what kind of food and shelter should i have for a baby chicken

[love4horses]

I don't know what to use for a little home for my baby chickens we are going to get. I don't know what kind of food to use. We are probably going to get them really soon.

another question?....... is it best to only have one or better to have two cause i want to get one for my brother and me but i just don't know what to do


helppppp!!!!!

[GeorgieGirl]

I can help! First off, you need to get two or more, I recomend three at the very least. They need eachother for warmth and they are flock animals. If you get only one chick, then you will have a very loud and very unhappy baby on your hands!

Im assuming that you are getting the fuzzie little guys. They are ususally only about two to three days old so you will need to set up a "brooder". Basically you get a sturdy cardboard box and a clamp lamp with a 60 watt bulb. No higher than a 60 watt. Anything higher in wattage will be too hot for them. You will also need paper to line the bottom of the box. Once you set that up, hang the lamp in a corner of the box. You want them to comfortably set under it. If it's to low they hang out on the edges, if its to high then they clump directly under it and this can cause them to trample one another.
Oh, set you brooder up in an area that does not have any drafts.

As for food and water, you will need a chicken waterer, and a chicken feeder. The food you will need is called "Chicken Starter Mash". Once the little guys are about 1 month old, then you will feed them "Grow Mash". Once they get fully feathered and are about 2-3 months old then you will feed them "scratch" Once the hens start to lay then you will give them "lay mash" as well as scratch. They also love table scraps and meal worms. Avoid chocolate at all costs-like dogs its toxid to chickens.

As far as selecting the fuzz balls, again Im assuming you want hens and not roosters, invest the extra buck or two and purchase "sexed" chicks. If you purchase "straight run" then you will get a 50-50 chance of girl vs boy. BTW most straight runs are loaded with roosters. Also, a huge myth is that a hen won't lay eggs unless there is a rooster. That is completely wrong. You need a rooster to get baby chicks, but the hen will lay eggs regardless.

For first time chicken owners, I recommend either these breeds: Rhode Island Red, Plymoth Rock aka Barred Rock (best choice), Buff Orphington, Austerlorps, or Brahamas. Avoid Leg horns-they are flighty and nervous.
There are tons to choose from, even little ones these are called Bantams and the ones about are standard breeds.
I hope this helps and if you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. I raised and showed chickens, and have cared for many babies and chickens over the years. I think they make the best pets. Also, as a side note, when you get your little babies, be very carefull in handling them for about a week or so. They are very delicate at this age and rough handling can harm them. You can hndle them, but you need to hold the baby very gently. They love to be held and will actaully fall asleep in your hands!
Best of luck! Please let us know what you got and please post pics too!

[Ltlpistol]

Just a addition here, I've always ordered my chickens straight run, and usually get them by the dozen, but the hatcheries guarantee out of the dozen you'll have no more than 1 rooster.

You can always go to the feed store and check the day olds yourself, The primary feathers will be noticeably longer than the secondary feathers on a female chick. On a male, the primary and secondary feathers are the same length. In other words hold their wing out straight, if the feathers are short, long, short, long it's a hen, if the feathers are all the same length it's a rooster.

But the rest of GeorgieGirl's post is dead-on. You can keep the chicks in a cage if you like, but be sure and put cardboard or something on the bottom for the first couple weeks as their little feet will get injured on the wire. A box or crate with a solid bottom works best, but you do have to clean it regularly, at least every other day. And be prepared, chicken droppings are very high in ammonia, so you won't want to keep them in the house, the garage, or a shed will do fine, as long as you keep the light above them for warmth. And I buy chick starter at the feed store and keep them on that until they lay their first egg, then they go on hen scratch and lay feed. But you can definitely make your own choice on that. (Meaning my choice of feeding or GeorgieGirl's)

[horsesinusa]

Get two thay like having a play mate! we just get corn thay love it!!!

[wvfarmtails]

there are some good books you might want to buy at your local tractor supply store if you have one...or better yet go to amazon.com.

please have them in a safe environment so you won't be disappointed should a stray dog, weasel, coyote, or whatever, can cause their demise once they are older. your pen should have strong wire (not chicken wire-too weak) completely around like a huge box. otherwise the predator will be able dig underneath to kill them. great pyranees (sp) are awesome watch dogs and will keep the coyotes away. you can adopt an adult who is already trained otherwise you will have to train it and they can be difficult and will wander. hope this helps and good luck!