Chicks are ordered.. Now I need a shopping list of all supplies I need on hand. I think I know what I need, but I would like to know what the experts think?
feeder
waterer
starter feed
brooder light & fixture
?grit yet?
?toys?
?I forgot to order any Quik chik .. should I order some real quick or is there a home remedy I should use instead?
Flooring question.. I am really worried about flooring, what would be the ultimate?? I was going to stretch a gunny sack on my pen floor and clamp it, I have plenty and can change and wash it daily, but am afraid the little chicks might get their toes caught in it.. what should I use?
Fran
I Need a shopping list
Fran,
Just got the newsletter from Murray McMurray's and Quik Chik is on sale 10% off this week - better get it while it's hot!!! Good luck with the chicks.
(Have 90 Wyandottes landing here in Maine week of 3/3 - can't hardly stand the wait!!!!!)
Fran, I have used newspaper in the past with no ill effects, but if you do, you might want to put some wood shavings or maybe hay on top of it so the chicks can get their scratching in. They love to scratch in stuff. I just bought a bale of shavings since I won't be able to get hay until spring. I did get a bag of hay from a friend yesterday but will use that for the nesting boxes for my hens.
The best solution I've found is that grip stuff that comes in rolls for lining drawers. It is super cheap, you can pick it up in the aisle of the grocery store where the contact paper is, and you can cut it to size. You can wash it and reuse it, and the little feet of the chickies don't slip or get caught. I just hose it off.
I also think gunny sack would work with no ill efffects.
I put a little tupperware container of sand/dirt from my back yard in with my chicks after a few days. They enjoyed hopping around in it, and dust bathing and pecking at it.
if you get some live meal worms, or some frozen kerneled corn, those will be entertainment for you and the chickens.
I would also find a small cardboard box ~ smaller than a shoebox in size, and stick it in there. They like to hop off and on, try out sleeping up there, try hanging out inside it if it is too hot, or for a change of pace, etc.
I'd also think about what you will do when they start flying a little! You might want some cheesecloth or netting for on top of the box if it doesn't have a cover. Otherwise you'll have escapees. And if you have cats, you'll want to make sure that they are only spectators, not participants in the chick rearing...
as for the chik quik, I have never used it and everyone has been fine, but if it gives you piece of mind, go for it. I bet you could put a little sugar in the first does of water and it would do the trick, too.
Oh great ideas...
Funny I was looking at the shelf liner last night at the dollar store.. dd said she would buy the more expensive one though.. the dollar store looks like if you sneezed on it, it might blow apart!
For the starting enclosure I am planning on using half an X-large poly dog kennel. I can clamp the light on the side.. hang things... etc.. when the flighty time comes, I have two large portable rabbit cages as secondary toddler rooms... and I "think" by the time they outgrow that.. it should be time to move outdoors.. to the smallish dog run (secured temp w/ ckn wire as a day run) night will be shared in workshop in kennels and pens (untill coop is done)
All sounds like a long time, but with regards to weather, who knows.. as to me.. I am moving right along, and with all these ideas...
Keep them coming... and please... if I am about to make a mistake... jerk me back in!!!
Fran
Is there a draft shield on the starter dog kennel (brooder)?
Hi Frans530, this is how I brooded my first set of chicks and am now working on my second. I think it corresponds to what you are describing. The interior brooder is the bottom half of a large dog kennel. The outside is an extra large dog crate I use just to keep my dogs and cat at bay. It works extremely well and is very easy to keep clean. I duct taped the lid of a plastic container across the door to keep it contained, but when my other chicks started to fly a bit I put screening over the top of the kennel bottom. When they got big enough not to go between the bars of the dog crate, I removed the screening and put a piece of plywood over half the kennel bottom so they had an upper story to fly to. I had 4 cockerels inside for over 6 weeks--hopefully with spring coming these 7 pullets can move outside a bit sooner.
i use two kiddie pools that i connected for extra space with 2 foot high cardboard going all around. i put pine shavings i got from wal-mart with paper towels ontop. it works for a couple days. i have a 250 watt bulb clamped to ones pool cardboard (their sleeping area) and a 150 watt clampes onto the other pools cardboard where their food and water is. i got two cheap thermometers to keep an eye on temperature. you'll know when they are too hot or cold though. thay either pile up if too cold, look dead with body parts all akimbo or just right. i had old fencing i cut to fit the tops. easy to take off. they seem happy and will often start at one pool and "fly" to the other half. i have four cats and a dog. i am always holding a chick and rubbing its scent on the cats while petting a cat so they know its not food. i did do sugar water for a couple days then swichted to chick vitamins. mine are 2 weeks old now. mix up litter every day and take out grose areas. good luck
When you say Mix up litter, do you mean as like a litter box.. I would sort of stir, remove soiled clumps.. and move along?
I was at the farm store today and noticed they have the chick nest all set up and ready to go.. they are using straight pine shvings/litter for bedding.. I think I read, better to try to hide that a little so they will eat the food and not the shavings... Am I reading too much?
AND>> I just read one of the other threads where the hardest part was NOT holding the chicks... I had planned on mauling them at all times... did they ean just at first, allow them adjust time when they first arrive, warm up, eat.. settle?
Biggest ? I haven't asked yet.. Is it "Starter feed" I start with and have it available at all times? I know that sounds kind of dumb, but I wasn't sure if there was something before starter feed.
the feed we got was just for babies at tractor supply. they have different feeds for different chicken life stages. i did add grit. iused parakeet grit from the pet section and sprinkle a litttle bit on the feed. we have always held and petted our babies. my daughter puts clothes on them. never had one turn on her. i fluff up the pine shavings and use my hand to clean out the poop. great for compost! i put down paper towels but after 3-4 days they got smart and started scraping it up and running around with it. i am going to get a small box with dirt because the babies are taking dust baths in the pine!
Sounds like I just about have my plan... Farm Store has a 20% off sale this Sat, so I will buy a bag of feed... may have DD get one too, that should take me a few days down the road.
30 chicks, 100 lbs feed ?? should I buy 3 to start? (plenty of room to store, sucurely in plastic trash can)
I was going to use a little soft dirt in one of those hospital wash up pans.. almost like a small dishpan??
Found some large irridensent shiny rocks.. just under 2" for bling.. and of course have some hangy shiny jewelry things... and my 1x1 sticks for mini perches...
Can anybody tell I can't wait...
frans530, I know just how you feel! I'm sure someone else can tell you more about this, but I read that you shouldn't store feed for more than a few weeks because it will decline in quality. The only chick feed I can get locally is called "start to finish". I think it is meant for broilers, but the feedstore says I can switch them to layer mash when they are ready to lay. I let my first chickens "free range" around my back yard when they were fully feathered and I think they got a lot of "extra protein" from the bugs and stuff they ate. I am so excited for you!
Fran, I started my chicks off with "chick starter", then when they got their feathers, switched to "chick grower". When they were about 5 months old, I changed to layer mash mixed with cracked corn. They have been on that since Sept. of last year. I think I did get 100 lbs of starter, but had 50 chicks and don't remember if I had to get more or not. I would not go over 100 lbs to start, even if it is on sale. I don't know about deteriorating, but you may not need more than that before you switch to grower.
This spring will be my first time using pine shavings for litter. I always used newspaper before and have had no ill effects. The only reason I got the shavings is I ran out of hay for nesting and where I went to buy feed, they had shavings but no hay. Our weather has been so bad and the closest mill that we deal with is 35 miles away, we haven't been able to get there. We did have a friend bring us some dry hay the other day, so I will have shavings for the chicks. Maybe. (might use it for nesting material.
So are you guys saying 100lbs should get me through the first few months.. There are 30 chicks.. 8 of which are silkies..
Should I maybe get one starter and one grower...
Wow, should I start to think of growing an acre of hay too?
Chickens are soooo stressful!
you are starting to panic! don't. its real easy. just realx for a bit and take it one day at a time. have fun with them. watch the little comedians run around and chirp and just be nuts! chickens are a sturdy animal. give the basics and you'll learn what works for you and what doesn't. next year you'll be an old pro and laugh at these posts. this is my third year with chicks. mine did just fine first year and i was you. i was wondering though, where are you putting them when they get their big girl feathers in? they remind me of gawky teenagers then.
Well Peeps, in the bathroom with the curling iron.. where else would I put a group of teens..
I have two large rabbit cages kind of 40x40x18 and an dog xpen with lid and outdoor dog run.. non of which I am sure will work, all of which I hope will work at some point, this is where I figure I need to "wing" it.
frans, my experience with chick starter, or anything in crumbles, is it breaks down into dust eventually. so no more than two bags to start, you need to buy it fresh. someone told me if it turns to dust, you can rehydrate it with water. haven' tbeen desperate enough to try that yet.
a lot of feed will be wasted as they learn to scartch. don't worry its good excercise for them, a breeder told me not to worry over pennies of feed when they are young.
sounds like you are well prepared adn rearing tro get going!
it all sounds good to me! if you need any help.............
Anybody need a babysitter? I just found out, my chicks won't be ready until Mar 31 ;-(
That is like forever away!
I guess tomorrow, I start drawing the plans for the big coop.. and stop worring about the nursery.
So sad
you are gonna have to get another hobby to not go nuts.
ever thought about a garden?
;-P