What do I need for chickens?

We've been wanting to get chickens for a while now, and I thought maybe a good way to start would be getting a few chicks from the feed store this week. I have NO clue what I need to start raising chickens, though, so I don't even know whether it's feasible right now. What do I need to know?

I haven't done chicks for more than a few days (after easter chicks get dumped at shelters in urban areas! I keep the warm - with a heat lamp, make sure they know how to drink (dunk their little beaks) and give them food. I keep them clean and let em grow ... I'm sure there is more both you and I should know so I will watch this thread closely as I will be getting meat chicks in June .. I think

Initially you need
1)something to keep them in...a large tub or box will work okay for just a few chicks.
2)waterer - they need something that's low enough to drink out of, but that they can't fall into and drown. small dish with marbled in it will work for a few chicks...or you can purchase a "chick waterer" which is a dish with a rind that has a quart "jar" on it for water. they drink a LOT of water
3)feeder. Anything will work here. long and shallow dish/pan. They'll walk in it, they'll poop in it probably. chickens like to have their feed at the level of their backs...so with new chicks, something that's floor level or a few inches up.

4)bedding. For the first week, do NOT use newspaper or anything that is smooth. They can't grip it, and feet slip easily..leading to "splay leg". Shredded paper works. Straw. hay. I use shavings (the large type) but some people find that the chicks eat the smaller pieces. (I've never had the problem)

Feed: buy chick starter. It's formulated for the little critters, and they do well on it. Keep feed in front of them all the time. And water.

5)Heat lamp. They need to start off at about 100F. Place the lamp about 18inches above the floor. They'll huddle under the lamp if they're too cold, and try to get as far away from it as they can if they're too warm. (they will pant and look dazed if over heated). first week at 98ish to 100; week 2 at 90-95F (raise the lamp a few inches to reduce heat); 3rd week at 85 to90; then reduce to room temp, with heat lamp at one end so they can go bake themselves when they're cold.

Actually...a rabbit cage will work well ifyou put a wind break around it. NO DRAFTS. A draft will kill them quickly because of heat loss. Put a layer of straw on the floor of the cage..you should be golden.

hmm..what else....They can go outside as soon as they're feathered out. As chicks, they don't really NEED a roost, but if you put something in the brooder for them to roost on, they'll use it. And they'll know how to roost when they get to the hen house. I use a branch. just dump it in the brooder and they climb all over it...learning balance and how to close the talons on it.

oh yes. you'll need a camera so you can photograph them and share with us

You need a brooder... a container to act as their first home. A large plastic tote will work for just a few. I've even used an extra rabbit cage once they are too big to get out through the wire. Some kind of bedding... wood shavings work well. A regular light bulb will be fine for a few chicks. A chick waterer is a good idea... Sometimes you can find the bases that screw onto Mason jars. Put marbles or pebbles in at first so they don't get soaked. A low pan for feed. Chick starter feed. That's the equipment.

You also need some know-how. Chicks are not difficult but they need to be warm - close to 100 degrees F for the first week or so. They also need to be able to get away from the heat, so hang the light over one end of the brooder. Happy chicks make happy chirping sounds and move around their brooder freely. At night, the chicks will form a ring around the lamplight, like campers around a campfire. Very cute.

Distressed chicks sound distressed and may huddle or pile up. You raise or lower the light to regulate the temperature. The brooder should protect them from drafts. Be aware that heat lamps can be a fire hazard and use a thermometer to monitor the temperatures of surfaces.

If the power goes off, you need back-up heat for them. A couple of gallon jugs of hot water with an old blanket or large towel tented over them will give the chicks a warm spot to get them through.

That's about all I can think of, off-hand. You should visit the poultry board on HT or perhaps BackyardChickens for more information. Gardenweb's Farm Life forum is also pretty good.

If you put the water container on a brick or something like that, it keeps the water cleaner for longer, especially if you are using wood chips. I've always used a red light in the heat lamp because I've been told it helps prevent the chicks pecking at each other. Good luck, little chicks are the coolest.

oh. the reason so many items made for chicks (like feeders and waterers) are red...they actually DO see red differently and will go investigate it and peck at it.

when you bring the chicks home, put them in the new home one at a time, and shove their little beak into the water. You can use a bit of electrolytes (even gatorade works well) or sugar in the water as a "boost". tsp sugar in a quart of water; or 1/4cup gatorade in a quart of water.