Get Ready, first chicks arrive January 25, 2018

What do your new baby chicks need?

This is an updated repost from this blog Jan 9th, 2017

 

Lets start with the basics. They will need containment, warmth, food and water. Your chicks are newborns, They only hatched one day before they arrived by mail to the Woodville Ace Hardware brooder. We recommend that if you are buying a chick as a pet please buy two, only because they get lonely. And the more the happier. For eggers plan on at maturity an egg a day.

 

 Lets get started!

If you are buying chicks in the cooler months, we recommend that you keep them inside to protect them from the cold and temperature changes. Their brooder should be kept at a constant temperature until they have feathers to protect them.

 

-YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS BEFORE OR WHEN YOU BRING YOUR  CHICKS HOME

 

• BROODER BOX
  A box big enough to hold the number of chicks you purchase with plenty of room for them to move around. Best to start with something they can live in for the next 6 weeks as they grow. And it must be cleaned daily. Your box should be made of plastic or wood with an open top. Cover the top with wire or grating protects them and as they grow it prevents them from flying out.
   

• LIGHT
  We recommend a 90-125 watt white or red flood light (incandescent or halogen) for warmth depending on the size of your box. Recommend 95 degrees inside the box at all times for the first week. As the chick age and put on feathers the brooder temperature is reduced. The light should be protected by a hood or shield for safety. If you are using wire or grating on top of your box the light should sit at one end, so the chicks can get away from it, if it is too hot. This light is to be left on at all times .But, be sure to watch to see if your chicks are too hot, they will escape the light or too cold, they will huddle right under it. 
   

• WATER
  We recommend small jar chicken waterers. These fit in a small box and can be easily refilled and cleaned. When your chicks are small we recommend an additive of antibiotics (tetracycline) for the first week to keep your chicks healthy. (Up dated 2018)We can no longer buy or sell tetracycline, it must be obtained from a vet. If you you have small bantams, guinea or turkey we recommend add small pebbles to the bottom of the waterer.
   

• FOOD
  Start and Grow chick feed (Purina) comes in 25 and 50 pound bags, medicated and non-medicated. During chick season we offer 5 pound bags to get you started. You can use a jar type feeder or a tray feeder that fits into your box, similar to the waterer. Fill and clean the feeder daily. Keep food for them at all times.
  
  

• BEDDING
  Newspaper or card board makes daily clean up easier. Wood shavings or bedding (large flake) can also be used but must be changed often. Chicks are messy and as they grow, their mess grows. Keeping the brooder clean and dry keeps your chicks health and happy.
   

• HANDLING
  They are cute, cuddly and fun to watch and play with, but like human babies they need their rest. Protect them from small children and the family cat and dog at all times. Wash your hands before and after handling chicks.
   
  -FAQ'S:
   
  How long do I keep them in the house?
   
  -Depending on the weather conditions they should be kept inside till they have feathers, about 6 weeks, this depends on over all health and the breed of chicken.
  Start staging them outside in a shaded area during warm weather and gradually increase their outside time till they can be put into an outside coop.
   
  -We recommend a booklet, Managing your Small Flock, by Purina Poultry Feed. Pick one up in our store.