I'm a novice - need advice on food

[smudgley]

Hello - we are looking to get some chicks soon, when their living area is complete (hubby is fencing it as I type!) we hope to get a few very young chicks (as young as we can) - what would you recommend feeding them on? They will be pets only & hopefully provide us with a few boiled eggs ;D

Also we have a muscovy duck at present who is about 4 months old - what would you suggest is a good diet for her now? & should she have any added vits/minerals etc?

Thanks,
smudgley.

[Diane]

Hi there - good luck with your chicks.

Here's what I do:

First - get the temperature right in the rearing pen!

For feeding - I always rear my chicks on chick crumb containing an anticoccidiostat. They stay on chick crumb till about 8 weeks when they gradually go over to growers pellets. Then at l8 weeks they gradually go onto layers pellets.

I also give them a pot of small grit, fresh water daily and from about 3 weeks on just a very small amount of extremely finely chopped greens. As a rule I find that keeping things simple while they are babies prevents any tummy upsets. I also add a teasthingy of apple cider vinegar to their water (if it's a small size chick water pot).


It's great fun rearing chicks - you'll waste hours just standing and watching their antics. Just keep things clean and simple and you shouldn't have too much trouble.

[henman]

Thats the stuff!stay inside while hubby is working lol

[Sandy]

Hi Smudgley

You have a brooder inside .. yes ?
Have you ever had chicks before

Day old are the best to get

I always feed mine on chick starter crumbles
And I always put a weak solution of multi vitmins into their drinking water for the first 3 to 4 weeks

This really helps them.. if the mother hen was deficient in anything it will show up in the chicks.. the multi vitamin supplement really helps them and stops a lot of things that can go wrong

I use the ribbed paper towel for the floor.. chicks will need to learn to eat.. they love to peck at each others toes.. so scattering some food on the ribbed paper towel they will pick up the food and in so doing teach themselves to eat... it is also good for the traction .. if they have something that they slip around on their legs staddle and they become unable to stand.. the ribbed paper towel stops this from happening

Never use newspaper in with day old chicks or anything they can get their legs tangled in

I also put in feeding dishes .. low so they can get in and stand on them .. they do tend to soil them a bit .. but this is easily removed.. I really feel it is worth it .. to make sure they are eating properly

Water.. the young chicks have a really keen interest in drowning themselves while they are young.. so you have to be very selective about water containtes.. you may need to dip their little beaks into the water after you get them.. do this a couple of times they will get the idea

You can put in those canary water cylinder type containers in the side of the brooder.. the chicks can't get into them.. but if you have one of those water conatiners that you fill up with a litre of water then you will need to buy some of those shiney pebbles they use in the bottom of fish tanks to allow the chicks to drink but not get into the water and chill or drown

I find the smaller the container the better to start with.. with multi vitamins they have to be replaced each day fresh.. and it is easier to do it with a smaller container.. topping up the multi vit water is a no no.. it goes stale and can get very smelly

After about 2 weeks I gradulate the chicks onto other bedding... I have used fly wire with news paper underneath.. helps to still give them traction on their legs and stops any staddled legs from happening

Watch the chicks bottoms.. they tend to get what is called pasty butt... this is when the droppings does not fall away.. stopping them from doing poo.... if they can't poo they can't eat.. and if they can't eat they die

Sandy

[smudgley]

Thanks both ~ really useful info there. I appreciate that.

A brooder? - please excuse my ignorance but what is a brooder?

[smudgley]

LOL @ Henman - ;D you don't think I'm going outside in the wind & rain digging & knocking in posts & wire do you.

No - that's man stuff -

I'll be out there when my chicks come & when it's time to collect my first egg. ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Sandy]

A brooder

Is an area you keep day old chick in for around 5 to 6 weeks until they are fully feathered and able to withstand outside temperatures

It is a place you can keep an eye on the young chicks and keep them at a constant warm temperature to thrive and grow

It doesn't have to be something lavish it can be as simple as a carboard box with heating attached

The period from hatching until the chickens no longer require supplementary heat is called the ‘brooding period’ and usually lasts for 3–6 weeks, depending on seasonal temperatures and the type of housing.

Chickens need supplementary heat when they hatch because they are unable to maintain their body temperatures. The heat can be supplied by a broody hen or, more usually, by brooders using electricity, gas or oil as fuel.

As the chicken grows, its downy coat is replaced by feathers, and the brooding temperature can be gradually reduced until supplementary heat is discontinued at about 3–4 weeks.

During the brooding period the chickens need warmth, shelter, fresh air, proper food and clean water.

Temperature
The brooder must be capable of providing a temperature of 33°C, even in the coldest conditions.

It must be adjustable so that a steady temperature can be maintained. Simple electric hobby brooders can be obtained from poultry equipment suppliers and will successfully brood up to 50 chicks.

The brooding temperature for day-old chicks should be 33°C at the level of the chickens’ backs, that is, about 50 mm above the litter.

As the chickens grow, the temperature can be adjusted as given in Table 1. To alter the temperature in accordance with Table 1, it should be reduced gradually by 1°C every 2–3 days.

Table 1. Correct brooding temperatures (at chick height) for chicks of various ages
Age (days) Temperature at chick height (°C)<br>1 33
2 33
3 33
4 32
7 30
14 26
21 22
28 20

Generally, supplementary heat can be discontinued at the end of the fourth week, but in winter, it may be necessary to provide heat on very cold nights in the fifth week.

Temperatures are to be used only as a guide because the best way to adjust the temperature for the comfort of the chicks is to observe their behaviour.

If they crowd near the heat source and chirp loudly, the temperature is too low. If they move well away from the heat source and start panting, they are too hot.

Ideally they should be fairly quiet and spaced evenly under and around the heat source

A simple and effective means of brooding small numbers of chickens is to use an infra-red heat lamp. These lamps are designed for higher infra-red energy output and a lower light output than can be provided by ordinary electric light bulbs.

The infra-red energy passes through the air without heating it but when it strikes an absorbing body, such as a chick, the energy is absorbed and transformed into heat. The litter is also heated and the surrounding air warmed by heat convected from the heated bodies

The temperature can be adjusted by raising or lowering the lamp. Heat lamps should be hung securely by a chain to minimise the risk of fire. They must not be hung by the electric lead. Because of the possibility of a lamp failing, a spare globe should be available.

Hope this helps you

Sandy

[smudgley]

thanks again Sandy.

We do have a suitable area with I/R heatlamp, where we reared our orphan duckling who was a couple of days old when she came.