1.5 week old chicks

[Debbiek2]

I have a few questions.New chick mom here. My chicks are only a week and a half.

Is red light better at night in the brooder?

Do I need water with probiotics etc. in it and if so what should be in the water?

Pasty butt. Does this mean they are sick?

Grit? Do I need this or is it in their chick food? If I need it how do I use it?

Can I give my chicks food scraps? Things from the yard? If so what is best?

Can they go outside if it is in the high 60s but no wind or is that too cold?

Thanks in advance! The internet has so much random info!

 

[8shotsmorethots]

Hi,

I'm very new too, but have been learning a lot. I use red light both day and night in the brooder. If I could go back, I think I would have gotten a heating plate instead, but I think the light is fine for this one run. I bought a probiotic+electrolyte powder to add to their water. It's not expensive, so why not? A couple of my chicks had pasty butt. I read that it is caused by stress. The way I dealt with it was to run their butts under a stream of room temp water and very gently work at it with a wash cloth until it desolved. It's important to take care of this because they can die if their vent is blocked.

They don't need grit if you're only feeding them the chick feed. However, they need to to digest food if you're giving them other food scraps. My chicks go absolutely bonkers for scrambled eggs. They're not so much into greens at this point, but they did eat some very tiny pieces of cucumber I cut up for them.

I haven't taken mine outside yet. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt if you tried it and did it for a brief period and observed them to make sure they're okay. If they're huddled up together, that means they're cold and I'd take them back in.

 

[Debbiek2]

Thank you! I’ll clean their vents tomorrow. I did it last week too. I’ll also get some grit.

 

[kurby22]

Thank you! I’ll clean their vents tomorrow. I did it last week too. I’ll also get some grit.

Just make sure you are washing around their vent and not where the umbilical cord was attached. I made that mistake once and I killed the baby

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I have a few questions.New chick mom here. My chicks are only a week and a half.

Is red light better at night in the brooder?

Do I need water with probiotics etc. in it and if so what should be in the water?

Pasty butt. Does this mean they are sick?

Grit? Do I need this or is it in their chick food? If I need it how do I use it?

Can I give my chicks food scraps? Things from the yard? If so what is best?

Can they go outside if it is in the high 60s but no wind or is that too cold?

Thanks in advance! The internet has so much random info!

1. Red light should remain on at all times until about 3-4 weeks old. I then shut it off.

No. Just no. That's only helpful if you need it.

Yes, and it needs to be fixed so they don't die. It doesn't mean they are "sick", but it means that there could be a life-threatening buildup of dried poo that seals off their vent.

Yes, you need to buy chick grit. Sprinkle it on their food.

Yes, as long as they're chicken-safe.

Yes. I take my 2-3 week olds outside when it's in the 50s. Just for field trips.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I assume the "red light" is the heating lamp? If so, it needs to stay on 24/7 to keep them warm. If not (i.e. using a plate) then light at night is not necessary. I raise my chicks on a natural day/night cycle.

Assuming you've already had them a week or so, no they shouldn't need anything extra in the water unless something changes with their health.

Pasty butt does need to be cleaned off. One possible culprit is too much heat, so best if you get temperature measurements in your brooder. While you need a warm area available at all time, they also should have a cooler area to use.

Grit helps with digestion. Optional if they're only eating processed chick feed, however as chicks will try and eat anything from bedding to bugs, I always give them some grit. My method is simply sprinkling a small pinch on their feed every few days.

No food scraps unless you have grit first. At this age it's best to minimize any treats as it doesn't take a lot to fill their tummies, and you want them eating their nutritionally balanced feed.

Yes they can go outside in a fully contained area with supervision, for short trips at first.

 

[3KillerBs]

In addition to the above, any time you *do* offer electrolytes, probiotics, etc. in the water you should also offer PLAIN water.

Imagine if all you had to drink was Gatorade in a flavor you didn't like.