The brooding place is ready. All things are set. All you need are the chicks. Upon anticipating the day of their arrival, you must get yourself ready otherwise things will go out of hand. Heres what to do when the chicks arrive. This will be very helpful to get your way through raising your own chickens.
Tip 1
If the chicks arrived from elsewhere, you have to examine them very well. They must arrive in a condition that is nowhere near diseased. If you noticed that the babies arrived in poor condition, you could let the postal employee inspect the shipment again. It is required that the employee certify the shipment arrive in good condition. Advise the proper authorities on what the problems are regarding the shipment for immediate action.
Tip 2
Before putting the babies inside, the brooder must have its proper temperature which is at least 90 degrees. Make sure the area is warm and maintain this for a week. You can reduce the temperature for 5 degrees every week that goes on for the first five weeks. After the first five weeks, the poultry will no longer require the heat supplemented. You have to keep in mind that there should be enough space where the chicks can move so that they can move freely either to or from the source of heat. This will be advisable especially during extreme temperatures.
Tip 3
Fill the fountains with fresh clean water with an additional half cup of sugar for every gallon filled. This will help boost the babies energy. It is not recommended to add any chemicals regardless of what advertisements tell you.
Tip 4
Mix fine grit with a ratio of 1:10. Fill the lids with feeds that will not be more than a quarter-inch. Then add the fine grit mixture then sprinkle a very generous amount of mixture or feed on top of the material that covers the litter.
Tip 5
Poultry, however angle you look at it, can be the source of thousands of microorganisms which are potentially harmful. With this, you have to be very careful and certain precautions must be followed. Proper handling must be practiced. This can prevent the spread of different kinds of oral or fecal transmission from fowl to person to person. Adults should provide proper guidance to their young ones about how to properly handle their poultry. Avoid bringing any poultry within the vicinity of your family space. Wash your hands and any part of your body that came in contact with the babies with water and a trustworthy soap.
Tip 6
For starters, upon removal from the box, dip the animals beak into the water mixture to familiarize them where their feedings come from. Do the transferring one chick at a time. Be sure that the brooder is already warm enough for the baby to be placed.
Tip 7
Observe the babies for a couple of hours after transferring. This will help you identify the environment they are in. Is it sufficient or are there needs lacking? Is their activities relatively equated to the heat? Changes can be observed just by looking at their behavior. If they crowd over the brooding area, it means that heat is not that warm. If they disperse from the heat and go in areas that arent covered by the warmth, it only means that the heat is too much for them.
If you are already convinced and with the comfortable situation, you can now breath easily with raising your chickens in your backyard.