I am not a farmer, but I am a mom and know that bringing home any baby requires a bit of education and preparation. If you are considering bringing a few more peeps into your life, it's important to know this work is should be done before the baby comes home, so the transition is fun and easy on all parties involved. Must get nesting!
Chicks need to spend their first weeks in a draft free, warm and safe place. This "nursery" is referred to as a brooder. Thanks to instructions from the internet and a handy husband, we were able to construct a brooder for our chicks from a large Rubbermaid container. In all the excitement we failed to take any pictures of our brooder, but it looked a lot like this one...
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| selfrelianceworks.com |
There is a hole cut in the top of the lid, with mesh wire over it so no one escapes. The nursery needs a waterer, feeder, hole for air flow if you are hoping to keep a lid on it, a thermometer and a heat source. Baby chicks need to be kept in a 95 degree environment for their first week. Each week the temperature can be lowered by 5 degrees (by moving the lamp farther away) and by the fifth week, they will be ready to venture outside to their new home. You can line the floor with shavings or paper towels. Brooding is a bit messy, so be prepared to spend a little extra time maintaining their new home. It's also irresistibly fun to watch the little fur-balls, so prepare to spend a lot of time just enjoying them!
All of the items you need are easy to find. Pet stores and feed stores carry the feeders. Our Rubbermaid and thermometer were from Walmart, and the heat lamp is available at Lowe's.
A little bit of work, for a whole lot of love.
