HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR CHICKS
- Clean and disinfect the area where the chicks are going to reside. (Phenol is good).
- Turn on the heat lamps at least a day or more before your chicks arrive, so the walls and floor have a chance to warm up, as well as the air, and the disinfectant has time to dry.
- Make an area for the chicks with Cardboard walls 2 feet high and round corners 24 inches Length. If they get frightened, they will try and huddle in the corners and some often get smothered. If there are no true corners, it is harder for them to do this.
- In Case of Cage cover 3 sides by newspaper or Cardboard to protect them from direct Air flow.
- You will need some litter for the floor. Wood shavings works fine. If you leave the straw too long to start with, they may find it hard to walk on. Don't use anything slippery. They are not strong enough while they are small to keep their legs from slipping in opposite directions, and they get straddle legs. Their legs go sideways and there is no cure. They can no longer walk. Also Be very slow about your movements.
- Add 1 tablespoon of “Apple Cidar” to 1 litres of water. Give this to the chicks for the first month or so.
- NEVER LET THE FEED GET WET AT ALL Ergot fungus grows rapidly (overnight) on wet feed, Don't let them eat the disinfectant either.
- Check on them regularly to see that they are not too hot or too cold.
BROODER SET-UP
Corners - Remember to make them round so that the chicks cannot huddle together and smother each other.
Water - When they arrive from long drive more than 2 hrs, give them Luke warm water with 2 spoon of Glucose in it.
Keep the water away from the feed to stop the feed from getting wet.
Heat bulbs (incandescent) (40 watts or 60 watts) You can then hang the bulb from the ceiling or Cage at the 6-7 inches height to get the right temperature. Don't put the feed or water directly underneath the heat lamps.
Feed - Use Starter Crumbles (20% protein), to begin with. The pellets are too large for the chicks. Stand the chicks right on the crumbles, with the crumbles in a flat cardboard lid, so that they can find the food.
SPACE NEEDS - Hens, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, need 2 square feet of floor space per fully-grown, mid-size laying hen.
- Day old chicks - 8 chicks in a box about 24 inches x 24 inches.
- New born to 1 month - 1/4 square foot per bird.
HEAT NEEDS (winters)
Ideally, the chicks should spread out around the edge of the heat circle. If they huddle under the lamps, they are too cold. If they go as far away as possible, they are too hot. They must have ventilation without drafts to allow the escape of the moist air that they create.