They were cold, so I lowered the lamp and they were better. Chick starter feed, and shredded newspaper bedding, since now they're 3-4 days old. I had a thermometer but it didn't work very well, so now I'm just kind of watching them. They sleep under the lamp, but when they're awake they run all over the place, so I think they're good. They sleep a lot, but they're young so I'm assuming thats normal. When they are awake theres some soft peeping, but nothing as loud as when I got them yesturday.Loud peeping is usually a sign of being cold. Make sure the heating lamp is low enough and also make sure they have a space to move away from the heat. Get a cheap thermometer (Walmart) and lay it right under the spot where the heat lamp is shinning down. At this age the temp should be 95 degrees. After about a week raise the lamp up higher and check the temp again - should be at 90 degrees - 5 degrees per week until they are at 70 degrees. I just used a clear Tupperware tote without the lid of course. They also might not be eating since the first few days of life they are still full from the egg yolk. They can go a couple of days without eating when they first hatch. Do you have chick starter crumble for them??? I found I was cleaning their water 3 times a day at that age - just because it got so dirty with the pine chips. What kind of bedding are you using??
