Topic of the Week - Raising Chicks

[Jester57]

I don’t know if this has been covered before, but I’ve been raising my chicks outdoors in a brooder box in the (enclosed) run. They’re a little over a month old. Temps have varied from 80 down to 28 or so, but the chicks seem happy and healthy. I built the brooder box and set up a mama heating pad using a regular heating pad and part of a tomato cage for the frame. The chicks seem to have been accepted as part of the flock (the rest of the flock has been able to see them since day one. They have regularly been running around outside in 50 degree weather for more than an hour. They voluntarily didn’t go out when it was raining, so I have a pretty good feeling about their survival skills. Honestly, after raising them indoors the last time, I see no reason not to raise them outside with the rest of the chickens.

 

[rjmyooper]

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?

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

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!

 

[Molpet]

New chicks are SO exciting! I’m also getting a few new to add to my girls. I use the “broody hen method” not sure if that the right name. Saw it on here when I first joined 3 yrs ago. Worked GREAT! Built from wire fence with a heating pad an most important is the Press ‘n Seal.

Mama heating pad

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

The all flock I get says on the bag for birds over 8 weeks. That this particular brand is not formulate for younger birds.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Mama heating pad

The all flock I get says on the bag for birds over 8 weeks. That this particular brand is not formulate for younger birds.

Yes, I did read something to that effect but I recall reading that the crude composition was about the same. AF is of course no medicated.
I believe the comparison of chick starter and AF (both at 20%) has been discussed often on BYC by various members who feed AF from hatch. Chick starter comes in various % protein, but allow me to ask an expert on feed for his opinion as I do not specifically recall the members name who feed AF to baby chicks ATM.
@U_Stormcrow can you weigh in?

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Mama heating pad

The all flock I get says on the bag for birds over 8 weeks. That this particular brand is not formulate for younger birds.

I searched ‘all flock’ and found this recent thread from Feb 2022. It covers questions about chick starter vs AF and so on.

• Raising Baby Chicks

Dumor all flock vs purina flock raiser​

 

[Jester57]

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?

It might be a personal prejudice, but I don’t like heat lamps. IMHO, they’re fire hazards, and, as you so correctly pointed out, they’re also on producing light 24/7. Perhaps a red one helps with that.

I most definitely recommend the mama heating pad/cave over heat lamps. Chicks are a lot tougher than people give them credit for, and they can most definitely stand colder temps if they have somewhere they can run into to warm up; just like a mama hen. No light to disturb sleep patterns either. Since no one’s managed to cross a chicken with a firefly (giving the chicken a glowing butt), that seems a lot closer to nature. Watch the setting on the heat pad; medium is probably going to be warm enough (someone once commented that if it feels warm to the touch, it’s warm enough). Also, since mama hens don’t have thermostats, you don’t have to worry about reducing temps by 5 degrees a week; the chicks regulate themselves.

There are others that are more knowledgeable about your other questions, so I’ll let them answer them. (Although, no, you don’t have to change out food every day; believe me, in a very few weeks, the chicks will be eating enough to make it more of a “keeping their food dispenser full” task.)

 

[bmanty]

View attachment 2987154

With Spring only a few weeks away many chicken owners are thinking about hatching or buying chicks to raise during the warmer months. I would like to hear your thoughts and tips on buying and raising chicks. Specifically:

- What preparations do you make before hatching/buying chicks?
- Tell me about your brooder(s); Also, do you brood indoors or outdoors?
- How to raise healthy, strong chicks. (Supplements/Feed/Heat management, etc)

Anything you'd like to add?


For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

This year I am raising the most I have ever. 15 broilers and 15 hatchery choice layers. Previous years I did 4 or 7 birds, and a a couple ducks. I will be pressed for room and will have to make some more perches or saw horses in the coop for roosting.

Preperations I get my brooder ready. We have an old double level guinea pig/rabit hutch, I took the stairways out and put some 1/4s 2/4s to fill in the void and I have a top level and a bottom level seperate now. I set up everything a day or two before they arrive.
Here in Minnesota I order in April and its still frigid, usually by week 4 to 6 in early to mid may its warmer I can start getting them outside so for now I brood inside.
I allready gave them some peas at a week old and they thought that was fun checking them out. I give probiotics in the water until the small bag is gone, usually a few weeks worth.
I have succesfully put chicks in the coop with the big girls for good at 6 to 8 weeks old.

 

[Guy with a Rooster]

I want to jump in on this !

This is my second time around using an incubator and raising some chicks.

Everything I know I learned from BYC !
....... and good youTube channels.

 

[froggyphore]

View attachment 2987154

With Spring only a few weeks away many chicken owners are thinking about hatching or buying chicks to raise during the warmer months. I would like to hear your thoughts and tips on buying and raising chicks. Specifically:

- What preparations do you make before hatching/buying chicks?
- Tell me about your brooder(s); Also, do you brood indoors or outdoors?
- How to raise healthy, strong chicks. (Supplements/Feed/Heat management, etc)

Anything you'd like to add?


For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

1. the four times i’ve gotten chicks were unexpected so i usually make no prep. this year i ordered in december so i’ll be preparing the brooder in advance. (i’m currently raising four impulse buy EEs, but i have 35 chicks coming next week)

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2. i usually start chicks in a large clear tupperware storage bin and then move them to a guinea pig cage when that gets too small. the first time i used a heat lamp, the next two i used a cozy coop heating pad under the brooder, but that broke a few weeks ago so i’ve been using a heat lamp again. i must say i like the heat lamp a lot more. i know they get a bad rap and they worried me for many years but they’re a great cheap option as long as you secure it well. also, i had a brood raised without a lamp that was so scared of the night they almost suffocated or injured eachother a few times, and i’m happy to avoid the night scramble until they’re old enough to defend themselves aha. i’ve thought about making a raised plate style heat source by putting the cozy coop on a small wooden frame.

i raise inside but i would like to change that. in general i’m hoping to do minimal brooding after this year and just let my hens raise their own chicks or put ordered chicks under some broodies. though i would like to incubate some eggs one day.

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3. i’d say just the usual stuff. plentiful highly nutritional feed and water, clean warm brooder, get them outside during the day asap.