What are the basics of chick raising? Newby please help...pics

[HB&B]

This is my first time with chicks. I have 4 mix breed 2 of which are bantam chicks. I have a mother hen taking care of them. They are in an enclosure which is a bird cage with wire bottom with shreaded paper on the bottom. I put flock raiser and water in there for them.

Could someone just lay out the bare basics for me on chicks? What to look for that may become a potential problem?


Oh and heres a few of my chicks.

 

[Judy]

click on index above, then learning center, at the top of the page. Skip all the stuff about a brooder as the mama will take care of temps, etc.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Since you have a mother hen, the main thing is availability to food and water.

As to that cage, the wire bottom isn't great because she can't teach them to scratch around on a wire bottom. If i were you, once the chicks are a couple of days old, i would give them as much time as possible on the ground. The chicks will be healthier for it, and the mother will have more chances to teach them about being chickens.

 

[jobeibi]

Do they need to be taught to scratch? My girls have never seen an adult bird, but they were already scratching up a storm when they came home from the feed store.

(They're messy little beasts!)

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
Well, all i can say is that i notice a big difference between chicks i incubate and chicks that are raised by broody hens. Yes, my bator babies to learn to scratch, but it does take them longer to figure it out. That's just my observation. Mother hens teach their chicks lots of things, and they can't do it in an unnatural situation. Just my opinion.