Rural Gardening: Old Tack Box, Tripod and My Grandmothers Quilt Rack, 1 by MissJestr

MissJestr wrote:
Ok you are probaly wondering why that is a strange title... Well sit a spell and I will explain.
I went into the feed store on Friday to get hay, and heard the peeps coming from the back room. Every year Billy and I look forward to the baby chicks coming in and spend time back there. We have never bought any, as I thought raising baby chicks are beyond my scope of chicken knowlage.
Well I rounded the corner and there were two big tanks filled one with ducks and one with Chickens... Oh the sight of them were awesome. Black, Yellow and Tan colors all running around peeping... I could not resist the temptation to pick up one. (Billy was not with me so I reached in)..

Well 10 minutes later after much debate, I had picked out 6 of the fuzzy brown with black trims...
They did not have any chick starter for sale, so they gave me some in a bad and said this should get me thru until they got their shipment. WRONG.... More on that to come.

With my hay loaded and the chickens in a box on the floorboard of the truck, I went to get Billy from school. OHH the look on that boys face when he saw the chickens was worth it. He gently petted each one and showed all his friends.

So I am driving home and it occurs to me where am I going to Put these little friends, what will it take?
I walked in the tack room and found an old tub I used for storage, pulled out all the tack and thought that might do for a while. I went out and cut a peice of old fencing and put on top to keep cats and dogs out. Put the Tripod from my Camera to weight it down so they could not lift it and fashioned my Grandmothers Quilt Rack so I could suspend a heat lamp over the top of it to keep warm. This contraption resides in the corner of my bedroom.


OK this is where I need some advise.
1) I am running really low on chicken starter and they have not gotten the shipment in yet, what can I give them?
2) I got a 250 watt heat lamp bulb, but am wondering if it is too hot for them during the day? There is a cover over half of the box that the light is not directly on them. Could I have not used a regular bulb when this heat bulb burns out?
3) is the tack box alright for them to move around?
4) how long do I keep them in the house?