IHaving a hard time keeping chicks dry. Need suggestions

[Sasham]

I have 8 chicks in a brooder made from a large plastic tote type thing. I have been putting down 1-2 inches of fresh pine shavings daily. The pine shavings are somehow getting really wet on one end of the brooder. (The same end as my water also opposit end of heat lamp) it seams to me like they are going through a TON of water, I usually have to fill 2 times a day. so I don't know if water is leaking, or if they are really drinking and peeing that much. Any way, the chicks tend to sleep on that end and get all wet, which I have read is not good for them. I put the watered out on a flat surface for about a half hour to see if it was leaking and it didn't leak at all. I don't know maybe this is normal, and I need to change bedding more? I usually change out bedding every morning and add a fresh layer of bedding every night but still they are getting wet. Any suggestions or tips for keeping them dry?

 

[Judy]

It's coming from the waterer as chickens don't actually pee. Urates come out with the poop and are more or less white. They are getting the water out one way or another. If it's a small enough waterer, maybe they are jumping on it and causing it to tip.

They should have 0.5 sq ft of space per chick for the first 2 weeks then 1 sq ft from 2 to 4 weeks of age, so ou'll probably find that yoru brooder will be too small very soon. Maybe the simplest solution is a larger brooder (or their coop) and a larger waterer.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi Sasham!

Regardless of the waterer. you may have your light too close to the ground ( too hot) if they are sleeping far away from it.
They may also be rustling around and bumping the water.
I agree with Judy on that. Raise the light a bit so that end is cooler
and see if you can get them to sleep at that end. After you raise the light,
scatter a bit of feed where you want them. That may solve part of the problem.
If the light is to low/hot the chicks sleep away from it.
If it is too far away/cool, they crowd underneath it.
If it is just the right height/heat they will scatter about in its general vicinity, some under, some not.
In any case it will get them away from the waterer and damp ground.
Do you have a stick-on fish adhesive thermometer? They cost a
couple of bucks at the store. Stick a couple on the inside sides of the
tub at shoulder height of the chicks.
Then follow temp requirements for your chicks ages. Raise or lower the light as needed
to achieve them.
Best,
Karen

 

[Sasham]

Thank you. I had suspected the water.
I do have a thermometer in there and we just moved the temp today to 85 (3week old chicks) I think that is right?
What do you suggest for a water? I just bought the small 1 quart plastic with red bottom at tractor supply. It was the only small one that wouldn't take up the whole brooder. And so far I'm not impressed. Aside from it apparently soaking the bedding the lip gets so gorse and filled with poop and bedding and I'm always having to clean it out. I'm thinking of getting something else, but not seeing anything that is small

 

[3riverschick]

Go to the feeding and watering your flock forum.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/12/feeding-watering-your-flock
Tell the folk you need to learn about nipple waterers for chicks. basically, its a correct size for your situation plastic containerI. You insert plastic drinking nipples in the bottom. The chicks peck at the nipple and bit of water comes down. The water always stays clean. Place a small grate on top of plate or something below it so any extra drips fall into it. I am describing it badly. It is vesry popular among breeder folk. Cheap, DIY and the chicken can drink like this the rest of their lives. They learn to use it quickly.
Here are several threads about it, including a "how to build" one.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ne...levance&search=nipple+waterer+chicks&type=all
Best,
Karen

Hold the phone, Sasham!! Look at this!! ~

It's a water bottle and bottle holder sold to mount on a bike!! How neat and easy to miantance!!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...mount-a-nipple-waterer-for-your-chick-brooder
This is without a doubt the cleverest nipple chick waterer I have ever see. Easy to mount with screws and fender washers on a plastic tub. Large fender washers go on the outside of the tub between the nut and the tub all so the bolts do not pull thru the plastic tub wall. I am so putting these in all my brooders this year. I am so glad you asked tonight or I wouldn't have found this. How clever.
Thanks so much for your curiosity!

Karen

 

[jessica8804]

Use newspaper!! Super absorbent works for me

 

[jbly2014]

Have you tried putting the waterer up on a flat rock where they can't play in it as easily?

 

[Judy]

What do you suggest for a water? I just bought the small 1 quart plastic with red bottom at tractor supply. It was the only small one that wouldn't take up the whole brooder.

That's what I suspected you had. They are too lightweight to be stable. Actually I suspect they are intended for quail. And if the larger one, I think 2 or 3 gallon, is too big for your brooder, then your brooder will be too small for the chicks in a few days, anyway.