Roosting Poles for Resting - Chickens love to roost while they rest. Hence they try to roost on the waterer and feeder edges when they feel like roosting. To avoid roosting of baby chicks on the waterer and feeder edges, place some roosting poles around the area where the baby chicks rest. Keep it around 5" off the ground.
Grit - Since chickens, as with all birds, do not have any teeth they need grit to help them grind up their food during digestion. They need to eat tiny pebbles that get stored in their gizzard where the food is ground. You can provide the baby chicks with sand, parakeet or canary gravel that can be found at almost any local pet store. The gravel can be placed in a separate dish or mixed with their feed.
Have Netting to Avoid the Escape of Baby Chicks - At the age of just one week, the chicks can fly over a 12" wall. If you have a box of 12" height for the chicks, make sure to have some netting over the top to avoid flying out of the chicks. If you do prefer not to have the netting make sure that the walls are at least 24" tall. This will reduce the chances of escape.
If you would like to raise chickens you may wish to check out this related topic chicken houses and runs.
Pasting Up in Baby Chicks - "Pasting up" is one of the common problems with baby chicks. This is a condition in which the droppings of the baby chicks dry up causing blockage at the vent opening which further prevents droppings. These dried droppings if not removed can make the chick get backed up or sometimes can even cause death.
This can be easily removed. Place the baby chick's bottom in warm water or alternatively use a paper towel dipped in warm water. Remove the blockage using a tooth pick or a plastic spatula. Once you are done with this dry the baby chick before it is placed back into the box. Pasting up is likely to occur again once it starts though there is no need to worry as the chicks outgrow this with time.
Let the Chicks Out to Roam - When the chicks are around 2 to 3 weeks old, they must be allowed to spend some time outside provided the weather is favorable for them. The weather should be sunny with a temperature of about 60 to 70 degrees.
When leaving the chicks outside see to it that they are never left unattended since they can easily fall as prey to the predators. They can also fly well and they may escape. Also, make sure that they have access to food, water and shade. Baby chicks love being outside in the grass. But sometimes when they aren't, they show it by constant chirping.
Moving the Chicks to Main Chicken Coop - When the baby chicks turn 5 weeks old, they are considered chickens and should be moved to the main chicken coop.
Grit - Since chickens, as with all birds, do not have any teeth they need grit to help them grind up their food during digestion. They need to eat tiny pebbles that get stored in their gizzard where the food is ground. You can provide the baby chicks with sand, parakeet or canary gravel that can be found at almost any local pet store. The gravel can be placed in a separate dish or mixed with their feed.
Have Netting to Avoid the Escape of Baby Chicks - At the age of just one week, the chicks can fly over a 12" wall. If you have a box of 12" height for the chicks, make sure to have some netting over the top to avoid flying out of the chicks. If you do prefer not to have the netting make sure that the walls are at least 24" tall. This will reduce the chances of escape.
If you would like to raise chickens you may wish to check out this related topic chicken houses and runs.
Pasting Up in Baby Chicks - "Pasting up" is one of the common problems with baby chicks. This is a condition in which the droppings of the baby chicks dry up causing blockage at the vent opening which further prevents droppings. These dried droppings if not removed can make the chick get backed up or sometimes can even cause death.
This can be easily removed. Place the baby chick's bottom in warm water or alternatively use a paper towel dipped in warm water. Remove the blockage using a tooth pick or a plastic spatula. Once you are done with this dry the baby chick before it is placed back into the box. Pasting up is likely to occur again once it starts though there is no need to worry as the chicks outgrow this with time.
Let the Chicks Out to Roam - When the chicks are around 2 to 3 weeks old, they must be allowed to spend some time outside provided the weather is favorable for them. The weather should be sunny with a temperature of about 60 to 70 degrees.
When leaving the chicks outside see to it that they are never left unattended since they can easily fall as prey to the predators. They can also fly well and they may escape. Also, make sure that they have access to food, water and shade. Baby chicks love being outside in the grass. But sometimes when they aren't, they show it by constant chirping.
Moving the Chicks to Main Chicken Coop - When the baby chicks turn 5 weeks old, they are considered chickens and should be moved to the main chicken coop.
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