Hello and dust bath question

Hello to all you lovely chicken lovers!

We are brand new to the chicken world and were beyond excited when we brought 13 hens home from our local co-op on Friday! We're getting along good except I'm afraid a couple won't make it. They just lay around without eating or drinking unless I help them and haven't grown like the others. From what I hear this is pretty normal? So sad and hard to watch them "suffer". Now I'm trying to decide if I should get a couple more or be content with 11.

I have a dust bath question. I was planning to make a dust bath in the corner of the run with log stumps like I've seen online but this morning I got to wondering if I could make their dust bath under their coop. It is raised 10 1/2" above the ground and the guy we bought the coop from said the chickens have no trouble getting under there. It is a couple inches taller than that once they get underneath with how the coop is built. We've also considered trying to raise it several inches more but haven't decided for sure.

Here is a picture of our coop. Could we make a dust bath underneath it?

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

I am so sorry about the hens that aren't doing so well. No doubt they are sick with something and you might post in our Emergency section for more help. https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures They could have worms, be egg bound, internally laying, ect.... As to whether it is normal to lose a few birds, this is difficult to answer. They say 5% a year can be normal however well taken care of birds can live to be 8+ years of age. Many times buying birds from Co Ops, Swaps and other such places is risky business, as no one gets rid of their best birds. So you might post this question in our emergency section just in case this is something contagious.

Nice coop!! You could put the dust bathing area under the coop or anywhere you wish. Although I will warn you, chickens many times have their own ideas as to where they want to bathe, LOL and wow, as many dust bathing spots I have set up, rarely do they bathe where I would like them to bathe!! If you have any garden areas or low bushes available to them, chances are they will dig up your best rose bush!

Anyway, we do welcome you to our flock!! Good luck with our new flock and enjoy all your chicken adventures!!

Thanks for the info! I realized as soon as I posted, I said we brought home hens. I meant to say chicks! Sorry! For the last 24hrs I've been feeding the weak chicks sugar water, egg yoke, and starter feed soaked with water. They seemed to perk up but now are continuing to get weaker. I wonder if I just prolonged the inevitable? I can't help but try to help them though!

Make sure you are good on temp in the brooder, somewhere around 90 degrees on the floor directly underneath the heat lamp. And keep the lamp off to one side so there is cool spots in the brooder. Don't cover the lid with anything but a screen or wire for good heat and oxygen exchange. And yes, not all chicks make it to adulthood, but all you can do is your best. Do you have any Poly Vi Sol (without the iron) liquid human baby vitamins? 1 drop in their mouths will do wonders. Sometimes chicks are born very deficient on vitamins and this is all they need. Also, warmed hard boiled egg will do wonders too. All the building blocks of life are in an egg, LOTS of B vitamins which is what weak chicks need. All birds can live exclusively on eggs for long periods of time, it's an emergency food that is very easy to digest and will keep them alive. Make SURE they know where the water is too. Dip the beaks in the water, dehydration kills fast. Also, I like to lay down paper towels and sprinkle feed all over near the feeder so they can find the feed. It takes a few days for them to learn where the food is, then you can remove the towels.

I am guessing they are just a bit weak and with a bit more TLC will make it, hopefully.

G’Day from down under graceupongrace Welcome!

As always TwoCrows has given some great advice so I will just wish you all the best.

I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.

You might want to also pop in and say hello on your local thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you ‘Find your State’s thread.

If you would like to share pictures and stories of your flock, you have come to the right place. BYC’ers never tire of these and do not back away slowly or commence eye rolling when the photo album or home videos come out