Beads vs. Marbles???

[aimee]

I read on another post about putting marbles in the chicks water. So, this may be a really stupid question but could I use glass beads instead of marbles? I make glass beads and have tons of them laying around. And about how many should be added?

I was going to go today and get my chicks from the store but we had a blizzard this morning and all the highways and interstates are closed. I'm so bummed.

Thanks
Aimee

 

[BeckyLa]

imho, as long as the beads aren't small enough that the chicks could swallow them it would be ok. If you have standard sized chicks you'll only need them for a few days, but if the chicks are tiny bantys then maybe longer. I think swallowing would be the only issue you'd need to worry about. I've even used gravel when I couldn't find my marbles. (please, let's not go there folks.

)

:

 

[TheBigWRanch]

Are the beads the same size as marbles? You want enough to reach the top of the water, so the chicks can't drowned, but that there is enough space in between them for the chicks to put their beaks in and drink.

 

[aimee]

Thanks. Most of the beads are about the same size as a marble if not bigger. Most of them are bigger. I even have some bigger than a shooter marble.

 

[allen wranch]

You can get a quail water base and not have to put marbles in the water. It has a very narrow base and the chicks cannot even get their head in it. Graduate to a regular chick waterer in about a week.

I don't use marbles. I put my waterer at the opposite end of the heat source. The chicks don't fall asleep where it isn't warm and comfy (or I use a quail water base).

I got mine at Tractor Supply, but here is one at Cutler Supply.
http://www.cutlersupply.com/store/item.0522.html

 

[mudhen]

Hi aimee and welcome to the site.
Beautiful work by the way, how long have you been making glass beads?

 

[aimee]

Thanks Mudhen, I've been lampworking for about 4 1/2 years now.

 

[silkiechicken]

I eliminate the drowning thing completely by just using a few large ferret water bottles. They learn amazingly quickly to go peck on the spout to get water out! I put in one bottle per about 10 chicks up till about 2 months till going out with the regular chicken waters. Have only tried with with layers and not meat birds... not sure if the meat birds will have enough spunk to learn.