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[Headchicken]

Hello all! A few questions for those "in the know" from across the pond!

 

I'll be getting my chicks (4 Rhode Island Reds) mid February. For those of you who have raised chicks, what type of box did you use? I'm thinking of a large plastic storage bin (without the top, obviously), so that it is easy to clean, sturdy, and not a fire hazard (like a cardboard box). Does that sounds appropriate?

 

My second question - What do you prefer to use in the box; newspaper shreds, wood shavings, etc? I know that the little girls need to be able to have firm footing to avoid some leg problems, so what have you had success with?

 

Some other issues: I have my organic starter feed on order, so that should be in place. Do you start to provide grit right away for the chicks? What about oyster shell? Since they won't be laying for a number of months I assume the oyster shell isn't needed at first? Please correct me if I am mistaken!

 

Final question - For those with a cube (which is what I'll have at the end of February! ), when were the chicks old enough to mount the flight to inside the cube??? Seems kinda high for the little girls. Should I provide a solid ramp until they are older? I'm in Florida, so once they are feathered out and more sturdy, they'll be outside (the weather here is quite mild to warm in the spring). What are your thoughts on little chicks in the big cube?

 

Thank you for answering all my newbie questions! I thought I should come to the authorities on the subject!!!!

[Egluntyne]

How old will the chicks be when they arrive?

[Headchicken]

Brand spankin' new at only a couple days old!

[bronze]

I use an indoor rabbit cage with hemcore in it.

Have you thought about what to do with males? I'm right in thinking its the rhodebars that are autosexing and not the RIRs

[Headchicken]

The chicks are sexed at the hatchery as we did not order a "straight run". If one should end up being a cockrell, I'll swap that out with my farmer friend for a pullet. She doesn't mind roosters, but I'm not on a farm and I DO mind an early "cock-a-doodle-doo"!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum, Jen . I've no experience of chicks so can't offer any helpful advice - just wanted to say good luck!

[feemcg]

Heres my brooder (the beer is optional )

 

 

 

 

They have non-slip rubber matting with kitchen paper on top for the 1st week, then onto woodshavings. It's best to have a lid as they very quickly learn to jump up and perch on the edges!

 

I don't give mine grit until about 6 weeks, then just the finer parrot type one, instead of the chunkier poultry one.

 

They also have a teddy that they snuggle up to sleep with, then learn to climb and poo all over it!

 

[craftyhunnypie]

I have my chicks in a crate the same for the first week or two. Then they go in the indoor guinea pig cage. My banties Button & Bingo are finally off heat now at 10 weeks! They will be going outside soon. It takes longer to get them off heat this time of year, where as in summer its 5 -6 weeks. They need to go out as Bingo is now crowing quite a lot - he started at 5 weeks!

I also give mine teddies & fine close knit dish cloths to snuggle into. I find as they grow & learn to scratch with their feet, that you get loads of shavings in the drinker. I therfore stand it on a piece of plumbers toilet piping. A great solution!

The more you can handle them each day, the better & change their water every day, as they are very vulnerable to illness at an early age.

Good luck!

 

Emma.x

[TAJ]

I use an indoor rabbit cage, obviously heat lamp until at least 5 weeks, they will not be up to the Cube ladder until they are about POL. You will need to think where they go when they out-grow the brooder in this weather and before they cam use the Cube.

 

I was hoping to get mine out in the Rablu next week, but with the weather due to turn cold again I think they will end up with at least a few more days in the brooder until we get a warmer spell.

 

Tracy

[Headchicken]

Do you think they could "climb" a ramp into the cube when they're hardy enough for the outdoors? May have to rig something up for inside the cube run, but down on the ground until they are ready for the grown-up cube. Maybe the brooder turned on it's side...

 

I'll definitley be keeping them close to the house when they're outside full-time, but still young, so I guess we'll figure that out by trial and error. POL is around 18wks, right? That would be mid-June!

[Snowy]

The youngest I've ever had was 12 weeks old, and they were certainly capable of using a ramp then. Not much after that that they could manage the ladder.

[Egluntyne]

I've only had chicks from 7/8 weeks. They went in the cube with the big girls at about 22 weeks -ish and managed the ladder well.