- May 11, 2011
- 4
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I've been looking into chickens for about 2 years, and have finally taken the plunge. I ordered a straight run of 25 chicks for large breeds from McMurray hatchery. Birds will show up at my post office the week of June 26th.
I've got the following things so far:
5ft Diameter kids wading pool for brooder
250watt red infared light (on the way)
fixture for the light
I plan on using wood chips for bedding in the wading pool.
A few questions:
I've looked at different feeders and waterers and am having a hard time deciding what to get. I found some that look good but the product description says they are for "game bird" chicks. Will they work with chicken chicks?
The chickens will ultimately be living in an "shed" that the person who used to live on our farm used as a house for their cats. The thing is large, has four sturdy walls, floor, and roof, and is wired for electricity. I'll need to fix up some of the windows and put a latch on the door. Does it make sense to simply have the chicks in the wading pool out in their future home, or should I keep them in the house (in the basement) for at least awhile?
I'm confused about how much heat and light the chicks need.
Do you keep a light on them 24/7? Or do you turn it off at night? If you turn the light off at night do you still need a heat source when its dark? I'm in southwestern PA, which means if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes and it will change. In the past week we've had lows down to 50 and highs up to 85. As we move on into summer, it will be warmer, so I want to make sure I don't overheat the chickens if it's 80+ degrees do you still need the heat lamp on?
The whole family is excited for the chicks to arrive. Thanks for any help.
I've got the following things so far:
5ft Diameter kids wading pool for brooder
250watt red infared light (on the way)
fixture for the light
I plan on using wood chips for bedding in the wading pool.
A few questions:
I've looked at different feeders and waterers and am having a hard time deciding what to get. I found some that look good but the product description says they are for "game bird" chicks. Will they work with chicken chicks?
The chickens will ultimately be living in an "shed" that the person who used to live on our farm used as a house for their cats. The thing is large, has four sturdy walls, floor, and roof, and is wired for electricity. I'll need to fix up some of the windows and put a latch on the door. Does it make sense to simply have the chicks in the wading pool out in their future home, or should I keep them in the house (in the basement) for at least awhile?
I'm confused about how much heat and light the chicks need.
Do you keep a light on them 24/7? Or do you turn it off at night? If you turn the light off at night do you still need a heat source when its dark? I'm in southwestern PA, which means if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes and it will change. In the past week we've had lows down to 50 and highs up to 85. As we move on into summer, it will be warmer, so I want to make sure I don't overheat the chickens if it's 80+ degrees do you still need the heat lamp on?
The whole family is excited for the chicks to arrive. Thanks for any help.