Things are beginning to happen around here! Here is our setup for our chicks. The chicks we ordered back in February have finally hatched and been shipped. They should arrive tomorrow or the next day. We are getting 25 Rhode Island Reds and 25 Black Australorps. They will lay large brown eggs starting around the beginning of November.
We have 10 cardboard panels connected to form a brooder with about 25 square feet of space. Panels can be added as more space is needed. The inside is filled with 4-5 inches of pine shavings on top of cardboard. This will form insulation and bedding for the chicks. The brooder is in the garage for protection of the chicks. There are 2 feeders and 2 waterers, each on carboard to prevent shavings from getting into the food and water. The waterers are specifically designed to prevent young chicks from drowning. We will switch to a larger waterer after a couple of weeks. The warmth is provided by a large 16" x 24" brooder plate that should hold all 50 chicks. It is safer (less fire hazard) than a traditional heat lamp and allows chicks to huddle under it like they would under a mother hen. Heat lamps tend to cause stress because they produce light continuously, even at night. Brooder plates are designed to raise healthier, less stressed chicks that are less prone to pecking. -----
If you're local to the New River Valley area and you're interested in farm-fresh, pastured brown eggs, be sure to follow our Facebook page and/or bookmark this website. We will be posting updates as we go so that you can get to know where your food comes from and follow our journey of starting a homestead.
Comentários