Baby chicks are just like puppies or kittens, they are simply cute, lovable and very adorable! The initial time spent in bringing up your chicks is time well spent in getting to know them better and will certainly provide you and your family with memorable fun time.
During the first 4 weeks, baby chicks require care and monitoring, which means you have to check on them about 5 times a day or have somebody monitor their daily progress.
Where to Put the Baby Chicks Since they are still quite small, they are easy to handle! However, they grow very quickly and when they reach 3 or 4 weeks old, they would definitely need a lot of space and would start making a big mess and clutter.
This means you have to make sure that their coop is ready within this period so that you can transfer them to their new home.
During the initial four week period of taking care of the baby chicks it is best to put them in the garage, workshop, basement or an area that is both predator-proof and draft-proof environment.
Heat Source During the first week of their lives, baby chicks need an air temperature of 95 degrees, 90 degrees on the second week, 85 degrees on the third, going down by 5 degrees weekly until the time they are ready to be transferred outside to their coop.
Heating can best be provided by using a 250-watt infrared heat lamp positioned in the middle of their living area and suspended at a height that depends on your target temperature.
Absorbent Bedding Make sure that the flooring of the baby chicks housing is covered with absorbent material since they are big poopers.
It is recommended to cover the floor with 1" thick wood shavings (pine is recommended) instead of newspaper or carton.
Some people use paper towels but this requires changing often because they get soggy within a day or two.
To keep their house from stinking, it is wise to replace their bedding once a week.
You can throw it in a compost pile where it will decay naturally and turn into fertilized earth.
Discover the numerous advantages of raising chickens in your backyard and learn about building a chicken coop for your feathered friends by visiting my website.
During the first 4 weeks, baby chicks require care and monitoring, which means you have to check on them about 5 times a day or have somebody monitor their daily progress.
Where to Put the Baby Chicks Since they are still quite small, they are easy to handle! However, they grow very quickly and when they reach 3 or 4 weeks old, they would definitely need a lot of space and would start making a big mess and clutter.
This means you have to make sure that their coop is ready within this period so that you can transfer them to their new home.
During the initial four week period of taking care of the baby chicks it is best to put them in the garage, workshop, basement or an area that is both predator-proof and draft-proof environment.
Heat Source During the first week of their lives, baby chicks need an air temperature of 95 degrees, 90 degrees on the second week, 85 degrees on the third, going down by 5 degrees weekly until the time they are ready to be transferred outside to their coop.
Heating can best be provided by using a 250-watt infrared heat lamp positioned in the middle of their living area and suspended at a height that depends on your target temperature.
Absorbent Bedding Make sure that the flooring of the baby chicks housing is covered with absorbent material since they are big poopers.
It is recommended to cover the floor with 1" thick wood shavings (pine is recommended) instead of newspaper or carton.
Some people use paper towels but this requires changing often because they get soggy within a day or two.
To keep their house from stinking, it is wise to replace their bedding once a week.
You can throw it in a compost pile where it will decay naturally and turn into fertilized earth.
Discover the numerous advantages of raising chickens in your backyard and learn about building a chicken coop for your feathered friends by visiting my website.
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