We're picking up the chicks tomorrow,and we're still not comletely ready, so I'm panicking! I know that they need lots of fresh water, with vinegar, but I don't know how much vinegar per gallon of water. I've planning on putting rice hulls in the coop for bedding- is this okay? We've got the small coop ready for the chicks, with a light for warmth, but when we let them into the yard area, I'm not sure how deep the fence should be buried to keep out predators. Will hardware cloth work for this? and do we vury it 6", 12", or what? We'll be feeding them a starter mash, then moving on to a mix of polished rice, rice bran, cracked corn with kitchen scraps (no meat) and they'll have access to grass, bugs and extra greens from the garden. will this give them enough protein to lay at top performance? What am I missing? Thanks in advance, Kristin

-- Kristin, in LA. (positivekharma@aol.com), April 15, 2001

Answers

First, calm down. Second when you bring them home have layers of newspaper over the litter and spread their feed on it so they can find in Also put the feeder in with them In a few days you can remove the papers. ^ inches would do fine. If something wants to get to them bad enough they will. As for your feed, as long as yoou keep the protien up and keep watse in front of them you will be OK. I have never put vinager in their water so I don,t know how mush you would give them. Remember to dip their beaks into the water when you get them home. This lets them knoiw where it is...Good luck

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), April 15, 2001.

In addition to teaching the chicks to drink, I would also recommend teaching them to eat. Though it might be hilarious to watch, you don't bend over and peck with your mouth. Rather, put some granules of the feed onto papers or cardboard and tap it with your finger. The tapping sound simulates the tapping of hen's beak and the chicks will immediately be interested and begin their own pecking.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), April 16, 2001.

Thank you both- I've calmed downa bit now that they're here and acting normally. Not- when I read your email I was LOL- as new to this as I am, I might have been willing to try the former method if they had been having trouble so it's a good thing you warned me off. : ) They're all eating and drinking normally, and aren't bunching up in one place, so I think we're off to a decent start.

-- Kristin, in LA. (positivekharma@aol.com), April 16, 2001.

Here's what I do. I use 4 foot long dog cages for brooders. About 6 inches up from the floor, I've attached 1/2 inch hardware cloth for their floor. The poop drops thru and the chicks aren't living in their droppings, which I believe is a health hazard. I use no bedding.

My brooders are in the house. Do not use newspaper in the brooder; it's slippery, the chicks can't get a foothold, and it causes splayed legs. A 100 watt light bulb hangs at one end of the brooder for heat.

I do not give water for the first 3 days; I use straight un-flavored Pedialyte. The electrolytes help the little ones get over the trauma of their trip.

As you remove each chick from the shipping box, dunk it's beak into the Pedialyte. It gives them a good drink and they know where to return to. All the chicks I've had have no trouble finding the food on their own.

Outside, my pens sit on the ground. I have hardware cloth on the ground, extending a couple of feet past the pens. This prevents predators from digging under to gain entrance.

My pens are chainlink, and I've covered them from the ground up 4 feet with the hardware cloth. The predators can't climb it nor stick a paw thru to grab a bird.

Enjoy your babies!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), April 16, 2001.

kristen, get a livestock guard dog and raise it with your cnicks. you wont have to worry about how deep to bury your fence. We have free range chickens and havent had one loss yet.The dog also watches over all of our other livestock as well as our neighbors cows.Hope this helps.

-- granmaw (bill pepperridge @ aol.com), April 16, 2001.

Kristin, I have 2 pens where I keep my OEGBBs (bantams). They When I made the pens (with 1/2" wire, I just made the wire that I used on the sides about 2 ft longer than the height of the pen. I bent the wire and laid it on the ground and threw some dirt over the part that was on the ground. I have not had anything dig under it but I've seen several places where possoms, skunks or something have started to dig, got down to the wire and gave up. I've had it for a couple of years and never lost a chick. Hope this helps. Eagle.

-- eagle (eagle@alpha1.net), April 18, 2001.