New Chicken Mom--all alive and in good condition!! Have two questions

[penella22]

So after countless discussions, much begging and pleading, I was able to convince my partner that chickens were a good idea. I ordered the following:

1 Blue Orpington
2 Blue-laced Red Wyandottes
1 Gold laced Wyandotte
2 Blue Ameracaunas
2 Welsummers

I ordered them from Meyer Hatchery because there was a wider selection than was available from our local feed store, and they have a minimum order of 3 chicks, instead of 15 or 25.

They shipped with a heat pack and left Cleveland, OH Tuesday night, and got here this morning (Thursday). The postal worker that handed them over commented on how 'healthy' they sounded, and said the ones that had been delivered the day before for someone else hadn't sounded so good. They were cheaping when I picked them up, one louder than the rest and sounding a little upset, but for the most part they seemed good.

When I got them home and opened the box, four of them were turbo charged!! I didn't even have to dunk their beaks they were off and running, drinking and pecking up a storm. So cute!! The other four were all huddled together in one corner of the box, obviously a bit cold from not getting to be on the heating pack.

I got them all into their brooder and they all figured out that under the Brinsea eco-brooder was the place to be. They are in my basement which is only 50 ° today, and within half an hour they were all just huddled under the eco-brooder and not coming out. So we set up a heat lamp too. However, they still seem a bit cold--not huddled together, but not running around much or seeming as happy and animated as they were when they arrived either. I lowered the heat lamp which helped a bit. Wondering what else I can do besides move them into the house?

The other thing is that one of them does seem a bit slow and is not coming out from under the eco-brooder much at all. I dipped her beak, she was irritated and cheaped loudly, but still did not drink that I have seen. I dipped her beak again about 2 hours later but that hasn't changed things. She is eating just fine though, but slowly and is not as well-balanced as the others on her feet.

Last but not least, even though their feeder is juuuust outside the hottest spot from the heat lamp, they are not going over to it much, and are pecking and scratching like crazy right under the eco-brooder and they were eating some of their pine shavings, so I put some of their food on the bare patch of cardboard floor they had created. Is it ok to feed them on the floor? I didn't want them not eating because they're too cold.

Anyhow, thanks for any advice, will post pics soon!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Cover all the shavings with paper towels for footing. Sprinkle their feed all over the paper towels, especially in the warm spots. Hard boil an egg, crumble the yolk and sprinkle that too. They eat what is at their feet without a hen to show them food. After a couple days, they'll better find the feeder.

Some probiotics will help. Plain yogurt?

Get some poly-vi-sol without iron and put a drop in the beak of the weak ones.

Often those rocking chicks don't make it.

Cover part of the brooder and wrap the sides to retain more heat. Just don't impede ventilation.

 

[penella22]

Thank you for that great advice! I'll try those things. Where do I get the poly-vi-sol? The local feed store?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Poly-vi-sol is a baby vitamin supplement so it's at the drug store. I got some at Walgreens. Make sure it is without iron.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You're doing the right thing watching their behavior as a guide to whether they're too hot or too cold.

 

[penella22]

So I followed your advice ChickenCanoe, but the baby chick was getting worse! Luckily, last night my partner noticed he had pasty butt!!! Somehow my vision failed me I guess because I had thought of that but didn't see any evidence of it. He wiped off the chicken's rear end with a damp paper towel, chicken relieved itself extensively, and has been much closer to normal ever since.

I didn't get poly-vi-sol, I got nutri-drench. Anything I should know about using it? I've given him two drops so far and I think it made a positive difference.

I just went down to check on them and they are all sleeping! So cute!

One last question about electrolytes. I had electrolytes sent with them...the directions for mixing it up is to use 1/10 of a teaspoon per 1 gallon of water, and to make a fresh batch every day for chicks. 1/10 of a teaspoon??? I am using a quart jar on their waterer so even better, I should be measuring 1/40 of a teaspoon! I basically dipped 1/4 teaspooon in so it was covered in a fine powder of electrolytes, and rinsed it into their water. Better ideas are appreciated!!

And, pictures, in case anyone is wondering what Meyer Hatchery babies look like (I can tell the blue ones apart I think...the 2 Ameracaunas vs the blue orpington, but I don't know if the two reddish ones are the Welsummers or the blue-laced red wyandottes?):

Also it is difficult to take good pictures with a heat lamp on!



The two on either side are black with stripes--and the one in the middle has a black back and yellow wings. Any guesses?? (Supposedly I have one gold laced wyandotte and two blue laced reds, and 2 welsummers...)




Here's one of the reddish ones...



Another one of the black stripeys



Blue Ameracauna (I think? Not blue Orpington?) napping / playing dead under the heat lamp.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

...
I didn't get poly-vi-sol, I got nutri-drench. Anything I should know about using it? I've given him two drops so far and I think it made a positive difference.

...

One last question about electrolytes. I had electrolytes sent with them...the directions for mixing it up is to use 1/10 of a teaspoon per 1 gallon of water, and to make a fresh batch every day for chicks. 1/10 of a teaspoon??? I am using a quart jar on their waterer so even better, I should be measuring 1/40 of a teaspoon! I basically dipped 1/4 teaspooon in so it was covered in a fine powder of electrolytes, and rinsed it into their water. Better ideas are appreciated!!

...

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Wyand/BRKWyandChix.html
welsummer chicks at the bottom of this page - they look like chipmunks
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Wels/BRKWelsummers.html
blue orp at the bottom
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Orps/BRKOrps.html
you should see the muffs on the ameraucanas
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Arau/BRKArauChik.html

less is better than more.
I usually just give a drop of the vitamins.
I did the math on the electrolytes once and came up with 1/16 teaspoon per gallon.
You could always discard what you don't use.

 

[penella22]

Thanks ChickenCanoe, I can now tell which ones are which I think. One of the Welsummers is very chipmunky, and the other has a solid brown head I think. All the other stripey ones must be the Wyandottes, and now I can tell the Blue Orpington from the Ameracaunas.

The Blue Orpington and one of the Wyandottes have figured out how to jump up on top of the eco-brooder. They all seem to love hardboiled egg, and no one was at all interested in the plain yogurt. The one that had pasty butt hasn't had a recurrence so far, and they all seem happy and healthy. I'm really impressed with their health and how well they shipped from Meyer Hatchery.

It's interesting too that if I put my hand down into the brooder and just leave it there for a few minutes, the Welsummers and 2 of the Wyandottes will come check it out and peck at my hand and walk over it. I can pick them up for a minute and set them back down and it's no big deal. The Orpington will come hover nearby but is careful not to be on my hand, and the Ameracaunas and the Wyandotte that had pasty butt simply will not join the party. So I see different temperaments already.

Any advice on what you do with the flighty ones while they're babies to make them easier to handle as adult birds?

And two more chick portraits:




I think this one is the Welsummer?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Mealworms are a good treat for making them tame.
Of the 30+ breeds I've had, the Orpingtons were the tamest. I never handle my birds but they and a couple Jersey Giants would let me pick them up.

For getting them to eat the yogurt (probiotics) I sprinkle their feed all over the top of it.

 

[huntseat]

X 2 on the mealworms, best treat for babies hands down.

I buy flax seeds when I find them at the 'she-she' grocery stores and you can sprinkle that on yogurt too.

The nutridrench is a personal favorite, I add it to the water just enough to tint it.

When you feed treats start 'calling' to them so that they know when you call to come running. This will make your life easier as they get bigger and more independent. I find it vital for my free ranging flock.

The weak one should catch up in no time with clean water, good feed and a nice warm place to run...*snoring*

You will find it more hilarious than any TV show