I picked up 5-7 day old Welsummer chicks up and a second hand Brooder Box for them to live in today. We are very excited but a little nervous too as it is our first foray into raising chicks.
There was only one big problem- I picked up the brooder box after I got the chicks. This is absolutely not advised...I was meant to collect the box a couple of days in advance but for various reasons this did not happen but I could not delay picking up the chicks. When I did get the box home along with a brand new E27 heat bulb (red bulb so there is minimal light only heat) I discovered that the bulb could not be installed. The ceramic bulb holder's copper lining had come away! I would have been annoyed at the seller for not pointing this out but its always possible they did and I failed to register as it has been 'one of those' weeks. In any case the box alone would have cost at least twice what I paid for it not to mention the time. It did mean though that I had no brooder box for my chicks.
Normally, the brooder box should be set up with bedding, food and water and be super warm for the little arrivals. In lieu of this, I pulled out our fan heater which can pump out 32 degrees Celcius hot air and heated our small laundry room. For the brooder box, I used a baby bath tub and filled it with about 3-5 cm thick layer of pine shavings. A little container of water with washed pebbles from my garden (to prevent chicks from taking a swim or worse drowning) and another with medicated chick starter feed (medicated to protect from chicks from contracting coccoidisis). To keep the chicks contained (I found out when I was picking the chicks up that one could jump at least 10 cm high!), I used a bit of lace curtain draped (nice and taught) over the tub. I was going to use cardboard punched with air holes but found this cut out all the daylight- instead it made a great hot air deflector! This is only a temporary setup- just until a new bulb holder arrives in a few days.
There was only one big problem- I picked up the brooder box after I got the chicks. This is absolutely not advised...I was meant to collect the box a couple of days in advance but for various reasons this did not happen but I could not delay picking up the chicks. When I did get the box home along with a brand new E27 heat bulb (red bulb so there is minimal light only heat) I discovered that the bulb could not be installed. The ceramic bulb holder's copper lining had come away! I would have been annoyed at the seller for not pointing this out but its always possible they did and I failed to register as it has been 'one of those' weeks. In any case the box alone would have cost at least twice what I paid for it not to mention the time. It did mean though that I had no brooder box for my chicks.
Normally, the brooder box should be set up with bedding, food and water and be super warm for the little arrivals. In lieu of this, I pulled out our fan heater which can pump out 32 degrees Celcius hot air and heated our small laundry room. For the brooder box, I used a baby bath tub and filled it with about 3-5 cm thick layer of pine shavings. A little container of water with washed pebbles from my garden (to prevent chicks from taking a swim or worse drowning) and another with medicated chick starter feed (medicated to protect from chicks from contracting coccoidisis). To keep the chicks contained (I found out when I was picking the chicks up that one could jump at least 10 cm high!), I used a bit of lace curtain draped (nice and taught) over the tub. I was going to use cardboard punched with air holes but found this cut out all the daylight- instead it made a great hot air deflector! This is only a temporary setup- just until a new bulb holder arrives in a few days.
Chicks in their indoor playpen. A vegetable box lined with bubble wrap to stop the pine shavings from falling through. The central chick in the centre might be a boy as it is much lighter in colour along its' back and has less well defined V shaped marking on its head; just have to wait and see if this is so.