Supply list

[Malbri]

Already excited about chicks that I havent even ordered yet

Ive even named some of them.
So, I need a list of supplies I need. I want to pick up stuff for a brooder this weekend. I think ill do one with a rubbermaid. So what do I need? There will be about 10 chicks)
-Rubbermaid(How big?)
-Chicken wire(for the top)
-Heat Lamp(What wattage, the room they will be kept in will probably be about 60-65 degrees)
-Extra Bulb
-Shavings(What kind? Pine?)
-Waterer(any specific kind? Should I have more than one?)
-Feeder(Any specific kind?)
-Feed(Kind, brand, amount? How long to keep them on it?)
-Electrolytes, vitimins? Anything like that?
Also, the chicken list
2 Dorkings
2 Black Stars
2 Wyandottes
2 Ameraucanas
2 Cochins

Any websites you would recommend?

 

[Malbri]

Oh, and a themometor

 

[Malbri]

And another question. How important is it that they be monitored at all times?
Everyone in this family works, but on weekdays I get home at 3:30 and my parents are home all day on the weekends. That would leave them home 8-3:30 on weekdays. Is this okay? I can make it so that someone is always home for there first 2 weeks, should I plan it so we can do that?

 

[Malbri]

BUMP

 

[humptydumpty]

i'm not really sure but heres a bump:

BUMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Henrietta23]

I haven't gotten chicks myself yet but I can answer part of the question for you and bump again.
For shavings you DON'T want cedar and I believe you will also need paper towels or old dish towels for the first few days so they won't eat the shavings.

 

[countryboy]

i have never raised chickens from chicks, but i have raised turkeys and still went to school and they did fine, i filled their waterers and feeders in the mornings and checked on them when i got home from school and then in the evening. back then we didn't have containers like rubber maid so i cant answer that question (we used large cardboard boxes and partitioned them off).

in my opinion they would be ok as long as they have food and water and the heat source does not create a fire or melting hazard.
i used a 100 watt bulb but someone else with experience with the plastic boxes could answer that better, and an extra bulb would be a must.

hardware cloth was used on the top and the lamp guard was wired to it so it couldn't get knocked off by anything. make sure the hole in the top is much bigger then the lamp guard to allow the hardware cloth to cool before it touches the plastic lid. someone else is going to have to answer the length width and depth question sorry, i'm wondering that myself since i'm going to be getting one myself.

shavings were pine

thermometer was placed half the length of the box from the lamp

this is a new adventure for me also, so any answers you get will help me too.

 

[Cassandra]

Well, I'm no expert. But I'll put in my two cents and bump again. I will just tell you what I did with pretty good luck.

If you are going to use a rubbermaid container, get the biggest one (by floor area, not volume) that you can find.

I used a piece of plexiglass for the top because I thought it would keep the heat in better, but I wasn't using an air tight tote, either. Obviously they need air. I used just a regular 100 watt light bulb on the outside of the glass (shining in) I was afraid they were going to burn themselves. LOL

Go to the feed store and ask for chick starter. You will have to decide in advance if you want "medicated" or not. I have never used medicated. (I think it kills parasites.) The man at my local feed store told me I could feed chick starter to the chicks for about five months. But when they got big enough to put in the run with the older chickens, (about 3.5 months) I started feeding them laying pellets, which is what the rest of them eat.

I may get fussed at for this, but I throw my chickens food on the ground. And while they were in a brooder, I threw it on the floor of their box. I tried using a couple of different kinds of feeders, but they seem to prefer scratching around on the floor/dirt for it.

I never bought any special bedding. I used broom straw and dried grass I pulled up out of the pasture. Once the baby chicks graduated to the outside brooder (several weeks old) I used the same as above and sometimes hay.

I used a big plastic chick waterer from the feed store. It has an opaque water reservoir and a very wide red base. I tried a couple of smaller ones (quart size) but the chicks would knock it over at least several times a day. My grown chickens drink out of a half-keg for the time being. I dump the water out and hose it out every few days. Surprisingly, it stays much cleaner than the chicken watering containers I have used. There are usually some food crumbles in the bottom of it when I clean it out. But it never gets crusted with mud and poop like everything else in the run does. I was afraid it might be a breeding ground for bugs, but I never see any in there. Best I can guess is the chickens must eat them if they try. LOL

My chickens probably have more humble accommodations than many. But they are tough and sturdy and seem healthy and happy. What I mean to say is, don't stress about it so much! You seem to be doing great.

Cassandra

 

[countryboy]

also i was told to put marbles in the waterer to keep the chicks from drowning in the waterer.
hope this helps, i don't have much experience in this area.

 

[Moselle]

Monitoring - on MyPetChicken.com, they suggest that someone should be available to check on them 5 times a day for the first couple weeks - I suppose to make sure they are warm enough and have enough water and food. That website has a good (free) chicken guide that you can read online - I found it very practical.

Pine shavings are recommended most and are very cheap - I saw a big bag of them at Walmart for about $5. For the first week, you should put paper towels over the shavings so the chicks don't try to eat them. You can get a heat lamp with a 250W infrared bulb - that should work pretty well.

Meyer hatchery has a chick starter kit for $20 (includes shipping) that includes 5lbs chick starter feed, growgel, chick vitamins, and chick grit.

The size of your rubbermaid bin probably depends on how long you'll keep them in it. For the first 4 weeks or so, a 2ft x 3ft bin would probably be just fine (that's a big bin.)

Some books I'd recommend (I found all these at my local public library): Keeping Chickens, Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, Keep Chickens, Living with Chickens, ChickenChickenChickChickChicken (OK, I made that one up.

) I was surprised at how many books on chickens my (urban) library actually has.

If you google "keeping chickens" you will probably find more info than you can possibly read! Have fun