Washingtonians

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:

Heck, even paper towels work fine for the first week of you just want to roll them up and get the poop out quickly. Very soon they'll outgrow that and NEED pine shavings (or "white wood", like GEM brand) or the mess will be too tough to contain.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:

 

[FirewifeJess]

Is your heat lamp hanging from the ceiling or something else? Don't put it right on the mesh, it will cook your chicks to death. Have a warm side and cool side to your tank; MAKE SURE they can get away from the heat when they want, glass holds the heat in!

ETA: sorry I just repeated you T-Hi, didn't see your post. Duh.

 

[ErinMartin927]

Do you think a heating pad under the tank on one side would work, or do they need direct heat?

 

[T Hi]

Is your heat lamp hanging from the ceiling or something else? Don't put it right on the mesh, it will cook your chicks to death. Have a warm side and cool side to your tank; MAKE SURE they can get away from the heat when they want, glass holds the heat in!

ETA: sorry I just repeated you T-Hi, didn't see your post. Duh.

Great minds think alike!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Do you think a heating pad under the tank on one side would work, or do they need direct heat?

The air temp in their brooder is what you want to heat. I really like to use rabbit cages for brooding small numbers of chicks...the kind with the plastic bottoms and wire tops, gives them plenty of ventilation & the wire tops allow me to attach the heat lamp at different levels, depending on what the chicks need...

 

[RainyDayChicken]

Hello! I'm new around here... I'm completely new to BYC raising... we are building our coop starting tomorrow and getting our wee chicks in the afternoon (we picked out two barred rock and two RIR this morning)

Can anyone direct me of some good places to learn more about what I should expect with my 1 weekers coming home tomorrow??

just ask any question you have someone on here will have the answer.

 

[ErinMartin927]

I already have a lot of various heating items (heating lamps, indirect heating items such as water bottles, heating pads, etc...), as well as small space thermometers from whelping puppies... I'm going to assume wee little chicks will need a little more care than pups though, considering mama isn't around?

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I already have a lot of various heating items (heating lamps, indirect heating items such as water bottles, heating pads, etc...), as well as small space thermometers from whelping puppies... I'm going to assume wee little chicks will need a little more care than pups though, considering mama isn't around?

You'll be surprised at how self-sufficient they can be. WAY easier than puppies!!

 

[T Hi]

If you can afford/manage it I personally use a large Rubbermaid container with a puppy pee pad on the bottom with pine shavings covering it. (easy clean up) If you get one with high sides and long enough then you can clamp the heat light on one side and that would leave the other end with no heat so they can go back and forth.