Waaaayyyy too many chicks! Expert bulk experience needed!

[WhiteRockCrazyBird]

We ordered pullets this past weekend for April 4th arrival!
From Farm & Fleet - FIVE of each:
Light Brahmas
Speckled Sussex
Cuokoo Marans
Welsummer
Easter Egger
From Rural King:
6 Black Copper Marans
5 Olive Eggers
5 Ameracaunas

Soooo basically 41 chicks! I am so crazy insane, what was I thinking!?! But I wanted a couple of each breed, and had to get the minimum. I would like to sell off extras to other crazy chicken people nearby, and do it ASAP, but I'm worried I'll get stuck with that random mis-sexed cockerel instead of pullets! We will keep all the Eggers/Ameracaunas until we see what colors of eggs they lay. What advice on brooder setups can you give that will help me really be able to observe my chicks? I was originally going to do a horse tank setup like the farm stores, but then I added chicks! How much space should they have? How soon till I might be able to differentiate between genders, and what to look for? Any other advice for mass chick rearing? TIA!

 

[Conman]

Really i dont know what to say but try Craigslist sell them or just give them away it wull save you from the brooder

 

[Hufflefluff]

I can address some of these questions- hopefully someone with more experience comes along to answer the rest
Each chick will need 0.5 sq ft of space for the first week-ish, so about 20 square feet total in the brooder, and then 2.5 square feet each until they're eight weeks old. From 9 weeks until about point of lay each pullet will need 5 square feet. so you're looking at about 200 square feet of coop and run space, and you'll need a brooder with at least 100 square feet- yikes! Where are you planning on brooding them?
I'd post an ad on your local craigslist now seeing if anyone wants to go ahead and split the order with you. Assuming you aren't planning to keep 41 hens, then finding as many chick takers as you can before they arrive should save you lots of unnecessary stress. I'd keep all of them for the first week or so, to weed out all of the obviously weak ones and give the strong ones a good start, and then distribute them how you can. I'm assuming you're allowed to keep this many birds?
A horse tank setup could still work, but it'll require some more finesse. I'd have at least two heat lamps, maybe three, and two or three each of feeders and waterers. If you could dedicate one side of your garage to the chicks, that could work to- line the floor with a tarp, cover that with shavings, and fence it in with wire. Be extra vigilant about disease, cannibalism, and overcrowding. Most of all, good luck! I totally understand the chicken fever

 

[nminusyplusm]

Don't know if this helps your decision making process but you probably have 10 EEs on the way and no Ameraucanas (they aren't the same, one's a real breed and one isn't). I doubt Rural King orders from a hatchery selling actual APA Ameraucanas that definitely lay blue eggs, so you're right about having to hang on to them until they lay if you want to find out what color eggs each one will give you.

 

[Folly's place]

I've ordered 25 to 50 chicks several times, and it's not a problem. They must have enough space! Hufflefluff has good suggestions about managing the group. If you have the space to raise them for a couple of months, you should be able to sell them for a better price. BUT, you will have invested the time, electricity, and food into the project too.
I use a stock tank for early brooding, and then move them to a separate area of my coop, with their heat lamp.
I may buy a brooder plate this year too.
Mary

 

[BarredRockMom]

There's a really great article on heat lamp bulbs that's on BYC right now about not using the teflon-coated, shatter-proof heat bulbs. Apparently they give off a toxic gas that can kill your birds & cause extreme respiratory problems when they get to a certain temp. I mention it because I didn't know that & with so many chicks in their way, I'd hate for you to have any problems.

 

[WhiteRockCrazyBird]

Thanks for all the info! I was going to keep them in the basement for a few weeks at least. According to the sq ft figures, I can put about 14 per stock tank? I'm currently building a 6x12 coop in our barn for the new flock. How soon can rhey have that much floor space? Will they be smart enough to go to the heat sources when needed with that much room?
I already have 7 sold and should be able to sell more easily, just wondering how long I should hold on to them for health and mistaken gender issues. This whole thing started as a result of wanting blue eggs! And then chocolates! And then beautiful birds! Such an obsession! Good thing hubby won't let me get sheep and goats!!!

 

[alfalahi]

We ordered pullets this past weekend for April 4th arrival!
From Farm & Fleet - FIVE of each:
Light Brahmas
Speckled Sussex
Cuokoo Marans
Welsummer
Easter Egger
From Rural King:
6 Black Copper Marans
5 Olive Eggers
5 Ameracaunas

Soooo basically 41 chicks! I am so crazy insane, what was I thinking!?! But I wanted a couple of each breed, and had to get the minimum. I would like to sell off extras to other crazy chicken people nearby, and do it ASAP, but I'm worried I'll get stuck with that random mis-sexed cockerel instead of pullets! We will keep all the Eggers/Ameracaunas until we see what colors of eggs they lay. What advice on brooder setups can you give that will help me really be able to observe my chicks? I was originally going to do a horse tank setup like the farm stores, but then I added chicks! How much space should they have? How soon till I might be able to differentiate between genders, and what to look for? Any other advice for mass chick rearing? TIA!

Thanks for all the info! I was going to keep them in the basement for a few weeks at least. According to the sq ft figures, I can put about 14 per stock tank? I'm currently building a 6x12 coop in our barn for the new flock. How soon can rhey have that much floor space? Will they be smart enough to go to the heat sources when needed with that much room?
I already have 7 sold and should be able to sell more easily, just wondering how long I should hold on to them for health and mistaken gender issues. This whole thing started as a result of wanting blue eggs! And then chocolates! And then beautiful birds! Such an obsession! Good thing hubby won't let me get sheep and goats!!!

never too many !!!!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLixLshAoqu/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMEn1TWAqID/

 

[Conman]

never too many !!!!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLixLshAoqu/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMEn1TWAqID/

Lol

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
I went to a grocery store and got watermelon corrals. each one is 15 square feet. their triple thick cardboard. really nice. I put a tarp down, set the Corral on top, put 4 in of shavings on top of that. set out the foods in the waters up on blocks so that they didn't get chips throw in them. do your lights set up however you want to do it and you're good to go. each Corral will raise 15 chicks up through 3 to 4 weeks old .then they need more room . each chick Corral will hold 7 large fowl chicks at 3 months old.
Best,
Karen