- Medicated chick starter for chickens, medicated turkey starter for turkeys, guineas or pheasants. Non-medicated starter for ducks and geese.

- A brooder light to provide heat at 90° F or 32° C.

- A box with pine shavings in the bottom.  (Never use cedar as it is toxic to chicks). You can insulate the box with styrofoam, if you do though don't have it where the chicks can get at as they will eat it if they can.

- A waterer. We always start off using a quail waterer for the first two weeks as chicks will sometimes drown in the purpose chick waterers.  If you are using the purpose chick waterers put some small stones in the bottom.

- A feeder.  These are available commercially at the local CoOp or Shurgain or can be odered online from Berryhill in Canada of McMurray Hatchery in the USA.

- A bit of electrovite additive to put in the chicks water supply it helps to give them a boost.

Circle Pond Farm does sell the Circle Pond Farm Starter Kit that contains most of these items.  Make sure you notify us ahead of time that you will be purchasing this item so that we may have it ready for you. 

Baby Chicks 1 day to 4 Weeks. What do I do?

Your chicks are home in their brooder box with their light.  Make sure to watch them closely is everyone drinking and eating? Are they all bunched up under the brooder lamp? (not enough heat) Are they all in the corners of the brooder? (Too much heat)

As each week passes you can raise the light an inch or two or decrease the wattage of your bulb.  By the four week mark in warm weather or indoors your chicks will no longer need a heat lamp.

Baby ducklings and goslings don't require as much heat for as long a time period as do baby chickens.  At the four week mark if you are beginning to add whole grains to their diet you must provide them with "chick grit" which is available at your local feed store.

Nova Scotia Feed Store Locations:   (Click link to view) 

Shurgain Feed Locations                    CoOp Feed Locations                     Purina Feed Locations                      Chris Levy Chester Basin

         4 Weeks and Older                What do I do?

Their food can now be switched to a grower and whole grains (not whole corn) can be introduced.  As they grow they will require more space.  A good rule of thumb is the 4H regulation of 2 square feet per bird for standards.  

When you begin to let them forage about outside don't forget that they aren't the only ones foraging  for food.  A good idea is to have them running within a fenced in yard when you are not able to watch them.  Your chickens/ducks/turkeys are an investment financially, psychologically and one of time, don't scrimp on wire.  A female mink can slip through 1 1/2 inch square mesh and destroy an entire flock in under 15 minutes.  Foxes can dig under pens that do not have buried wire and eagles, hawks and owls can strike from above.  A run with 8 inches of wire buried beneath the ground and sides constructed of 1 x 1 inch welded wire with "Top Flight netting" (available at Berryhill in Canada) will stop most predators.  Regular checks of your pen and run will alert you to possible spots where the predator is "working on it" and you have a chance to "work on it as well." 

If you have any questions about issues we have not covered please check out our FAQ section or email us at: tonyeisn@eastlink.ca .

A great site with lots of helpful information on raising baby ducks: (Carolyn Crocker Originals)