these will damage chicks' growing legs.

Make sure to check out these links as well.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/raising-chicks-artificially
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/raising-chickens-on-a-shoestring https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/raising-chicks-frequently-asked-questions-and-answers https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-and-raising-chicks

Good luck!

 

[The Quail Guru]

Thank you, this is very helpful

I'm only keeping chickens as pets, I grew up with them and they're my favourite animals! They're isa browns, are these good breeds? Again, thanks so much for the reply! You are very helpful

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Thank you, this is very helpful

I'm only keeping chickens as pets, I grew up with them and they're my favourite animals! They're isa browns, are these good breeds? Again, thanks so much for the reply! You are very helpful

No problem. Glad it helped!

I've never raised isa browns but I've heard they are good and lay lots of eggs.