Edit: I flipped the brooder plate around! I'm apparently not the brightest. Thank you to the commenter who probably saved my chicks!
Instead of going out and buying a stock tank or a prebuilt brooder, I used an old pack n play that we had laying around. I lined the bottom with puppy pads and pine shavings, put a brooding plate at one end (at a tilt), and listened to suggestions to put a few paper towels under the feed and sprinkle some around the feeder to encourage them to eat. Also dipped all of their beaks in the water upon introducing them to the brooder. I plan on adding a riser under the waterer tonight to keep the water clean, and we will get hardware cloth to put over the top to keep them from escaping.
What am I missing? What looks wrong/questionable? The last time I raised chickens was in high school, and they were already fully feathered hens by the time we got them. I only helped my parents raise chicks when I was a young child.
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