AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

I would like to start hand-rearing chicks, but before I start, I would like to learn as much as I can. Are there any books/websites/anything else that you can recommend? Is there anyone in our area that would be willing to show/talk to me about how they do it?

Lori

Lori, It is really easy. Are you going to hand rear after they have hatched in an incubator? If so this is what I do:-

In this cold weather I have a plastic storage box and after the chicks have dried out once they hatch I move them into this brooder which has a 60 watt bulb set down into the box. I use a clip one that clips on the side of the plastic box. I cover the box with a large piece of cardboard but not over the light itself. In the bottom of the box I use some newspaper first then some of that non slip matting you can buy fron Craxy Clarks at $2 a roll. Great stuff as the chicks can really get a hold on with their feet and I don't have probelms with splayed legs etc. After 24 hours I place a small plastic low sided water container in there with marbles in the bottom for water and a small fairly flat dish like a saucer with medicated chick starter (medicated protects a little from cocci in the babies). I leave them in there for about 3 to 4 days changing the non slip matting every day (gets fairly poopie).

Then I move them into another brooder that I have granulated sawdust in (not wood shaving, I use the granulated or fines in my horses stables). Again with light with 60 watt bulb (i have my babies inside so if you have them in a shed outside you may need 75 watt to begin with). They also get a little chook waterer and a covered chick feeder to stop them tossing the chick starter everywhere. I leave it open for the first week though to get them use to using it. Handle you babies often. After about 2 weeks I move the light higher in the box then a week later change the light to a 40 watt. They stay inside for about 3 weeks then mine move into the brooder in the stables still with a light (40watt)in this weather for warmth.

After 6 weeks I move them into my covered grower pen which still has a lots of protection and I feed them a mix of chick starter anf grower crumbles for about 1 week to get them use to grower crumbles, again though medicated for protection from cocci. The chicks are usually very friendly by this time and peck my toes and climb on my lap and get under my feet etc etc etc. When they are about 16 weeks old they go in the big pen in a small group.

I hope this helps a bit. I am only a very small breeder and I have not had any problems to date. Although I do like the idea of b&p's clay pot with the light inside as the light does interfer with the feathering of the chicks as they are under lights all the time.

Very well written and said Rosemarie , Myself... I use an old wooden hovabator as my day old brooder , it used to be kero heated but I have converted to two bulbs , and then they go into a wooden box with two bulbs , The only reason I use two bulbs is in case one blows through the night , I am like Rosemarie and have just a smallscale set-up , but it is simple and effective ,and if your in the area ,I'd be happy to show you our set up and give you some tips . I think the most important thing is keeping your brooders clean .

I think cl and bunyanuternie have answered you well--I do pretty much the same thing except I use a series of plastic tubs as brooders starting small and getting bigger as they grow, the reason I do this is, they are easy to scrub, disinfect , clean--they are also pretty cheap (just love the reject shop)

like cl I am a big fan of the non slip matting especially for the first few days

even though you give medicated crumbs, still watch out for cocci, it is important to treat asap if it happens

I start putting mine out in the sun in hutches for a few hours on nice days from about 4 weeks, they are put out in hutches when I take them off the heat, this still keeps them away from the adult birds(less chance of desease) and protects them from predation(crows are my big problem here)----yes I have lots of hutches

cheers pam

Do you have any pics.??

I recommend the Australian Poultry Forum

v funny ga!

Thanks all for your advice and encouragement - I was thinking about starting with day-olds and seeing how I go, but Chad's found someone selling mixed batches of fertilised eggs, containing breeds that we would like to expand the family with, so we are now thinking about incubators. Chad added a post in Chicken Chat asking about incubators that gh has responded to, and I have downloaded the instructions for the homemade one gh posted as well.

Just wondering if anyone has a second-hand incubator for sale? We won't be looking to buy in the next week or two , but soonish, nonetheless...

Lori

Watch the first 30 seconds of this video, it shows the brooder i used, and each sunny day i would put them outside for a short while.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77IUL1iXNPg

HI Lori,

I have put up some photos of my brooders in the gallery.

The green one is the one my chicks go into straight after they have hatched. These little babies were hatched 18.7.08

http://paforumphotogallery.com/displayi ... ?pos=-2761

Then they go into the blue one when they are about 3 to 4 days old. These little darlings were hatched 12.7.08

http://paforumphotogallery.com/displayi ... ?pos=-2763

What the blue and green brooders look like from outside (by the way sitting on my formal dining room table. We eat in the family room as do my guests these days)

http://paforumphotogallery.com/displayi ... ?pos=-2762

Then when they are about 3 to 4 weeks old they progress to my stables with the horses in a brooder and go out into a rabbit hutch in the day time on lovely sunny days. This is one of my brooders in the stables:-

http://paforumphotogallery.com/displayi ... ?pos=-2766

Easy peasy lemon squezy. I thought it would be far more labour intensive do you ever loose chicks in them.