Several questions on raising chicks

[HappyHensFarmWV]

In addition to what lazy gardener suggested (love that name btw, sums me up perfectly) but you can also scramble some eggs up for them too. I mix up some NutriDrench and Sav-a-Chick in warm water, soak a qtip in it and let the chicks lick it off ..I usually drip some on the tip of their beak first and then after that they always seem to like it..
Do a search on here for 'heating pad hen' and look for a thread started by a user name Blooie (think I spelled that right) but I use the same method for all my chicks and had zero chick loss other than those had to put down. Last year chicks would just randomly die in the brooders with lights and this year I used the heating pads only, no lights and haven't lost one

 

[That other guy]

She seems to have had a rough night, she's eating, drinking and is chirping again . Maybe there was a party and she stayed up late. But she ate a worm just fine and fought a bigger chick for another worm (she lost but still)

 

[That other guy]

Working on the chicken coop, and noticed this thing, anyone know what it is? Or can I get rid of it?

 

[HappyHensFarmWV]

Are you referring to the circle? I'd say it was either a door or a poo door..entirely up to you on whether it stays or goes..would make a good pop door though

 

[That other guy]

Hey everyone!

My chicks are about a week and a half old now, most are doing good.

I have a bird that has been having a loose stool, but i cant figure out who it is so for, how worried should i be? And what could i do to help them since i cant isolate the bird who is doing it.

Second: I have a delaware who is feathering up nicely, is growing nicely, but when shes in the brooder she makes a higher pitched squeaky chirp that is longer than the normal happy chirp chirp. More of a eeeyerp.... if that makes sense. But when I take her out of the brooder and hold her she makes normal chirping noises.... sooooo whats the deal? Is she uncomfortable in the brooder? Or should I even be worried?

 

[HappyHensFarmWV]

Sounds like your Delaware has figured out how to get attention lol..I wouldn't worry too much about that..as long as she's not getting picked on really bad or anything, it's probably just to get attention (they really are like kids)..
As for the runny poos. .do you add ACV to their water or feed yogurt or probiotics regularly? If not, try one or the other and see if it changes anything..not sure what your weather is like but when it's hot, my babies (and bigs) tend to drink more and that in turn leads to more watery poos.
ACV= Apple Cider Vinegar. .make sure it says 'with the mother'..Braggs is the name brand I use

 

[That other guy]

Dare I say it?...... Clever girl....

Alright. So far just straight water changed as needed. Ive been looking into the organic ACV, but so far just water, their feed, lots of earthworms, crickets and any other unfortunate bug that happens to wander into the house or my path while i work on the chicken coop/run XD. Also the Black Australorps are being a little more flighty and dont like to be handled. The Delawares are a bit more amenable, but still like to run off when i try and pick them up. Id say about 25-50% are okay with my hand being in the area and climb over it and sit around it/ one or two fall asleep on my hand. But any other suggestions on how to get them to like me XD?

 

[HappyHensFarmWV]

I have a little black banty hen..and by little I mean fits in the palm of your hand little..I'd be seriously surprised if she weighed 2 lbs.. but she will come across the yard at a full run and fly straight at your face..if you didn't know what she was up to, you would think that you're about to be attacked..but she just wants to sit on your shoulder. .at feeding time she pouts off to the side and won't eat unless I feed her separate and sprinkle berries on top of her wet food (not dry, bc she won't eat that either..)..so yep..unfortunately they can be spoiled brats just like anything..
I only have my RIRs, EEs, the banties and then my Silkis and Polish and I have ZERO experience with Delawares or BAs but from my experience, they pick who they like and who they let handle them..if they allow it in the first place..I have birds that were handled every day from hatch and still act like you're going to pluck then if you get too close..and then you have the other ones like my banties (who the breeder swore were naturally hateful, his roos would attack anything, including the fence if you just walked by..) who I never worked towards getting tame and they are just naturally loveable..even my roo is a shoulder chicken. .
mine do love meal worms and berries though.. other than consistently handling them and making sure every encounter has a reward and using positive reinforcement, Im not sure what to advise to get them to like being handled..I would say it's breed based, but I personally think it's more like each individual birds choice. Also, remember when reaching for a chick or even in the brooder, try to reach from the front and avoid coming down at them from above..that says bird of prey to them and will scare them more than calm them..I put doors on the fronts of my new brooder and not the tops to help with this and have noticed a huge change in how fast the chick's calm down and they seem to be a lot less nervous overall..

 

[That other guy]

Trying to figure out if I got a boy here. Almost all the other Delawares have their wing feathers in, and she's/he's still a ball of down. A bit bossy too.

 

[That other guy]

Thank you for your help again Happy I really appreciate it. Making sure my girls turn out better than okay is a top priority for me.