1. I've read that the heat lamp gives them light 24 hours a day, which isn't good. Does the color of the heat bulb matter?
2. Should I scrap the heat lamp and just do a cave? Both?
3. Do I change the food out everyday, since it may be "dirty"?
4. Do I start with "All Flock" after 2 weeks?
5. Do I continue with electrolytes and vitamin in the water forever? 1 month? 6 months?
I am a total newbie on raising chicks but lurked on BYC for over a year reading articles, by no means an expert but here’s what I do.
My brooder is in a heated basement. I use a heat plate for 12 birds adjusted on a slope so they can regulate heat to their needs. My basement is a walkout so in the daytime chicks have plenty of natural light. In the evening a nightlight pops on but it is pretty dim. I only want enough light to allow a straggler to get back to the heat plate as I had one chick get lost in the dark at 4 days old. I will probably keep a solar light in my run near a window of the coop but I don’t want light on IN the coop itself. I give chicks a treat at supper time when I do my afternoon chick chores (crumble on a jar lid..they think it’s special) and they seem to recognize that routine and associate it with nearing bedtime. Now at a week old they all go under the plate at dusk with crops full and jockey for position. They already have a pecking order developed I believe.
I feed 20% chick starter but all flock is fine as well. They are essentially the same and is good from hatch to old age. I would use all flock 20% myself right now but it is harder to find AF crumble in my area of the UP…not sure where you are in UP but
TSC carries the crumble in AF however it is often in low supply.
I pick out any wood shavings I see from the feeder as I see them. Every other day I shake down the feeder and, if I see a lot of fine power settlement, I change out the feeder completely. My birds go through about a quart of food every 2-3 days. I have a paper plate under the feeder to collect spillage. The birds like to peck and scratch for that. I am collecting the fines and left over crumble in a separate bin and will make a mash of it as a treat once I feel they know what regular food is. I sprinkle chick grit on part of the brooder floor every other day.
@rosemarythyme suggested just a pinch as if salting your food because chicks do not have self control yet and may gorge on grit. I don’t know at what age it would be safe to put a dish of grit as free choice, but maybe someone else can weigh in on that?
As for electrolytes my birds were quite cold stressed on shipment so I am keeping them on vitamin and electrolytes for a bit longer, but not more than another week. They are a week old now. Make sure you offer plain cool water in addition , so two waterers. I read one BYC member switched out waterers at mid day, too. That doesn’t work for me due to my work hours but is an option and space saver.
I add probiotics to all water sources, all the time. I have one little runt roo that is prone to pasty butt but it is getting much better since adding the probiotics.
I plan to boot them to the coop at 4 weeks. Hopefully our polar vortex will end before then but they should be fine.
Good luck with your birds!
