This is normal right?...

sniper338

Songster
9 Years
Dec 15, 2013
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San Antonio, Texas
Baby chicks that hatch out dont really take to eating or drinking water until about day 3..... they live off their soaked up yolk for a few days....


I still dip their beaks in water once or twice a day, and peck at food on the floor of the brooder and scratch it around with my finger... but im pretty sure they dont take to it until day 3 or 4... just wanted to verify...
 
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Baby chicks that hatch out dont really take to eating or drinking water until about day 3..... they live off their soaked up yolk for a few days....


I still dip their beaks in water once or twice a day, and peck at food on the floor of the brooder and scratch it around with my finger... but im pretty sure they dont take to it until day 3 or 4... just wanted to verify...
Hi,
frow.gif

Ok this begs an answer from the new current nutrigenomics research I have been following in the scientific poultry journals. It flies in the face of that old advice. Here's how it goes. Ready for this? Proven by studies, you can look them up.
Ok,the chick hatches. During the1st 2-3 days it uses body reserves to run the "engine" which is digesting the residual egg yolk. Those reserves are the same foundational reserves used by the chick to help determine how much flesh it will lay on the keel bone when it is mature. If we feed the chick starting within an hour or so of it leaving the shell, it can use the nutrition from the feed to help run that engine and according to the studies can result in laying more flesh on the keelbone when it is mature because it has not used those foundational body reserves. Now for myself, I put 2-4ml per gallon of Bovidr Labs Poultry Nutri-Drench in the chick's water. My solution looks like very weak tea. This emergency nutrional supplement does not need digesting. It mainlines directly into the chick's bloodstream. Measureable in 30 minutes, all natural with 99%utilization. I do this because I want the chick's G.I. tract and immune systems to get off to a strong start. And they do. I also cannot be sure every chick will take to feed right away and I know they need this nutrition available to their body systems immediately. http://www.nutridrench.com
Also, since the Nutri-Drench does not need to be digested it is supplementing the chick even while to chick is learning how to eat so there is no "empty period" when the neonatal chick is not receiving quality nutrition. This is very important, I cannot stress this enough about no "empty period". The chick goes thru very rapid growth of the G.I tract in the 1st 3 days of life. You are never gonna get back this neonatal "window of opportunity". The Nutri-Drench makes sure the chick has a steady supply of readily available nutrition during this crucial time. This is essential because the nutrients which the chick uptakes during this time feeds the maturation of many body systems. I have used these Bovidr Labs products on my collies and poultry for over a decade.
It really helps if you think of your chicks as walking G.I. tracts. How well the G.I. tract is supported, functions, and is given everything it needs to prosper quickly and efficiently will have a large impact on the whole life of your birds. This feeding baby chicks is not just a "baby age" thang.
The science of neonatal nutrition plus the maturation of the neonatal G.I. tract is not new to me. Back in 2002 after 4 years, and over 10,000 hours of research, I wrote a self-taught, evidence-based protocol for canine neonates which had the same aims. It was successful. I am working on fleshing out one for neonatal chicks now and should have it ready by early next year sometime.
Best Regards,
Karen
P.S. Yes, I am aware the definition (as follows) of nutrigenomics involves the genetic code; "Nutrigenomics shows a new way of working with nutrition and now, the knowledge of how food interferes with the genetic code and how the organism responds to these interferences and with the phenotype can be clarified."
The subject above ,while not concerning genetics per se, is but one ( tho an important one) aspect of the complete whole nutrigenomics program I am working on.
 
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I agree that just b/c "they say" that chicks can survive off the yolk for 3 days, that does not mean that it's best practice. I like to see my chicks drinking just as soon as they come out of the bator. And I don't wait till the hatch is completed before pulling the dry ones. They have crumble sprinkled on paper towel right outside of their HP broody cave when they go into the brooder. I always start them with feed on the floor as well as a little feeder. IMO, if they see it on the ground, they are apt to investigate it sooner. Am a huge fan of ND. Use it for the first week, then often every other day or so for the next week. Get them started on a plug of sod from the yard in first week, and like to start FF at that time as well.
 
I agree that just b/c "they say" that chicks can survive off the yolk for 3 days, that does not mean that it's best practice.  I like to see my chicks drinking just as soon as they come out of the bator.  And I don't wait till the hatch is completed before pulling the dry ones.  They have crumble sprinkled on paper towel right outside of their HP broody cave when they go into the brooder.  I always start them with feed on the floor as well as a little feeder.  IMO, if they see it on the ground, they are apt to investigate it sooner.  Am a huge fan of ND.  Use it for the first week, then often every other day or so for the next week.  Get them started on a plug of sod from the yard in first week, and like to start FF at that time as well.


Yep, Nutri drench and other similar products are great to set up microbes in their little guts and get those electrolytes and vitamins started is good practice, IMO.

I went from using a Bator to letting them brood naturally... Major improvement, and I get to see the actual process from the hen, so if I need the Bator or don't have a broody, I can do it as close to mom would.

Momma usually keeps them tucked away for the first couple of days; they don't seem to bring them out until day 3, so that leads me to agree that they don't actually NEED to be fed and watered in that space of time, but the first thing momma is doing in there on day 2 is clucking to them at curious objects on the floor of the nest. She's already pointing out bits of food to them before ever taking them to the water, and I always set a little chick waterer close by so they don't have to go outside. BTW, there's a big change in that if I brood chicks in summer. She'll have them off the nest finding the water on day 2 in summer heat.

When brooding without a momma, the first thing they need us shown where food and water can be found, and they'll most likely go drink and eat on 'mommas'(in this case, YOUR) advice, lol, that is, they'll drink and eat right out if the egg if they think you(momma) want them to, but they won't suffer if they don't want to for the first couple days..

It's hard work being born lol; perfectly normal to need a couple days to recoup ;)
 
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Ok, so what you're saying is you use nutri drench.
No,
What I was saying is the new scientific evidence points to a crucial , very limited time period when we can make a difference in our chick's whole life with the right nutritional interdiction during that time period. So far, I have found Nutri-Drench meets that need better than any other supplement I have studied or tried.
It's about the time frame, then about the Nutri-Drench.
Best,
Karen
 

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