Brooding |
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| You can either buy a ready built brooder from the same links as the incubators or build your own. A good place to start if you decide to build your own is with a small fish tank. Suspend a forty watt bulb at one end of the tank about four inches off the ground 'paint it red with kid's poster paints to stop the glare, you can buy red bulbs, but they cost a lot more'. Use an old towel or similar on the floor to provide grip. Keep the chicks in the incubator until they have dried out and fluffed up 'at least 4-5 hours'. Feed the chicks ground up chick crum in a jar lid when you put them in the brooder. Sprinkle some on the ground too at first... so they can find it . N.B I wait a day or two before feeding as this gives the chicks time to digest their yolk sack. Do not feed seed at this time as the babies find it hard to get down and may choke. Water should be provided in another jar lid with marbles or pebbles in the bottom as chicks can drown very easily and they instinctivley peck at shinny things. You may introduce chicks to water or food by tapping your finger where you want them to peak or by dipping the chicks beak in it. Brooding Temperature Week 1 90-95 Week 2 85-90 Week 3 80-85 Week 4 75-80 Week 5 70-75 Week 6 70 |
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