2 1/2 week old appears drunk

[al6517]

Quote:
I am glad to hear they have recovered from what ever they had or you think they had..................... you mentioned they are only 3 wks old is that correct ??. If so very young chicks do so much better when everything is kept simple and very routine till at least an early teen, this will keep all of the most common misguided mistakes to a minimum. They need to regulate themselfs first, get used to their enviroment and their basic needs, without throwing their entire systems out of whack way before their bodies and their little brains are ready for it. Don't feel bad many thousands of folks do this and some actually learn from their mistakes....... most don't. I am pleased all has worked out for you and the best of luck to you.

Animal husbandry is a learned art not a passing fancy ......it should be taken very seriously and with common sense JMO.

 

[eggdd]

thank you. i am definitely learning a lot as i go along. these forums have helped me a great deal. i'm here often. i take it seriously and am trying [hard] to be the best steward i can. my ability will grow as my knowledge does.

again, thank you for your support.

i bid you a wonderful evening.

 

[Atomic Ranch]

Er, also ....

Re: v

 

[eggdd]

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[Atomic Ranch]

My post was quoted in your reply. If you didn't intend to reference me, you could have deleted it. (??)

Threads often take side-tracks when advice is requested due to so many differing experiences and opinions. All posts usually have something valuable to read. Cross-references should be acceptable as part of the focus.

Thanks for you well-wishes.

 

[eggdd]

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[exop]

Not just vitamins, but minerals and the right balance of amino acids, are really needed by growing chicks. I feed organically and early one spring a couple years ago, when organic starter was unavailable from my usual supplier, I made the mistake of trying to keep some baby chicks going on rinsed cooked quinoa for a period, reasoning that it was a high quality, balanced protein source. BUT, not a high enough protein source, sadly lacking in minerals, etc. They did not do well, always seemed ravenous, developed some deficiency behaviors.

I would second the advice to feed a balanced organic chick starter if possible. If not possible, make sure the chicks get a high quality animal protein in their diet... in nature, new baby chicks eat an awful lot of tiny bugs and crawlies under supervision by their mother. Organic fish meal is one possibility which can be purchased in large quantities if needed, 50Lb sacks. Mashed hard-boiled or hard-cooked scrambled eggs is another obvious solution, perhaps the easiest one, and chicks absolutely love it. If adding soybeans to the diet, be sure they have been roasted and are not raw, as the raw soybean contains substances which can interfere with nutrient uptake. 19th century French poultry farmers fed milk / skim milk to their chicks, along with barley and wheat middlings, and leeks (admittedly, plentiful in France). Amazingly, supplementing chick feed with fresh ground meat and meat trimmings was recommended by turn of the century American poultry writers!

Also make sure they are getting greens (new clover tips / grass tips / dandelion greens / young leeks or garlic chives, a good variety of these, cut up into fine green shreds with a very sharp knife or snips). And grit to go along with it. In nature, young chicks would not be asked to subsist on a "seed based diet", so many other foods would be more available and much easier for the young birds to eat. Please don't feel it is a good or natural idea to enforce a seed only diet on them.

If you are committed to avoiding ready made feeds, my recommendation would be to feed hard-cooked organic eggs in addition to moistened (but not cooked) ground mixed grains, and greens if available. The egg will give them iron, calcium and other important minerals, a good range of vitamins, lipids and of course protein! If you break a couple eggs into a small saucepan and stir vigorously with a fork over medium-high heat, scraping the bottom until the mixture looks like damp yellow grit, you will have a ration suitable for a small group of chicks and best of all, it has the small size they can swallow, combined with the visual appeal of hundreds of flabby yellow maggots (yum!) Just what a chick wants to eat.

Best - exop