Baby chicks require much time and attention for them to grow. Therefore, raising chicks is not as easy a task as it seems. This is because you have to know the right information regarding raising them. Without enough knowledge on how to raise the baby chicks, it could cause you to incur a lot of costs. Hence it is important to acquire enough knowledge before starting the task for raising baby chickens. This article discusses the top tips for raising baby chicks.
Environment/chicken coops
This refers to the area that one will keep the chicks. Ensure that the chicken coops you choose will accommodate all the chicks and give them enough space to move freely. Getting the best chicken coop will allow the baby chicks to get fresh air and light freely.
The Breed
Getting the best breed of chicks is very important because selecting the best type of breed will help you achieve your objective easily. For instance, there is a breed that is meant for meat and others are not. For example, there are various breeds such as the Plymouth and Rhode Island reds that are dual purpose birds. they are also good for eggs and production and have a simple temperament. Therefore, it is very crucial to get a company with the best breed of chicks to raise.
Heat
Since the baby chickens are young, they require warmth to grow. Therefore, if you are raising a large number of chicks, it is important to suspend at least one red 250 to 300-watt lamp approximately a foot up the brooder floor to provide enough warmth.
Bedding
Bedding for baby chicks is very crucial because they give the chicks a warm and comfortable place to sleep at night. The place should be free from moisture so as not to make the chicks feel cold at night. The bedding for baby chicks should be changed daily. The pinewood shavings are the best for bedding.
Water
Baby chicks learn very fast. Therefore, it is the duty of the person raising the chicks to teach them how to drink the water. Make sure the chicks drink enough water before giving them their feed to teach the baby chicks how to drink water, you would need to take one chick and dip its beak on clean water and after that, the chicks will learn how to drink the water.
Free-ranging
It is important to train your baby chicks to come back to their coop. Therefore by allowing free range for your chicks helps them in becoming healthy. Ensure the area is well secured from the predators so as to avoid losing them.
Fencing
Allowing your chicks to roam around during the daytime is a good idea. In some instances, the chicks may roam around and go beyond where you expect. To prevents your chicks from going into the neighbour’s garden, it’s best to provide a large area that they can roam around in safely with a big chicken run.
Provide your chickens with shell grit. Since chicks don’t have teeth to assist them in chewing the food you provide, ensure you provide your chicks with shell grits so when they eat them, the grits will assist their digestion.
By following the above top tips for raising baby chicks, your project for raising baby chicks will definitely be successful. If you need any more advice, please feel free to get in touch.
