[HairyBear]

I am delighted to annouce, as of last Friday, that I am the proud mother of 4 incubated chicks (breed unknown). Mother and babies doing well.

I do have some questions though given the haphazard nature from which we brought these gorgeous creatures into the world.

Hubbie and I bought 3 RIRs and 1 Goldline 4 weeks ago. Given that they had previously been kept in pens with a cockerel we thought we'd incubate our first week's worth of eggs to see if any had been fertilised. Et voila, 21 days lated we have 4 gorgeous chicks (breed unknown as I don't which of my hens laid the eggs in the first place).

I really didn't expect to have any real success, so feel slightly unprepared and very unknowledgable about next steps.

Currently they are in a large plastic storage box with a towel floor and a ready supply of chick crumb (mixed with water) and a jam jar lid of water alone.  I'm re-filling the chick crumb lid about 3 times a day (whenever it gets low) and the water twice a day (mainly due to them poo-ing in it!). I have an infra red heat lamp which I leave on 24/7. I don't have a thermometer, but looking at chicks' body language temperature seems ok (not huddling for heat, not panting and hiding from lamp).

So, my questions are:

1. How long should they stay in the box and when/how should I introduce out door brooder?
2. When should I introduce chick grit to feed?
3. Is there any way I can sex them?
4. Do I need to get them immunised?
5. Growers mash from 5 weeks?

Is there anything else I should know/do?

Thanks in advance for any advice.