MrsMopar
In the Brooder
- Mar 9, 2017
- 20
- 3
- 24
I appreciate your allowing me to join.
I lurked here quite a bit before biting the bullet and becoming a new chicken mom. I started with 26 chicks from McMurray a little over a week ago. I lost 2 chicks in the first 48 hours, and 1 chick a few days later. The third chick is a story for another day. I have one in isolation today - and that's a story I'm here to get advice on. But I'll post my questions elsewhere.
I'm using an xl wire dog crate for my brooder. I lined the bottom with A LOT of layers of newspaper. (Actually, I bought the end rolls of blank newsprint from our local paper and I'm using them - no messy ink!) For the first couple of days I had shelf liner on top of the newsprint. When I cleaned the brooder for the first time, I removed the shelf liner along with a couple of layers of paper. I then replaced the liner with pine shavings. I have approx 18" of cardboard zip-tied along the bottom edges to keep some of the mess inside. And I've added a long board on which I've placed 2 qt feeders and 2 qt waterers.
For the first feed, I added chick grow (or whatever they call the goo they send with their chicks), and put sugar in the first water. Now I'm feeding chick starter and I'm putting a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in the water. For the past few days I've add a mid-afternoon snack of hard boiled or scrambled egg - every other day I add a wee dab of plain yogurt.
I'm having a blast and my chicks are getting huge!
julie from Missouri
1st time chicken mom
I lurked here quite a bit before biting the bullet and becoming a new chicken mom. I started with 26 chicks from McMurray a little over a week ago. I lost 2 chicks in the first 48 hours, and 1 chick a few days later. The third chick is a story for another day. I have one in isolation today - and that's a story I'm here to get advice on. But I'll post my questions elsewhere.
I'm using an xl wire dog crate for my brooder. I lined the bottom with A LOT of layers of newspaper. (Actually, I bought the end rolls of blank newsprint from our local paper and I'm using them - no messy ink!) For the first couple of days I had shelf liner on top of the newsprint. When I cleaned the brooder for the first time, I removed the shelf liner along with a couple of layers of paper. I then replaced the liner with pine shavings. I have approx 18" of cardboard zip-tied along the bottom edges to keep some of the mess inside. And I've added a long board on which I've placed 2 qt feeders and 2 qt waterers.
For the first feed, I added chick grow (or whatever they call the goo they send with their chicks), and put sugar in the first water. Now I'm feeding chick starter and I'm putting a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in the water. For the past few days I've add a mid-afternoon snack of hard boiled or scrambled egg - every other day I add a wee dab of plain yogurt.
I'm having a blast and my chicks are getting huge!
julie from Missouri
1st time chicken mom
