Ordered Chicks Are Coming, What Do I Do?
Its spring and you've ordered your chicks from the hatchery.
They've just contacted you and told you the approximate delivery day, so now what? You cannot just order them and then put them in with the older hens and hope for the best.
In most cases there is a flock pecking order that needs to be observed.
Upsetting that pecking order by the inclusion of chicks that haven't been born from your hen's own hatched eggs needs to be done carefully.
In most cases a hen that raises their own eggs will do so with no problem from the other flock members, as the mother hen will protect them.
Not so with purchased chicks that you're trying to introduce to your flock.
If an owner tries to introduce them into the flock as chicks they will either die from the cooler temperatures or from being beat up from other flock members.
So you will have to provide them with an artificial environment until they're old enough to go to their new coop.
You'll need a few items that you may even have around your house to create this environment.
What You'll Need • A box to use as the brooder cage.
There are many different things that you can use for this such as: * A cardboard box * A plastic tote box * The bottom of a dog kennel * An old rabbit cage • Heat Lamp - these can be found at any hardware or feed store • Thermometer- also found at any hardware store or feed store • Bedding - shavings, hay, or sand works well.
• Dishes - Water jar and food dish which can be found at your local hardware or feed store.
• Grain - chick grain will be needed, most use medicated chick grain as it increases the success of raising healthy chicks when meds are added to their diet to get them over the risky first few days.
There are other natural options available also.
Having the brooder set up in advance will also increase the successful outcome of raising healthy chicks to maturity.
When you set it up in advance it allows it to come up to the optimal temperature of 95 degrees before the chicks arrive; so therefore allows them to transition easier into their new environment.
Another tip for getting your new chicks over the shock of being shipped to you and therefore increase their ability to survive is to immediately give them a drink of water with sugar in it when you unpack them.
Also, hard boiling some eggs and crushing them for the first few days can add that extra energy that they'll need to get over their shipping shock.
They've just contacted you and told you the approximate delivery day, so now what? You cannot just order them and then put them in with the older hens and hope for the best.
In most cases there is a flock pecking order that needs to be observed.
Upsetting that pecking order by the inclusion of chicks that haven't been born from your hen's own hatched eggs needs to be done carefully.
In most cases a hen that raises their own eggs will do so with no problem from the other flock members, as the mother hen will protect them.
Not so with purchased chicks that you're trying to introduce to your flock.
If an owner tries to introduce them into the flock as chicks they will either die from the cooler temperatures or from being beat up from other flock members.
So you will have to provide them with an artificial environment until they're old enough to go to their new coop.
You'll need a few items that you may even have around your house to create this environment.
What You'll Need • A box to use as the brooder cage.
There are many different things that you can use for this such as: * A cardboard box * A plastic tote box * The bottom of a dog kennel * An old rabbit cage • Heat Lamp - these can be found at any hardware or feed store • Thermometer- also found at any hardware store or feed store • Bedding - shavings, hay, or sand works well.
• Dishes - Water jar and food dish which can be found at your local hardware or feed store.
• Grain - chick grain will be needed, most use medicated chick grain as it increases the success of raising healthy chicks when meds are added to their diet to get them over the risky first few days.
There are other natural options available also.
Having the brooder set up in advance will also increase the successful outcome of raising healthy chicks to maturity.
When you set it up in advance it allows it to come up to the optimal temperature of 95 degrees before the chicks arrive; so therefore allows them to transition easier into their new environment.
Another tip for getting your new chicks over the shock of being shipped to you and therefore increase their ability to survive is to immediately give them a drink of water with sugar in it when you unpack them.
Also, hard boiling some eggs and crushing them for the first few days can add that extra energy that they'll need to get over their shipping shock.