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Our chicks are here and a few weeks old! Meet Daisy, Pepper, Lucy and Dixie! We are loving on them so much! They are honestly the SWEETEST little things!
We have been hard at work on the coop, their home in a few more weeks! They will head on out there when they are about 6 weeks old. The chicks are honestly low maintainence…a warm bed, food and fresh water is all they really need.
THE CHICKS – We got our chicks from Meyer Hatchery, two Lavender Orpingtons, a Buff Orpington and a Barred Rock. We picked breeds that were all considered to be docile, friendly and good with kids. The experience was flawless for us! I ordered them on Monday and they were hatched and shipped that day by USPS. They arrived on our doorstep Wednesday morning, all happy and chirping!
CARE, FEEDING & SUPPLIES – They truly don’t need much the first few weeks of life! A warm place to sleep, fresh food and water, and lots of love.
We made our own brooder with a large plastic storage bin. I literally got the biggest I could find at Home Depot. This would be their “home” for the next 6 weeks. For the bedding, I picked up a large bag of premium pine shavings from Tractor Supply. We changed this out every few days.
Since the baby chicks don’t have their mama to keep them warm, they need some type of heat source. I had read a lot about the dangers of a heat lamp in the home so instead I bought a heating plate. It was worth the money and perfect for the chicks! It also is adjustable, so as they get bigger you can adjust the legs on the plate. I never had to worry about keeping them warm or the risk of a fire in our home.
As far as food and water, they just need access to fresh food and water at all times. They will need chick starter feed for the first 18 weeks. We used a medicated feed by Purina. I also added a bit of apple cider vinegar to their water as it helps their digestive system. When they get to be 2 weeks old, you will give them chick grit which also helps support their digestive systems. And that’s it!
The chicks have truly bought so much love and joy to our home!
BABY CHICK SUPPLIES
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