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frognduck

frognduck

In the Brooder
Apr 29, 2017
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We are a family of four 2 girls 8 and 2.5. After mulling it over for 2 months we came home with 10 chicks today. We have 3 araucanas, 2 barred rock, 2 wyandotte, 2 rhode island reds and a cute little yellow one that wasnt marked... maybe buff orpington. Any advice is welcome so here we go
400
 
Welcome to BYC!

Well, if you haven't done so yet, you have a lot of learning ahead of you. First thing (which you may already have based on the picture above) is a brooder. It needs some type of absorbent bedding (pine shavings is very common, avoid cedar shavings), clean water, chick crumbles (medicated or not), and a heat source, usually a heat lamp. I don't recommend any other treats/foods until at least two weeks.

They need to be kept at 95 degrees the first week, 90 the second and lowering 5 degrees/week until they reach ambient temperature. They will tell you if they are at a comfortable temperature or not by their behavior. If they stay at the far end of the brooder from the heater, they are too hot, if they gather and stay in a bunch directly under the heater and especially if they are cheeping, then they are too cold. If they feel free to wander around and stay near the lamp or not, then they are comfortable.

If you want them people-friendly, then some daily people-time and gentle handling will go a long way. Chickens have different personalities, both by breed and individually, which you will notice fairly quickly. Not all will become as people-friendly as others.

If you run into any concerns, try to find the right area to post in on this forum and you will generally get good responses. If any of your chicks run into serious problems, then post in this area and you should get help: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

I recommend clicking on "Learning Center" at the top to dig into a lot of useful info. If you have specific questions, feel free to find the appropriate forum areas and ask. People are friendly here and will be happy to help.

Good luck and have fun. There is much more to learn, but those are the immediate items.
 
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