New Baby Chickens! Advice?

Question

Just got 6 baby chicks

I have the heat lamp fixed

water supply is good, and have a good

big bag of food, But for previous or current

Chicken owners, any newbie advice to give?

Thanks

Answer 1

Make sure they're also given access to some starter grit - they need this for their crop to digest their food.

Keep them out of drafts and monitor the brood pen temp.  I use a terrarium thermometer to make sure they're at the right level.  Start your brood pen off around 98 degrees and lower it by about 2 degrees every week until the brood pen temp is the same as the air temp outside.

I've also found it helpful to start them off with a little powdered vitamins or electrolytes in their water.  Also, if you had the chicks shipped, it is recommended to add some terrimyacine (broad spectrum antibiotic) to their water for a couple of days as well.

I'd also recommend going to the feed store and picking up a copy of Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens.  Great book for reference and troubleshooting!

Answer 2

YES!! as baby chicks they are fragile DO NOT touch them a lot unless necessary in their first month or two or they might die ! good luck taking care of them, its not as easy as it looks but its worth it

Answer 3

jw where did you get the baby chickens? :D i wanted one since a lonnnnnnng timeago :P

Answer 4

all I can say is that take them out side once in a while but becareful with them too

Answer 5

okays, try to put vitamens in the water, and make sure its chick food, not adult chicken food. What breeds are they? Bantam or Standard sized? At about 8 weeks they don't need the heat. Be sure to give them lots of attention at this early stage, it'll make them imprint on you and then be nicer pets. In a couple of weeks start introducing them to fresh foods (veggies and fruits). Trust me on the make lots of interaction now, they'll become very very affectionate as adults that way.

Answer 6

I held and loved my little ones every day and they are now adults and when I come out in the yard they just surround me and want me to pick them up or scratch their backs. It is so totally cool, they follow me all over the yard. Give them love and they will return that love along with some really yummy eggs!!!

Answer 7

You want to keep them warm (heat lamp)......     make sure the water dish isn't too deep.....     the tiniest bit of water will allow them to drown......    so if you don't have a little water dish with the jar attached, you'll want to take some decorate rocks or gravel (anything to lessen the depth of the dish).......   they will still be able to get water, but you'd be surprised at how dumb they can be when it comes to drowning......      we usually will take our babies and dip their beaks (just the tip) into the water to get them used to it......       usually if you get one to know where the water is, the others will follow quickly......     secondly food......      you can either try the dipping technique or easier yet is to sprinkle some food on the floor of the box they are in and peck at it with your finger (tap on the floor)......    they will begin pecking and eventually be able to find the food as well.......       depending on what type of box you have them in (we usually use the plastic totes you can buy at Walmart for the first week or so)......     we cut a hole in the lid and that is where the heat lamp sits, as well as we drilled several holes all across the top for ventilation......    we did this because we have cats, and don't want them having chicken nuggets for dinner!!!    So our baby chicks are always well protected.....    keep the bottom of the cage cleaned up (usually using old newspaper just layed in the box and cleaned every couple of days or maybe weekly for just 6 chicks)......      other than that, just enjoy watching them grow up!!!   (NOTE:  you might want to watch their bottoms.....   I know this sounds gross, but sometimes they will have sticky p**p in the beginning and it will stick to their bottoms and then they can't p**p.....    so if you see p**p stuck to them you'll want to dampen a paper towel with warm water and clean them off - or they will die)......     Good Luck and Enjoy the Babies!!!    

SIDENOTE for the other person that answered your question.....     check Craigslist.com in your area and click on the farm and garden link......     a lot of times you can either find chicks or hatching eggs for sale on there!!!

Answer 8

Make sure that you don't give them cold water. I started mine out with 98degree water with a tablespoon of sugar in a quart of water. I dipped each chicks head in the water three different times. The I took them over to the food and pushed their head in a pecking motion also using my finger to peck at the crumbles.  Make sure that they can get away from the heat to their own satisfaction. I use pine wood shavings for the bottom of my brooder.  In the middle of June I got 18 Polish. They sent 19 and I still have 18. I also got 27 Turkeys on July1. I still have 26 of them. Keep the bedding dry, sit the water on a small piece of ply wood. The wood shavings really keep the birds from messing their legs up. (splay lets)Feed them good and change their water two or three times a day until you can get a fountain that hangs above the floor. That is what mine are graduating to. I am building a fence so I can let the turkeys out. I am putting the chickens in the Parrot barn. I am going to keep the pullets and let them eat what the parrots waste. Which is about 60% of what you feed them. The chickens can eat it and give me eggs to ease some of the loss.

Good luck with your chickens.