What can I put inside the brooder?

[Missmackworth]

Hi all! We are new to raising baby chicks, our brooder set up has a waterer, a feeder, a mirror, their brooder plate and today we will be adding small perches . Is it helpful to add leaves and dirt from our lawn/ yard? I want them to feel enriched and stimulated . They’re 4-5 days old .

Thank you !

 

[Quarterhorses1]

Hi all! We are new to raising baby chicks, our brooder set up has a waterer, a feeder, a mirror, their brooder plate and today we will be adding small perches . Is it helpful to add leaves and dirt from our lawn/ yard? I want them to feel enriched and stimulated . They’re 4-5 days old .

Thank you !

I would hold off on that until they’re older. I don’t add perches until 2 weeks. I use pine shavings or paper bedding on the ground. Good luck!

 

[mcdze]

i wouldnt put anything in there until theyre alittle older .. by 2 weeks+ they should be driving you sufficiently crazy to come up with an alternate itinerary for their day lol .. i use a portable wire pen to transfer them into in a shady sandy spot behind the garage when its warm, just a bit in the sun .. they like that .. then in the evening i move them back to the brooder 'in the garage' by that point because theyre kicking up lots of dust .. with a wire top, because theyll be getting to the point they can get out ..

 

[Missmackworth]

I would hold off on that until they’re older. I don’t add perches until 2 weeks. I use pine shavings or paper bedding on the

I’ve noticed one chick likes to hop and sit on top of the brooder plate and all like to sit along the wooden edge of their brooder box similar to perching, that’s why I was thinking they’d be ready for some simple perches . Is two weeks the general time line? It seems like things vary so much . I don’t want them getting bored

 

[3KillerBs]

I’ve noticed one chick likes to hop and sit on top of the brooder plate and all like to sit along the wooden edge of their brooder box similar to perching, that’s why I was thinking they’d be ready for some simple perches . Is two weeks the general time line? It seems like things vary so much . I don’t want them getting bored

No harm in putting in a training perch.

I start adding little bits of bedding from the adults' run, grit, and tiny bits of green stuff around 10 days to 2 weeks. Different people have different schedules for that.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I’ve noticed one chick likes to hop and sit on top of the brooder plate and all like to sit along the wooden edge of their brooder box similar to perching, that’s why I was thinking they’d be ready for some simple perches . Is two weeks the general time line? It seems like things vary so much . I don’t want them getting bored

I would add chick grit in a dish. In a couple of weeks you'll see them rolling in bedding and you can add a makeshift dust bath.

 

[rosemarythyme]

On one hand I don't really add anything into the brooder anymore - every "toy" eats up space and a lot of brooders run too small IMO.

On the other hand, I absolutely do have them on leaves and dirt from the very start, as I brood outside in the run and the run litter is also the base of the brooder litter. I want them exposed to the microbes and bacteria in my environment early on.