We did it! Now what?

[txhippychick]

So, after 1 year of reading and researching, we bought and assembled our coop. Today, we bought 6 chicks from tractor supply. We got one Americauna, two Rhode Island reds and three buff orpingtons. They are about 2 weeks old and we have them in their container with a heat lamp on them in our garage. They've all eaten and been drinking. Now I have a few questions:

1. How can I tell if they're too warm or too cold?
2. How long will they be in the box?
3. If they poop in this feeder on one little area, can I remove that food or do I have to employ the entire container and start anew?
4. Do I leave the heat lamp on 24-7?
5. When do they come off the chick feed?
6. When they do come off chick feed, what's the best organic feed to start with?

Thank you for any advice!

 

[Pyxis]

When they're too cold, they will pile together under the heat lamp. Too hot, and they will get as far away from each other and the heat lamp as they can. Your brooder is very small. They're not going to be able to be in there long, and in fact I would say it's a little too small even now. I don't see how you can have the heat lamp set up so that there's a warm spot for them and also plenty of room for them to get away from it if they need to cool down. There's also not much room for them to move around in in general in there. I'd upgrade to something bigger ASAP. The heat lamp stays on at all times until they no longer need it. You can take them off chick feed and move them onto a layer once they are laying or at around 18 to 20 weeks old.

That coop you bought looks like a prefab coop from a feed store. That thing is way too small for six birds, and also isn't going to hold up to the elements at all. To put it bluntly, pretty much all prefab coops are junk. I recommend you return it and build something to suit your needs. With six birds you need the coop to be at least 24 square feet, and you need the run to be 60 square feet.

And I also wanted to let you know the chick you purchased is an easter egger, not an ameraucana.

Sorry to come at you with all this bad news! Hopefully it's not too late for you to return that coop.

 

[chicklady21]

1. If they huddle under the lamp then they're too cold. If they get far away from lamp and are panting or holding their wings away from them, they are too hot. If they are active then they are just right.

2. Aprx. 5-6 weeks

3. Just replace the feed

4. Yes!

5. Depending upon the brand, if it is just chick starter then usually about 6 weeks. They then switch to chick grower/finisher. If it is starter grower then it will do til they are about 10 weeks. After that they switch to a chick finisher. Some people skip the finisher stage and go from grower to layer feed when they are 18-20 weeks

6. Sorry, I don't know

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BABIES!

 

[chicklady21]

When they're too cold, they will pile together under the heat lamp. Too hot, and they will get as far away from each other and the heat lamp as they can. Your brooder is very small. They're not going to be able to be in there long, and in fact I would say it's a little too small even now. I don't see how you can have the heat lamp set up so that there's a warm spot for them and also plenty of room for them to get away from it if they need to cool down. There's also not much room for them to move around in in general in there. I'd upgrade to something bigger ASAP. The heat lamp stays on at all times until they no longer need it. You can take them off chick feed and move them onto a layer once they are laying or at around 18 to 20 weeks old.

That coop you bought looks like a prefab coop from a feed store. That thing is way too small for six birds, and also isn't going to hold up to the elements at all. To put it bluntly, pretty much all prefab coops are junk. I recommend you return it and build something to suit your needs. With six birds you need the coop to be at least 24 square feet, and you need the run to be 60 square feet.

And I also wanted to let you know the chick you purchased is an easter egger, not an ameraucana.

Sorry to come at you with all this bad news! Hopefully it's not too late for you to return that coop.

X2 on the brooder. It is way too small. And the coop

 

[txhippychick]

Ok. Now I'm freaking out. Going to buy something else to keep them in right now.

When they're too cold, they will pile together under the heat lamp. Too hot, and they will get as far away from each other and the heat lamp as they can. Your brooder is very small. They're not going to be able to be in there long, and in fact I would say it's a little too small even now. I don't see how you can have the heat lamp set up so that there's a warm spot for them and also plenty of room for them to get away from it if they need to cool down. There's also not much room for them to move around in in general in there. I'd upgrade to something bigger ASAP. The heat lamp stays on at all times until they no longer need it. You can take them off chick feed and move them onto a layer once they are laying or at around 18 to 20 weeks old.

That coop you bought looks like a prefab coop from a feed store. That thing is way too small for six birds, and also isn't going to hold up to the elements at all. To put it bluntly, pretty much all prefab coops are junk. I recommend you return it and build something to suit your needs. With six birds you need the coop to be at least 24 square feet, and you need the run to be 60 square feet.

And I also wanted to let you know the chick you purchased is an easter egger, not an ameraucana.

Sorry to come at you with all this bad news! Hopefully it's not too late for you to return that coop.

 

[txhippychick]

Better????

 

[Pyxis]

Better????

Great, much more space

 

[txhippychick]

Whew! My husband is worried about the height. Do they jump out?

 

[Pyxis]

Whew! My husband is worried about the height. Do they jump out?

Yes, especially as they get older. You might want to make a cover for it

 

[txhippychick]

Ok. Thanks! I guess I will go back to tracto supply tomorrow and buy something else for them to stay in. They do not seem to be jumping now so I believe they will be okay tonight. As for the coop, we can't return it, but we can build around it. We will figure something out. More questions to come, I'm sure!