AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

well i have 20 chicks and 6 ducklings coming via plane next week sometime. i havnt had chicks before so i am new at this. i know they need to have a light set up and be inside for 6-8 weeks. but i had thought i would make their box out of a 120litre plastic storage box with a light etc in it. and propper vintilation on the sides etc of the box with an open kind of lid, not the plastic one.
i will just put shavings in the bottom. will a limp that clips on to the top of the box be enough or should i have a standing on that will be in the box with them. for that many chicks will it be big enough for them?
and i am just guessing that the chickens and the ducklings will be fine all i together.
as i said i am new at this so i have prob asked some sill q's..
thanks
jess

ducklings and chicks will be fine together just make sure they arnt too cold or too warm and that there crops are filled each night and empty each morning

You might want to rethink about having the ducklings and chicks together.

The ducklings will be constantly in the water or even their drinking style tends to throw water out of your containers. You will be constantly changing the bedding and if you are using pine shavings, when wet and warm it can develop a mould which will kill the chicks.

There is also plenty of to and froing on the use of chick starter for ducklings instead of using duck starter as protein levels are different and some think it helps develop "Angel Wing"

Temperament wise, they will get along together.....environment wise, I wouldnt do it when they are young.

J

I have a couple of plastic box brooders that I use when they are very small, then I transfer then into a bigger metal one in the shed.

One of my plastic box brooders is just one of those Crazy Clark variety boxes with a removable plastic lid. I cut a hole about a third of the size of the lid on one end of it and covered it with mesh. Then I drilled a hole about in the centre of the remaining section of lid. I hung a light globe through the hole with the lead coming out the top to go to the power pack. I hunger the lead through so the light dangled about half way down - I can pull this up or down depending on chicks needs. I then go a plastic light shade and put it over the light to direct the light/heat downwards. Then I couldn't see the chicks so I got a pair of shears and cut away sections of the shade and stuck clear plastic over it. Then I could see the chicks huddling underneath.

Leaving the bottom section of box intact with no air vents works pretty well because it's so easy to clean. I remove chicks and lid with electric bulb attached. Then take bottom box outside, remove newspaper, hose, disinfect, whatever. Give it a shake, dry and it's all finished.
Also, having the air holes at the top means that if it's a very cold night I can partly cover the vents easily and increase temp in the box.

I'm not sure of the floor space in a 120L box, but the box that I've got was the biggest one I could find, and there's no way 26 birds could live in it until 6-8 weeks. They would be too big and crowded. I think you might have to move them into something else sooner than that. I've heard that some people use those black plastic pond liners (the regular shaped ones) and just hang their globe in there. However, for the first two or three weeks it would probably be ok.

agree with jocler about keeping the chicks and ducks together, very valid points

I use plastic containers from the cheap shops-----I cut the lid in half so it is half open for the light and ventilation, but find I need at least a partial lid to stop the chicks flying out once they start feathering(but I guess that depends on the breed) a friend of mine has cut a section out of his lids and replaced it with fine mesh for the same purpose get the biggest box you can 20 chicks will soon grow.they do not need heat 24/7 for 6-8 weeks, once mine are about 4 weeks, I put them out in a pen in the day(I use hutches) and only have heat at night----depends on the temps and weather conditions where you are--even if the weather is crap I turn off the light during the day at that age, even if left inside ,sort of transition period if you like

have not raised any ducklings for about 18 years so can offer you no advice there----cheers pam

thankyou all very much. i think i will seperate them from the start, it will be no hassell as i have space and a spare box etc. i will make a larger box when the time comes, that wont be a hassell at all. as for the feeding of chick starter, that is all i will have until i get to town to pick them up, so i will have to see how i go..
thanks

just another quick question, at this point i have a normal lamp that i was going to use for my brooder box, but do i actually need to get a propper brooder lamp? or will it not make too much difference.

i use normal lamps and it works fine

I only have normal lamps - works fine, you can change the globe for different heats.

yep normal lamp here too, no problem, cheers pam