dance in the dark Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Right, I am fairly new to chickens and have only had hybrid up till now and I really wanted some cream legbars and have been offered some two week old chicks, which I am thinking I am going to collect on Saturday!!! I am very excited and feel generally pretty confident as they are past the initial few days and so are eating etc. but I just have a couple of questions. What sort of size brooder should I be looking for, I am going to have a homemade one and have heard carboard is perfectly acceptable, but am mostly looking for a plastic box, but if it need to be very deep cardboard may be my only option. Does anyone have any light to shed or experience to share? I would be so grateful! Thank you in advance for any advice you can give Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forestchook Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 At threee weeks old my four came in a computer box with the sides stood up to increase the depth. I was going to put them in a fishtank but decided the box was easier to deal with. At four weeks one escaped! Luckily I was in the process of preparing a TV box for them to move into at the time. That was deeper and kept them contained for another week and a half. Then one fluttered up and wobbled around on the top of the box, thankfully while I was there. It now has mesh over the top but I'm looking for a bigger box plus a run so they can start going outside. I 'd advise the deeper the better so long as you can still reach them as necessary. Be warned they produce huge quantities of dust and mine kick their wood shavings out through the holes I cut for their drinkers (the poultry drinker I borrow for them just constantly filled up with wood shavings so I resorted to budgie drinkers). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 The brooder will need to be quite deep, and as large as possible. I couldn't believe how quickly my chicks grew out of their accommodation, and you can always put some sort of divider in it initially so that they don't stray too far from the heat source. If you have an electric hen, the chicks will jump onto it as soon as they are able, so you will need some mesh to put on top of the brooder as Forestchook says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dance in the dark Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 Ok, so carboard is ok? The don;t peck through it and such? Just have to make sure they have a roof to keep them in? Also, something nothing I have read has made clear, do they just sleep huddled on the floor wherever they fancy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Yes, cardboard is fine. They will sleep on the brooder floor, usually under or partially under the electric hen/ heat lamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dance in the dark Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 Thank you all so much! I am now not nervous, just excited. Up until about three days agoI had never considered raising chicks and certainly didn't think I'd end up getting some in such a rushed kind of way, but just one more day and I'll have them!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franki Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Hi, how are they getting on? I too got 2 cream legbar chicks last Saturday. They are 2 weeks old. I keep worrying about mine as they keep straying away from the electric hen. Do you think they're ok? They would be sensible enough to go under it if they were cold, wouldn't they? They only seem to go under it to sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Franki, is your electric hen height adjustable and, if so, have you changed its height at all? It may be that the chicks are too hot under it now, in which case you should alter it. At 2 weeks of age though they don't need to be under the heat all the time- my chicks spent a lot of their time out and about at that age and were fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franki Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Yes I did adjust it to the middle setting. They would only be touching the top of it if they stood up. Do you think I should raise it again (would be the final setting)? They don't seem to be shivering and it doesn't seem to give off much heat unless they are pressed up against it. They sleep under it at night but just aren't bothered about it most other times. I must watch them more today to see what time they spend in/out of it. I was so worried about them getting cold, now I'm worried about them over-heating! I feel like a new mum! Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 They sound fine to me. If they can only touch it if they stand up, I would leave the height as it is for now. Don't worry - I think they are at their most vulnerable during the first week, and I doubt that they will let themselves get too cold now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franki Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Thanks, you've put my mind at rest They are currently resting as far away from the electric hen as they could possibly get,right in the corner of the brooder! Another thing... I haven't put any shavings down yet, they are just on newspaper. Should I do this? Is it absolutely necessary? Thinking about the mess that will be kicked everywhere (on top of the chick crumb) but obviously will put it in if it's the right thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I suppose it depends how often you replace the newspaper and how much mess/smell they make. I had mine on J cloths for the first few days, then I used Hemcore which is what I use for my other hens. I had 7 chicks, though, so much more poo etc than yours will produce! Some people use wood pellet cat litter in their brooder, which is harder than shavings for the chicks to kick around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franki Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) Oooh good tip! I have so much cat litter (being a cat breeder), I use a nice newspaper based one so I'll give it a try. Only 2 chicks, so not much poo but sure they'd like something to scratch about in. Thanks Edited June 22, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 if you can get your hands on a rubbit hutch then i would do then get a heat lamp cut a hole in the top and keep them in there atleast you won't have to keep moving them and as its bigger it will stay cleaner for longer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franki Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Thanks for your advice. I've just invested in an electric hen so don't really want to faff around with a heat lamp. I've got them in quite a large wooden brooder but the rabbit hutch thing is a good idea. I've got one sat outside empty, might put them in there in the daytime, later on, to "harden off", or whatever the terminology is, lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Thanks for your advice.I've just invested in an electric hen so don't really want to faff around with a heat lamp. I've got them in quite a large wooden brooder but the rabbit hutch thing is a good idea. I've got one sat outside empty, might put them in there in the daytime, later on, to "harden off", or whatever the terminology is, lol! a electric hen is so much better (and cheaper to run) so thats brilliant and yes if its dry outside and not to cold then put them outside to feel the breeze i would also make some handles to put on the hutch so at nights and the mornings you can lift it outdoors if you keep doing that they will become hardy very fast then the ones you keep will be just fine in the winter chickens that aint hardy or have been mothercuddled for to long dont to well in the cold weather so best to be abit hard on them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
