The Basics Of Baby Chickens - Part 2
Chick Bedding - As cute as your baby chicks will be they still need a place to relieve themselves and this is going to be all over the enclosure floor. To keep any bad odors under control and keep you from having to change out the bedding each day you will need to select a nice absorbent material. Using common items such as newspapers and paper towels will quickly become soiled and you will be changing them often. Pine shaving on the other hand, layered about 1" thick, can last up to a week.
You can also place used pine shavings from the bottom of the enclosure into a compost pile. They will decay nicely and provide fertile compost for your garden or yard.
Food and Water - From the moment your chicks hatch they will be looking for food and water. So when placed into their new home be sure they can find their water and food dish. When selecting a dish for their food and water you should consider an actual baby chick dish. If you use a regular for their food you will quickly notice much of it ends in the bedding and ultimately in the garbage. If you use an ordinary bowl for water they will play in it and it will quickly become contaminated making more work for you. Regardless of which you choose just be sure both stay clean and well stocked.
If you are considering raising chickens than you may wish to check out this related topic chicken pen.
Baby Chick Feed Supply - Perhaps the most common questions about feeding baby chicks is how much to feed them. The good news it is a simple "all they want". All you need to do is keep a full supply of food 24/7 and the chicks will do just fine choosing when to and when not to eat.
Feed Selection - Choosing feed for you baby chicks is pretty straightforward. Most feed suppliers will have specially formulated baby chick. This will provide all the needed nutrients while your chicks are growing up. If you have chicks that have been vaccinated against Coccidiosis they can probably eat un-medicated feed. If they have not been vaccinated or only have a vaccination for Marek's Disease you want to feed them medicated feed to help them stay healthy through the first couple months.
Your baby chicks can eat pure starter feed for about the first 4 weeks. After this begin feeding them a mixture of starter feed and grower feed for about 16 weeks. Each fee manufacture will have specific instructions for their feed. For the best advice and to be on the safe side follow their instructions on the package.
Baby Chick Snacks - You can use bugs, worms, food scraps, and small amounts of dairy and vegetables as feed for your baby chicks. This is only a treat and should be treated as such by only making it a small part of their diet. Your chicks will need all the nutrients they can get and their starter feed supplies that. If they fill up on treats they won't eat enough feed.
You can also place used pine shavings from the bottom of the enclosure into a compost pile. They will decay nicely and provide fertile compost for your garden or yard.
Food and Water - From the moment your chicks hatch they will be looking for food and water. So when placed into their new home be sure they can find their water and food dish. When selecting a dish for their food and water you should consider an actual baby chick dish. If you use a regular for their food you will quickly notice much of it ends in the bedding and ultimately in the garbage. If you use an ordinary bowl for water they will play in it and it will quickly become contaminated making more work for you. Regardless of which you choose just be sure both stay clean and well stocked.
If you are considering raising chickens than you may wish to check out this related topic chicken pen.
Baby Chick Feed Supply - Perhaps the most common questions about feeding baby chicks is how much to feed them. The good news it is a simple "all they want". All you need to do is keep a full supply of food 24/7 and the chicks will do just fine choosing when to and when not to eat.
Feed Selection - Choosing feed for you baby chicks is pretty straightforward. Most feed suppliers will have specially formulated baby chick. This will provide all the needed nutrients while your chicks are growing up. If you have chicks that have been vaccinated against Coccidiosis they can probably eat un-medicated feed. If they have not been vaccinated or only have a vaccination for Marek's Disease you want to feed them medicated feed to help them stay healthy through the first couple months.
Your baby chicks can eat pure starter feed for about the first 4 weeks. After this begin feeding them a mixture of starter feed and grower feed for about 16 weeks. Each fee manufacture will have specific instructions for their feed. For the best advice and to be on the safe side follow their instructions on the package.
Baby Chick Snacks - You can use bugs, worms, food scraps, and small amounts of dairy and vegetables as feed for your baby chicks. This is only a treat and should be treated as such by only making it a small part of their diet. Your chicks will need all the nutrients they can get and their starter feed supplies that. If they fill up on treats they won't eat enough feed.
About the Author:
GreenBeluga.com provides information on sustainable living. Raising chickens is just one of the many topics that we cover on a regular basisc. If you would like some information on how to make a chicken coop pay us a visit.
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