Raising chicks while at work during the day?

[Molliep2]

Is it possible to raise chicks while at work all day?

 

[christwodog]

Yes, totally possible. I'm gone 12-13 hours/day so I just clean/refill food and water before I leave in the morning and then again when I get home. I've done two batches of chicks and starting the third this week when my shipment arrives. I haven't had any problems, as long as you get them set for the day, and then clean up their mess in the evening, you should be fine. Good luck!

 

[cholland]

If day old chicks the first few days take a lot of attention. But once you can trust water and food will last and not get spilled, etc. they can be okay all day.

 

[Blooie]

Absolutely. I even went out town for 3 days! But I darn sure wouldn’t have done it without planning and with a heat lamp in the brooder! Can you set up Mama Heating Pad or get a Premier or Eco-glow brooding plate to use, or do you already have something like that?

 

[lazy gardener]

Ideally, it would be a good idea to plan to be home the day you get the chicks. Perhaps get them on a Friday, and be home through the weekend to get them settled. IMO, MHP brooding system is the best, safest, most natural way to brood chicks. You will also need to be very sure that their waterer can not malfunction. This can happen if the jar gets cross threaded or shavings get kicked into the moat.

 

[christwodog]

I would go sit outside with my chicks after getting home from work and they would fly up onto my lap and sometimes fall asleep there. They are friendly and well adjusted, despite being left alone all day while very young. Yes it would be ideal to spend all day with them, but not realistic for most of us. I don't think they have a real grasp on the concept of time, like "where is that tall thing who brings us hard boiled egg, she's been gone all day?"

 

[blackdog043]

Is it possible to raise chicks while at work all day?

Yes it is! I have mine in a brooder outside in my coop with a Mama heat pad(Temps:lows upper 20's high's 50's right now). I make sure they're good to go with food and fresh water every morning, before I go to work. I'm gone about 12 hrs and peak in on them when I get home. I usually get them on a Friday afternoon, so I can keep an eye on them over the weekend. Checking for pasty butt and just making sure they're all doing good. It's not my first time with chicks/chickens. Also my chickens don't hate me for doing this and are friendly!

 

[Blooie]

Now, LG- Never a heat lamp! I said I wouldn’t do it without planning but I should have said OR with a heat lamp in the brooder. I blew that!

 

[Conan]

I think that there are all sorts of reasons that folks raise chickens. I suppose how you decide to raise your birds is your business and so long as they are healthy and well cared for, it doesn't matter if they are your best friends. Like most people, I have a day job and I want to raise adorable chickens - so I do both! I come down and say hello to them in the morning, feed them, make sure that they have clean water and listen to them wake up. When I get home in the afternoon, I spend lots of time with them throughout the evening. I tell them goodnight and put them to bed. I don't think they've got it so bad

 

[AmazingRachel]

As long as they have clean bedding, food, water, and heat, you shouldn't have a problem. However, I would suggest using something like this in order to greatly reduce the fire hazard compared to a 250W heat lamp.