- Oct 24, 2012
- 38
- 0
- 22
We just bought 10 chicks from TSC last night to restart our small flock.
8 Americaunas (probably 1-3 days old) and 2 Tetra Tints (probably a week or so old)
They all seemed healthy at first, but then the 2 chocolate colored Americaunas caused us concern at bedtime as we weren't sure if they were eating and drinking like the rest of them. We watched for a while, and once we saw at least one of them eating, we relaxed a little. We set up a lamp above their box for warmth, and covered the box with a blanket for the night.
This morning, my sons had already removed the blanket by the time I came out to check on them. 9 were doing well, eating, drinking and running around exploring, while 1 chocolate Americauna... (the smallest of them all) just huddled alone, chirping loud, but not moving much. (she looks like a tiny chocolate truffle, so I call her Truffles)
Others would run past and knock her down, and she would shakily get back up again. I noticed her "shivering" so thought I better do some research and remember how to raise chicks and check the temperature and all. I found that the first week they should be kept at 95 degrees, so I grabbed the thermometer to check their box. It was in the low 70's... depending on where in the box. So we added another light, and covered it with the blanket again, waited a few minutes, then checked again. It was low 80's. So I pulled out the space heater, and aimed it from a distance toward their box. Waited again, then checked the temp. By trial and error, I found the perfect distance for the heater to be from the box, to warm up the inside of the box to 95-97 degrees.
I noticed the chicks all huddled together around Truffles in the warmest corner of the box... (where the heater was aimed.) They napped for a short time, then 9 chicks would run around exploring, eating and drinking while Truffles remained still and huddled. After a time, she calls out loudly for her sisters. She obviously doesn't like to be alone. The sisters get their fill of exploring, then come back to huddle and nap... then go exploring again. Sometimes they peck quite a bit at Truffles, and sometimes they seem to crowd and push her out rather than huddle up to her, and she ends up at the far end of the box cheeping loudly because she's cold and alone again. She wouldn't walk back on her own to the warm spot, only cry that she's not there. So I would pick her up and place her back in the warm spot again, watching closely for pecking until they seem to all be asleep. Then we all get a break for a few minutes while all is quiet. We return to babysit the chicks again when we hear cheeping.
Worried that Truffles wasn't eating or drinking, we dropped some water droplets directly on her beak, and she swallowed it. After doing that several times, we placed food directly in front of her, and she began showing a slow, shakey interest. The others came around and crowded her out as they took all the food. So I tried removing her from them to feed her, but she lost interest without her sisters around. I placed her back with them, and she started trying to move around a little and eat... but she doesn't get much before she's just tired and huddles up to sleep again. This has been going on all day.
I read somewhere about a red heat lamp being the best for the chicks as it not only keeps them warm, but also decreases how much they peck on each other, so my husband went to the store to get one. He is on his way home with it now.
I read in one of the older threads here about putting molasses in the water to help perk them up a bit, and warnings against the use of vitamins. So.... would Molasses be a possible answer for Truffles right now? If so, how much of a mixture do I use? How do I mix it?
Is there anything else I need to know or do in caring for this weaker chick to help her survive through the night, and grow stronger and healthy over the next few days / weeks? I really want Truffles to make it! Thanks in advance.
Katie Sue
8 Americaunas (probably 1-3 days old) and 2 Tetra Tints (probably a week or so old)
They all seemed healthy at first, but then the 2 chocolate colored Americaunas caused us concern at bedtime as we weren't sure if they were eating and drinking like the rest of them. We watched for a while, and once we saw at least one of them eating, we relaxed a little. We set up a lamp above their box for warmth, and covered the box with a blanket for the night.
This morning, my sons had already removed the blanket by the time I came out to check on them. 9 were doing well, eating, drinking and running around exploring, while 1 chocolate Americauna... (the smallest of them all) just huddled alone, chirping loud, but not moving much. (she looks like a tiny chocolate truffle, so I call her Truffles)
Others would run past and knock her down, and she would shakily get back up again. I noticed her "shivering" so thought I better do some research and remember how to raise chicks and check the temperature and all. I found that the first week they should be kept at 95 degrees, so I grabbed the thermometer to check their box. It was in the low 70's... depending on where in the box. So we added another light, and covered it with the blanket again, waited a few minutes, then checked again. It was low 80's. So I pulled out the space heater, and aimed it from a distance toward their box. Waited again, then checked the temp. By trial and error, I found the perfect distance for the heater to be from the box, to warm up the inside of the box to 95-97 degrees. I noticed the chicks all huddled together around Truffles in the warmest corner of the box... (where the heater was aimed.) They napped for a short time, then 9 chicks would run around exploring, eating and drinking while Truffles remained still and huddled. After a time, she calls out loudly for her sisters. She obviously doesn't like to be alone. The sisters get their fill of exploring, then come back to huddle and nap... then go exploring again. Sometimes they peck quite a bit at Truffles, and sometimes they seem to crowd and push her out rather than huddle up to her, and she ends up at the far end of the box cheeping loudly because she's cold and alone again. She wouldn't walk back on her own to the warm spot, only cry that she's not there. So I would pick her up and place her back in the warm spot again, watching closely for pecking until they seem to all be asleep. Then we all get a break for a few minutes while all is quiet. We return to babysit the chicks again when we hear cheeping.
Worried that Truffles wasn't eating or drinking, we dropped some water droplets directly on her beak, and she swallowed it. After doing that several times, we placed food directly in front of her, and she began showing a slow, shakey interest. The others came around and crowded her out as they took all the food. So I tried removing her from them to feed her, but she lost interest without her sisters around. I placed her back with them, and she started trying to move around a little and eat... but she doesn't get much before she's just tired and huddles up to sleep again. This has been going on all day.
I read somewhere about a red heat lamp being the best for the chicks as it not only keeps them warm, but also decreases how much they peck on each other, so my husband went to the store to get one. He is on his way home with it now.
I read in one of the older threads here about putting molasses in the water to help perk them up a bit, and warnings against the use of vitamins. So.... would Molasses be a possible answer for Truffles right now? If so, how much of a mixture do I use? How do I mix it?
Is there anything else I need to know or do in caring for this weaker chick to help her survive through the night, and grow stronger and healthy over the next few days / weeks? I really want Truffles to make it! Thanks in advance.
Katie Sue
