New to BYC

[Chixchik]

Hi! I am new to BYC and this is my first time beginning to raise chickens. It’s been a long term dream for me but was temporarily put on hold during my husband’s twenty year career in the military. He has since retired from the military and is now working a job that allows us to not move around. sev years ago we bought a house on three acres and have been slowly but surely making it our own while continuing to homeschool our three “kids” (all teens now And our oldest one in college).

We have 14 three week old chicks that we got from our marvelous farm supply store at a day old. We have been having a BALL with them! Our youngest (14) named all of them and they are such a delight. We have three “Americanas”, three “Buff Orpingtons”, four “Easter Eggers”, and four “Blue Laced Red Wyandottes”. They are SUPPOSED to be all hens/pullets But if we get ONE gentle and friendly rooster I won’t complain! But no matter what we love them all!

Currently they are in our finished basement in our old whelping box which is 6x12x2-1/2 but they are in a smaller section right now (4x6x2-1/2). I am using two brooding plates and just turned off our red heat lamp (made especially for chickens) as our indoor temperature is between 65 to 70 degrees and they still have the two brooding plates to go under. I am using medium pine shavings on the floor. I have been mixing chick feed half medicated half organic because I am undecided on that topic and don’t fully understand it. I want my chicks to build a stronger immunity and I don’t know if medicated feed does that because the label on the medicated feed reads “use medicated feed for flocks that you don’t desire to build immunity to coccidiosis”. And I WANT to have them build an immunity. Thoughts?

I am in Minnesota so I need advice on wintering the birds as we are just building a henhouse and run! And advice on water not freezing etc, I want to avoid heat lamps and lightbulbs.

One more question…I am aware of the Teflon coating being lethal to chickens. I am looking at water heating elements for our super cold winters and all the farm grade heating elements (from the small submersible bird bath ones all the way to submersible stock tank ones) are ALL coated in Teflon!!!! Words of wisdom?

I am looking forward to the advice!

Sincerely,

Chixchik

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to the BYC family!

I live in the south so I don't do frozen waterers. Some people use fish tank heaters or heated dog water bowls.

 

[Chixchik]

Welcome to the BYC family!

I live in the south so I don't do frozen waterers. Some people use fish tank heaters or heated dog water bowls.

Thanks! I’ll look into that.

 

[Boppo]

Glad to meet you! Best wishes with your new flock and all your plans!

You can search specific questions using the SEARCH button at the top right of every page. But there are Forums and Articles that you can pull down a menu and look at topics. You are so forward-thinking (good for you!) that any discussion of heating water took place last fall and winter, so the forums are not easy to browse. I did a sample SEARCH for < Water Heater > and got a lot of interesting looking entries. I hope that helps!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Welcome to our FUNomenal flock!
Best Wishes!

 

[sourland]

Hello, and welcome to BYC. I would stay away from anything that was Teflon coated.

 

[Chixchik]

Glad to meet you! Best wishes with your new flock and all your plans!

You can search specific questions using the SEARCH button at the top right of every page. But there are Forums and Articles that you can pull down a menu and look at topics. You are so forward-thinking (good for you!) that any discussion of heating water took place last fall and winter, so the forums are not easy to browse. I did a sample SEARCH for < Water Heater > and got a lot of interesting looking entries. I hope that helps!

Thanks so much! I am about the LEAST tech savvy person on the planet so it’s a big learning curve for me On navigating the site, but I am sure my teens can help too! . I am lov the posts I have found so far.

 

[Chixchik]

Welcome to our FUNomenal flock!
Best Wishes!

Thanks

 

[Chixchik]

Hello, and welcome to BYC. I would stay away from anything that was Teflon coated.

My thoughts, too. Wondering why farm stores sell Teflon anything!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

I am using medium pine shavings on the floor. I have been mixing chick feed half medicated half organic because I am undecided on that topic and don’t fully understand it.

Diluting the medicated with organic non-medicated is not doing you or the chicks any favors.

I am using two brooding plates and just turned off our red heat lamp (made especially for chickens) as our indoor temperature is between 65 to 70 degrees and they still have the two brooding plates to go under.

One brooder plate is more than enough for the number of chicks you have and I would never put a heat lamp on them in addition to the plate. I brooded chicks outdoors in the built-in brooder in my coop during a NY spring when the temps dropped down to 23F during their second week with one brooder plate with a towel tossed over it for 15 chicks. They absolutely thrived.

I want my chicks to build a stronger immunity and I don’t know if medicated feed does that

To build immunity, I give the chicks a chunk of sod (grass, dirt, rock, roots, critters and all) to the chicks starting in their second week. They will at first be terrified of it and will then have a royal blast scratching and pecking the clump apart. I replace it when it's too broken down and desiccated. THIS builds immunity.

However, I would ALWAYS have Corid on hand... just in case.

I am in Minnesota so I need advice on wintering the bird

You need a coop with lots of high permanent ventilation and some coming in low. Leaving the space between the rafters open and paired with a gable and/or ridge vents works very well. All openings into the coop should be secured with 1/2" hardware cloth to prevent predators entering the coop.
Having an attached run with a solid roof and walls that can be covered with clear tarps to act as wind breaks is a HUGELY advantageous design for long snowy winters. This works very well:

water heating elements for our super cold winter

I use this:

I set it up on a large concrete block so it is about chest height on the chickens. It has kept the water thawed in temps into the -20sF.
I recommend running power to the coop and installing lights so you can turn lights on in the coop at night if you need them, run fans, the heated waterer, etc.