First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[Blooie]

Oh, you are so very welcome! I'm glad it's working as well for you as it has for me and for so many others! The peace of mind alone is worth it, isn't it?

 

[907ChickenLady]

Absolutely! I'm kind of amazed that my day of googling about brooders only taught me about heat lamps. I'm really glad I pulled lamps and bulbs from the indoor garden rather than buying.

I have a coop question. An opportunity is presenting it's self to put the coop in one side of a heated/insulated connex. I'm in Alaska, we don't typically drop below -20, and most of our winters are between 10-30. I don't know if I should go for the connex option, or if it would overheat/cause more problems for the birds going from warm to cold. Thoughts?

 

[broodmother]

We bought 10 chicks 6 days ago and it is a first for me! I am loving it. we bought ours at tsc and the lady told us they were red rangers but she said that they were great egg layers, wasn't till we got home and looked it up that we found out they were meat birds. I am still happy though and have found out great things on this site.

 

[Blooie]

Absolutely! I'm kind of amazed that my day of googling about brooders only taught me about heat lamps. I'm really glad I pulled lamps and bulbs from the indoor garden rather than buying.

I have a coop question. An opportunity is presenting it's self to put the coop in one side of a heated/insulated connex. I'm in Alaska, we don't typically drop below -20, and most of our winters are between 10-30. I don't know if I should go for the connex option, or if it would overheat/cause more problems for the birds going from warm to cold. Thoughts?

Boy, that question is way out of my knowledge base....I don't even know what a connex is. <Sigh> I know, I know, my stoopidity is showing again!

I do know that I'm in northern Wyoming and I don't insulate my coop at all, nor do I provide any supplemental heat of any kind. Their run is covered in plastic but even that has one wall almost all the way open and vents opened on top of the north and east sides to avoid condensation - the great enemy of chicken raisers the world over! Ventilation is the key to healthy chickens. But I'm sure that doesn't answer your question at all, so I'll leave that one for folks who are smarter than I am!

 

[ChickityChina]

Absolutely! I'm kind of amazed that my day of googling about brooders only taught me about heat lamps. I'm really glad I pulled lamps and bulbs from the indoor garden rather than buying.

I have a coop question. An opportunity is presenting it's self to put the coop in one side of a heated/insulated connex. I'm in Alaska, we don't typically drop below -20, and most of our winters are between 10-30. I don't know if I should go for the connex option, or if it would overheat/cause more problems for the birds going from warm to cold. Thoughts?

Does the conex have windows cut into it? It sounds like it would work out, but my concern would be adequate ventilation (as Blooie mentioned). If there are enough windows/vents cut into it to allow air flow, especially on the warmer (or hot?) days, then I would say it is a possibility. Though, never having lived in Alaska, I can't claim to know the climate very well, so take my opinion lightly.

 

[LadyIsadora]

I lost my first chick yesterday.

and I know, sometimes these things just happen.

It was acting lethargic and uninterested in the usual chick stuff. I was watching them at 3:30, when my daughter poked her head in 15 minutes later chickie was passed.

So do all ya'all tear your hair out trying to figure what the dealio is?

I fret about it. were they too hot, were they too cold. are they not in a big enough space, are they in too big of a space, was there something wrong with the food, the water, was there a draft, did he get picked on or trampled. My brain won't let it go.
There are 11 more chicks. They all seem fine. Logic says "these things just happen sometimes" the rest of my brain is trying to kill me.

I just needed to share my particular brand of crazy with someone today and bond with those that may share my psychosis. ;-)

 

[realsis]

I lost my first chick yesterday.         and I know, sometimes these things just happen. 

     It was acting lethargic and uninterested in the usual chick stuff.  I was watching them at 3:30, when my daughter poked her head in 15 minutes later chickie was passed. 

    So do all ya'all tear your hair out trying to figure what the dealio is?  
     
I fret about it.  were they too hot, were they too cold.  are they not in a big enough space, are they in too big of a space, was there something wrong with the food, the water, was there a draft, did he get picked on or trampled.   My brain won't let it go.  
             There are 11 more chicks. They all seem fine.  Logic says "these things just  happen sometimes" the rest of my brain is trying to kill me. 

       I just needed to share my particular brand of crazy with someone today and bond with those that may share my psychosis. ;-)

Hi. Things you want to watch for would be ruffled feathers, puffed up appearance, runny foamy stool, blood in stool, excessive sleepiness, lethergic behavior. Those symptoms can be a illness called coccidosis. dirt and feces can cause a overload of cocci making them ill. if coccidosis is suspected you would treat ALL the chicks with a medication called Amprolium, the brand name is Corid. After finishing the treatment you might consider giving a good probotic like poultry probios. it helps replace all the good bacteria back in the gut that was destroyed during treatment. Watch for these symptoms and if coccidosis is assumed then give treatment. It is fairly common in young chicks. Pay attention to their stool. it can tell you a lot. Hope this helps you out. This is just some things to watch out for. Congratulations on your chicks. Have fun and enjoy them. they grow fast. I'm sorry to hear about the one you lost. Best wishes..

 

[LadyIsadora]

Thank you @realsis .
I took about a dozen pictures of my chicks poop, then did a massive search on the forum, read for days and deleted them all. I was so paranoid about their poop being normal. It is as far as I can tell.
lil one was lethargic, but that is the only symptom that it had. It did seem to leak some bloody fluid from its beak after expiring. not much but enough to colour the white tee-shirt it was leaning against. Is that something that could be a clue?

 

[Jensownzoo]

Maybe it was a congenital defect? Inbred lines of chickens can be prone to them. I would watch the rest of the flock carefully, but in the abscence of other signs or defects in husbandry techniques (I am sure you've checked and double-checked) it is kind of a wait-and-see thing. If a second one passes, then I would more expect something contagious or environmental.

 

[SherryLyn]

I just received my babies today 15 Easter Eggers. I ordered from My Pet Chicken they were born and shipped Monday. They have great customer service as I called a few times checking on them, when to expect them and if they would be ok getting shipped. I feel like a new mother to 15 babies. LOL I am a little afraid to hold them as they are so little. How long should you wait before picking them up and handling them? One of them is a little lethargic she does get up to eat, drink and run around a few minutes before laying back down. Is this normal? Is there something I can do for her?