Hi,
We went out and got ourselves about 60 chikens all diffrent types... I was using a brooding light to keep them warm but most are around 3-8 weeks old so do they need this still all the time? They are in a warm place to sleep. I am using straw now as a bedding but have read some of the topics here and i see pine is better is this so? I clean out my coop every two weeks. What do I worm them with? what about lice? I am sorry this is so long but I want to do good for the little guys... What is a good book to get on chickens?
I live in Virginia if that helps... where it is suppose to be 90 or hotter today.
They are in a very large pen.. Can you clip wings so they cant fly out of this pen? This is the most important question of all... do I round they up at night like I have been doing (which is not easy) or do I just leave there door (square opening)open and if they go in they go in? There has to be a better way then what I am doing... they are fast little bugger... :-)
Thank you for any help...
Hugs,
Sue

Use your judgement on the heat lamp. At 3-8 weeks, they're older than newborn chicks and require less heat. And if it's 90 degrees out (and they're outside), they're probably more than warm enough. Does the temperature drop dramitically at night, though? Keep that in consideration.
As for pine vs. straw, I personally don't think it matters, as long as it's kept clean. I don't think once every 2 weeks is nearly enough AT ALL. You really need to clean out the droppings almost daily. This will keep your chicks healthy and keep flies and disease away. This is especially true if they're sleeping on the litter, and not roosting yet. Once they are roosting, you will not need to clean as often.
To keep them from flying out of their pen, clip just ONE of their wings. That way, they can't fly straight, and won't be able to jump over the fence. You only need to trim the wing a few inches. There may be a website out there with a picture of how to do it. Very easy.
From what I know, you do not need to do anything for lice or worms unless you experience them.
Good luck! By the way, 60 sounds like A LOT of chickens! How big is your coop?

"A GUIDE TO RAISING CHICKENS" & "THE CHICKEN HEALTH HANDBOOK" by Gail Damerow & Storey Publishing
These are the best books I have found. Both are availible at Amazon.com.
Hope this helps.

Thank you for help... I have a lot that is 150feet with the coop attached.. it is a fence then we put chicken wire around it so the baby's wont get out..
I will change the straw more often now that I know better... It never smells ... As how big the coop is I really dont know, it was an old smoker shed. We also put up wood stalls or nesting places and it holds about 40 boxes.. As far as 60 chickens well we thought that with the loss of little ones and then with cats and other animals in the country we would not wind up with that many.. We are already seeing alot of things that show we have alot of roosters... Which we will have to give away or kill ...
Any help on getting the chickens to come into the coop in the evening? We chace them around for at least an hour every night trying to get them to go in for the night...
I will buy the book that you said was a good one... thank you for all your help.....
Hugs,
Sue

Sue,

It's hard to picture your exact set up in my head but is there any way that you can let them put themselves up and then go out a bit after dark and gather any that got confused and decided to stay out of the coop? In general, they should put themselves to "bed" about the same time every night. It would be a little before it gets really dark out so you'd still have semi-daylight to work with if you just waited and watched.

Susie

Sue, They are still babies, even at 8 weeks for the oldest ones. The 3-4 weeks olds will not have a clue where to go to bed and will likely just pile in a corner and play the "toothpaste game". . any that get cool just pile on top and squeeze into the middle and this keeps on all night! So be prepared to carry the smallest ones in for some time yet--there will be fewer each night until they all know where to go. 40 nest boxes? You will find, when they are old enough to lay, that most hens will lay in just one or two nests! Even if you have 10 nests for 60 hens, some will never be used. But this, you will find out-along with lots of other odd things that chickens do! Those two books will help you understand a lot about what is developing with your nice chickens! CJR

Well thank you both for all your info... Tonight instead of putting them to bed when I thought they should I went and visted my new grandaughter.. I came home and expected to see the pile up in the corner as I have seen on other night... Well low and behold not one chick was outside... I guess I wanted them to go to bed to early or something....
I have not had time yet to get the book but I am going to.. I just had surgery 3 weeks ago and our first grandbaby all in this time... :-)
I am going to take out some fo the nesting boxes then... it has 3 levels of nesting boxes so I will just take out most of them... I am seeing alot of roosters I believe.. Do two hens ruffle there necks and go face to face at each others? This is what I am seeing in alot of these chicks....
Once again thank you for all your help.
I am feeding them shoot cant remember the name right now but it starts with an N. what do other people feed theres?
Hugs,
Sue