Getting chicks today...

[DeplorableDan]

I'm going to agway soon to buy 8 chicks ????. This will be my first time raising chickens, I have a big plastic container and brooder lamp. At agway I will buy the red heat bulb, pellet bedding, waterer, and feed. I plan to build a coop or buy a premade one soon and fence in a roosting area...I'm new to this so if anyone has any tips or good advice regarding habitat, different breeds, safety etc. feel free to share. The purpose of these chickens will be eggs, I do not plan on eating them.

[RPK0620]

Well, that finally answer's the question for me:   The chicken came first ! 

[rgw]

red stars are egg laying machine's, I also have Plymouth rocks that lay very well also. when you make your outdoor run lay chicken wire down on the grass and let grass grow through it this way they dont tare it up and turn it into dirt in a week. I also divided mine in half with wire fence this way I can let them use one side every other week allowing the grass to regrow on the other side not being used. I know I spoil my girls but a happy hen lays more eggs

Edited March 17, 2017 by rgw

[Nomad]

We have had chickens for years.   My wife always buy young ones, but not chicks.  Then you can put them right into your pen.

[rgw]

I will get my new ones in 10 days or so.

[DeplorableDan]

I will get my new ones in 10 days or so.

Yea I saw your post, that's really cool. I'll probably give hatching a try next year

[newjerseyhunter]

Where are you going to keep the chicks... in the house? What are you going to use for bedding? I ask because if you use what agway will probably recommend, wood shavings, whatever room you keep them in will be covered in dust by the time they are old enough to move outside. Just something to think about.

[JerseyJaysTaxidermy]

Buy a heated water bucket if it will be outdoors and freeze.. I'm not sure a heat lamp will keep it from freezing unless it's in a confined area.

I don't heat my chickens, but I didn't raise them from chicks.. they were several weeks old when I got them

I have 6 chickens and get 6-7eggs a day (almost 1 yr old now )

 

I built them a 10x22ft run recently.. before that they ran free in my yard. They will destroy the lawn in a few months.

 

My coops is designed for up to 6 chickens, but it seems pretty tiny for 6.. if I didn't build a run i would only have 3 in there.

 

 

http://www.jerseyjaystaxidermy.com

[DeplorableDan]

Where are you going to keep the chicks... in the house? What are you going to use for bedding? I ask because if you use what agway will probably recommend, wood shavings, whatever room you keep them in will be covered in dust by the time they are old enough to move outside. Just something to think about.

Agway recommends a pellet bedding, I didn't hear anything about wood shavings. They will be kept in the gun room under the brooder lamp. I'm not worried about the water freezing yet because these chicks will be indoors for a while, it will be warm by the time they go outside.

[Bill from NJ]

DD,

 

 

Try looking around here:

Should answer some of your questions.

 

For type of chicken for eggs only, I recommend either Black or Red Stars.

They’re machines, absolutely fantastic.

 

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chick_selector.html

 

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/faqtop.html

 

 

http://blog.mcmurrayhatchery.com/resources-on-raising-chickens/

[BCsaw]

You will need 50+ lbs of starter feed.

Use the pine shavings under newspaper for easy weekly clean up. Pine shavings are in bagged/ baled form at $2-3 at Tractor Supply. The shavings make for convenient future deep bedding and ease of compost containment/ application.

A chick sized waterer and feeder tray will work for chicks.

They should not be outside with no feathers/down.

Get the silver work lamp with a clamp on it to monitor the brooder temps. A thermometer tells you when to raise or lower the lamp. A sunny location will increase these temps.

Be prepared for the feed/feather dust in the room.

The darker eggs taste best.

Good luck!

Birdman

Edited March 17, 2017 by BCsaw

[newjerseyhunter]

Agway recommends a pellet bedding, I didn't hear anything about wood shavings. They will be kept in the gun room under the brooder lamp. I'm not worried about the water freezing yet because these chicks will be indoors for a while, it will be warm by the time they go outside.

 

I would definitely not keep them in the gun room. The dust they create will get everywhere and I mean everywhere. If you do keep them in there you should get a zipwall type setup and seal them off some how. 

[tick trawler]

The dust from the young birds won't hurt anything.  A bit more to clean up around the house isn't a big deal and the dust won't do anything to the firearms if they have a light coat of oil or Break Free CLP.  It may be worth looking into the immunological studies that have been done on farm families.  The dust from the animals will help to develop and strengthen a person's immune system over time. 

 

Get a big dog cage and line it on the sides with cardboard so they can't get out and line the bottom pan of the cage first with newspaper and then with pine shavings.  Keep it in the house but away from where you sleep, with a light bulb inside suspended to keep them warm.  Eventually, they will get too big for the cage this is why timing of bird purchase is important.  Heat lamps or incandescent light bulbs may be needed for a while once they are moved outside to your pest resistant facility.

 

If you want to free range your birds do it while you are home in the afternoons and be ready for pest trouble especially during April, May, and June.  It helps to have older birds around that are used to roaming as they will help to lead the others back to the coop or to other safe areas.  A rooster will watch over the flock spotting trouble but roosters are not as good watchmen as guineas.  Once you learn what the guinea hens chatter means, they will be telling you when predators are nearby, when they are near your flock, and the approximate direction of predator approach.  You will learn to read these signs and will prevail.

[Buck154]

Agway recommends a pellet bedding, I didn't hear anything about wood shavings. They will be kept in the gun room under the brooder lamp. I'm not worried about the water freezing yet because these chicks will be indoors for a while, it will be warm by the time they go outside.

Don't wait to long to build the outside coop. They grow fast. Talk with RGW he has had chickens for years and does good with them. Good egg layers and meat birds

[Nomad]

Have a "man party" at your house, provide free beer, and strangers from this site will come over and build your coop...