New to chicks, not to chickens.

[enrgizerbunny]

Well my coop still has some construction left on it before I'm ready, but I should receive a batch of buff orpingtons in about a month from a local breeder. I have two boys (3 and 6) that want to raise from chicks and I'm not opposed to the lower cost of birds. I do not have any existing flock at the moment and I plan to keep these chicks in the coop from day 1 with supplemental heat. I'm getting at least 10, but I might get a few more to increase my chances of getting the number of hens I want.
In the past I've bought pullets because I couldn't raise chicks in my old coop, so I have a few questions about doing it in the new one.

Can I use coarse pine shavings in a deep litter with baby chicks?

My idea is to place a heat lamp and the chicks will move to a comfortable location according to the heat available. Sound viable?

Heated waterer, chick feeder, heat lamp, big coop for them to stay in - am I missing something?



This is the coop build thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...estions-welcome.1539131/page-12#post-27411452

 

[azygous]

Over the years, new ways to brood chicks have been developed right here on this web site. One of the most important innovations is to ditch the heat lamp for the heating pad. It's fashioned into a little cave by mounting it on a steel fence frame. This simulates a broody hen and the chicks snuggle under it, making direct contact with the heating pad as they would the underparts of a hen. There is no danger of fire or burns, and the chicks do not overheat. They wean themselves off the heat, usually around four weeks.

These two articles will give you a lot of background on the most current methods of raising chicks outdoors in a coop or run.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/

As for the bedding, chicks do fine on pine shavings. But the first day or two, it's best to use paper towels or puppy pads so the chicks learn what food is first. I sprinkle their crumbles on the paper towel and they learn to eat because it's instinct to search for food on the ground. Then they will easily transition to a feeder once they have a taste for the food. Once they know to eat the food from the feeder, you can take the toweling away as there is minimal danger then of the chicks eating the shavings.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Definitely spend time reading via links provided above, you'll find very helpful game changers that'll likely make experience for the kids much better too. I'll toss in that way, way back when I had 2 boys excited to raise 6 RIR chicks I really regretted only getting one breed. It was way to hard to tell them apart. The kids tried so hard to name them but eventually lost interest (also the RIR's weren't super nice, you're smart to get BO's.) Just thought if your source has different breeds you might want to consider it. I now get different colored chickens that lay different colored eggs, I put alot of time into planning and my adult kids still love naming them all for me, half my flock has rapper names, LOL.

 

[Penpal]

Since you are making this a project with the kids, I would bring the chicks into the house. This makes it easy for them to watch the chicks, feed the chicks, and help you manage the bedding. I just used newspaper for the floor. It's easy to cover with a new layer of newspaper each day or so. Easy to see how fast they grow. Easy for the chicks to accept the boys and not run from them.

I think it would be easier to name them if you had a second breed with a different color. If they were puppies you could just put different colored collars on them.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Thank you all for the reading suggestions, one of which I had already read. As for bringing them inside for the boys' sake- I've chosen to keep them outside because I don't want any of them to get lost in the house (from being picked up by a 3 year old) and there should be less bedding maintenance in the coop because of the volume available to them. I work 24 hour shifts so I need the reduce the things my wife has to do and scooping poop inside the hous isn't on the list.

The coop is coming along on schedule for a mid February occupation. I need to take some measurements so that I can buy conduit and wire it as well as install hardware cloth up top and seal the bottom of the doors to keep rodents out. Gotta finish up the gables and later build the rollout nest boxes, but none of that is required for chicks.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Ordered chicks today from a local feed store. 2 buff orpingtons, 2 blue copper marans, 2 gold laced Wyandottes, 2 Easter eggers, 2 olive eggers, and 2 cream legbars (pending order increasing).

So that'll be 10-12 birds depending on it I get the legbars or not.

 

[homesteading101]

Thank you all for the reading suggestions, one of which I had already read. As for bringing them inside for the boys' sake- I've chosen to keep them outside because I don't want any of them to get lost in the house (from being picked up by a 3 year old) and there should be less bedding maintenance in the coop because of the volume available to them. I work 24 hour shifts so I need the reduce the things my wife has to do and scooping poop inside the hous isn't on the list.

The coop is coming along on schedule for a mid February occupation. I need to take some measurements so that I can buy conduit and wire it as well as install hardware cloth up top and seal the bottom of the doors to keep rodents out. Gotta finish up the gables and later build the rollout nest boxes, but none of that is required for chicks.

Remember build for the sake of functionality not looks, you'll thank yourself in the long run!

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Remember build for the sake of functionality not looks, you'll thank yourself in the long run!

Well yes, but there's an ordinance in my marriage that says anything I build has to somewhat match the house ans/or look nice. That's why I use vinyl siding, it's easy to make it look good even over top of not-so-perfect.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

What issues would you see with a brooder like this? I have a ceramic bulb in the lamp, not the traditional heat bulb. It'll be filled with shavings.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Picked up half the chicks yesterday. I have the coop divided for them and they're currently in a box that has a "door" that allows free exploration of the area when they get a little older and adventurous. Right now they're huddling under the heat for the most part, but they get out for food and water. Ordered a higher wattage bulb, but they seem plenty warm under the current 100W ceramic emitter.