10 day olds picking each others feathers out

[donrae]

Quote:
This flags for me.
I don't think you have enough space. And you're probably cooking your chicks. They need enough space to get out from under the lamp and to an area of room temp. Baby chicks hatched by a hen don't spend all their time under momma at a hundred degrees, they spend most of the time out scratching around and just go under momma when they're cooling off. Section your brooder off or hang the light partly over the edge so it only shines partially in the brooder. And give them more space, as soon as you can.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Quote:
That's what chicken friends are for;-) Deb

 

[notinoz2007]

Quote:
This flags for me.
I don't think you have enough space. And you're probably cooking your chicks. They need enough space to get out from under the lamp and to an area of room temp. Baby chicks hatched by a hen don't spend all their time under momma at a hundred degrees, they spend most of the time out scratching around and just go under momma when they're cooling off. Section your brooder off or hang the light partly over the edge so it only shines partially in the brooder. And give them more space, as soon as you can.

thank you, i will take all this into consideration. i also thought i wasnt giving them enough space, the brooder box was only about 2.5 sq feet with the heat lamp on one side and food on the other. so i took them out to the coop and gated off a small section for them because i dont want them to get out in the run and then get lost, its just chain link and they can slip right through. i'll post pictures of my set up tomorrow but the brooder is open for them to get access to the other 6 or so sq feet and it has a high lamp, average temp there is about 80*. i cant get a good reading inside the brooder because they keep pooping on the thermometers. i will work on figuring out more space for them tomorrow.
i just checked on them and ICU chicks and brooder chicks are all sleeping soundly, i am loving that red light, i hear no peeping at all. they finally know its night time!

 

[notinoz2007]

now i worry about temperature. right now its 55* outside, (where the chicks are) with a low of 46*. i have a lamp in each chick area and in the big one i temped it at an ave of 84*, the smaller one is an ave of 78*. in the small one (ICU) the 8 chicks are in a half circle around the 'outside' of the hottest part right under the lamp, so i know they are able to get closer or farther away. one chick is sleeping with her beak open and doing a funny fast breathing thing. i know when my dogs do that they are hot. wouldnt she just move farther away from the light? she's the smallest so i dont know if its heat or something else. anyway, last night was colder and they survived.

for tonight. i bet i wont get much sleep...
i am also worrying about cats! man, is there nothing chicken people arent afraid of? or is it just me? cats are the only predator at the moment that can get to my chicks. and thats because my lazy dogs sleep when their people sleep and cant be bothered by a few wandering felines.
i have to say tho, i hear no sound from either the brooder or the ICU. i think everyone is comfy and snug and has no reason to peep.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Well, if cats can get in, so can coons etc. You need to tighten up security;-)

 

[notinoz2007]

the night was a success! all my chicks were up and happy today. they stayed warm in the night with temps only dropping to around 70 in the ICU - which i realize is low, but its not permanent. everyone has a healthy appetite. i added spray millet to their 'play area' hopefully they wont destroy each other while i'm at work today!

i dont know if raccoons are a natural predator here in the desert, fox and coyote cant get in my fenced/gated yard. they have a roof to deter hawks and owls... that leaves the sly cats. thankfully we have very few feral cats in my neighborhood, its mostly housecats that i have never seen in my backyard (and hopefully it stays that way)
i do plan to rework the coop and run to make it more secure that way my chickies have more freedom and i get more restful sleep

thanks again to all who helped out.

 

[notinoz2007]

pics of the chicken area as promised.

they are small so i thought this would be enough room. they are secure, they stay warm. no issues today after work with the tail pecking either, i am so happy.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I love happy endings

 

[notinoz2007]

well the chicks are back at it. at least half of the 23 have some green on them where i had to cover blood. the smallest chick has bare 'shoulders' from the picking, but her tail is fine. go figure. i watched them for over an hour yesterday and determined there was a serial picker - he was pecking at anyone whether they were bloody or not so i assume he was the evil instigator. i pulled him out, clipped and filed his beak, painted his head green so i could spot him and put him back in the group. i held him for a while too so when he went back with them he wasnt at the top of the totem pole anymore. (i just assume he's a HE, i dont know for sure) the picking seems to have slowed a bit since yesterday but its still not stopped completely like i had hoped. we spent the entire day building a new coop/run for them that will give them much more room, security, and warmth. my feed store is out of blucote til their shipment on wednesday. i guess this too shall pass, its just so stressful (for me, and it must be for them also). i asked this question in another thread and i will here also: for how long should i give them game bird feed instead of (or in addition to?) chick crumble. i'm going to pick up a few pounds when i go pick up the blucote.
any more ideas?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Did you get any eggs to cook for them? Having more space will help too. I would add the gamebird feed until all the feathers grow back and they stop picking. Sometimes having something to do helps too, I know some people put in greens for them to peck at.