VERY new at this. please give me some advice.

[happy-imapired]

hey all,

I am new to the raising of chickens. I recently built a coop for chickens, well it is more of a tractor, 4 feet long, by 3 feet wide, by 3 feet high, with an 8 foot long by 3 foot wide by 3 foot high run attached. Inside is 2 nesting boxes with a long perch <can post pics if needed> So what we needed were some chickens to put in said coop.

what we ended up doing is buying 2 white leghorns (named white meat and other white meat), a black sex link (named black chicken) and a road island red (named bitey). All of them are female.

Well my questions are such:

Is the coop enough room for these four little chicks after they grow up to be big chickens?

How big a box will be needed to house them until they are ready to let loose into the coop?

Generally how long will they be housed in our house until they should be ready to put into the coop?

After the chicks are grown will they need a light in the coop during the winter in Utah?

As of tonight they are sitting in a large tupperware bin, 18 inches wide, by 24 inches long, by 16 inches deep. Pine bedding, though after reading the forum I should probably make it deeper, with food and water dishes with a 60' watt bulb in a reflector for warmth about 18 inches from the bedding, all of this in my computer room, I am looking at it right now.

do I need to puchrace a better box for my girls or is this setup ok? If it is ok will it be ok for long?

Here are a couple pics...

Please tell me what I need to do to keep these chicks healthy and in good shape.

Happy-impaired

 

[cookie_chick]

i dunno its bigger then my box for 1 chick so i guess

 

[justusnak]

Hello Happy, and welcome to BYC. Everyone here is alwyas happy to help out, and gives great advise. As far as the peeps go what you have them in now is great! at about 3 or 4 weeks, it mmight be a little crowded...and you will need a top for it, like a wire fence...because those little buugers can hop like fleas. Your "tractor" sounds like it might be big anough, pics would help tho. You will want to keep then inside, untill they are 7 or 8 weeks, and have all thier feathers. Winters can he a little harsh there in Utah from what I hear....maybe you can get them a secure place where you can provide some heat in the winter? If you are only sticking with 4....maybe you can move the tractor in the garage when its really cold outside, or heavy snow? Congrats on the babies....they are cuties!

 

[CarriBrown]

Hi Happy-
Welcome to the forum! Your set up looks good but let me give you once piece of advice... Put a screen or something like it over the top because before you know it, they will be standing on top of the water trying to get ou!! Trust me... I'm looking at a little chick head peeping up right now!!

My babies are 3 weeks and 1 week, and the 3 week old is already trying to fly around!

 

[AmyAnnette]

Hey I'm from Utah too. Yes, you will need a light in coop through the winter. This will keep them laying eggs and will help with warmth a little. I have a shed and insulated the shed for winter cold and summer heat. Just because I want them to be warm as possible during winter. If there is such a thing.

 

[potpie32]

Hello, I'm new to this and would greatly appreciate some help, please. I have two week old chicks, and one has diarrhea. I bought Oxy-mycin to mix in the water. However, I'm terrible at math so here's my problem. Package says to mix 200-400 mg/gallon of water. I use a Mason jar waterer and don't want to mix too much.

 

[speckledhen]

First, don't give the chick antibiotics just for runny poop. That will most likely make it worse. Just put maybe a tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar in a gallon waterer. Organic is with the mother of vinegar(sediment on the bottom). It should clear up soon.

 

[potpie32]

Thank you very much. I'm going right now to find the cider.

 

[cookinmom]

Package says to mix 200-400 mg/gallon of water. I use a Mason jar waterer and don't want to mix too much.

Hi Potpie,

Just for future reference, a mason jar feeder is usually a quart, so divide that dosage by 4 to find out how much to put in a quart (in case you ever do have to use it). As to find out how much is 50mg, I can't help you with that! I don't know how that translates to American.​