3 week old chicks.... few questions?

[adbayer]

i have six tophat babies i have one much bigger than the rest... and it has 10 toes!!! does that happen alot? does it mean anything?
also, i have one who lays his head back, all the way back until it rests on his chest. this is a new thing, and if i stand back where he doesnt notice me, he will walk around normal... im thinking its just because their brooder doestn have see through sides, and he doesnt know im coming? idk, kind of worries me... any expertise?
also... they have been picking on one, and pulling his head feathers out, and of course, where there is raw skin, they will continue to peck.. i have been putting bluekote on it, do i need to seperate him?

when should i put them out with the new chickens? 8 weeks?
its been 104 here lately, im worried about them over heating if i put them outside...

much appreciate it!

 

[CorporateGranola]

Your chicks are a bit older than mine, but I can offer this advice (if you aren't already doing so). We are using a red colored heat-lamp and have had no injuries from pecking. I think that is the typical strategy to prevent chicks from injuring themselves or others while they are in the brooder. Best of luck to you and take care!

-CG

 

[adbayer]

oooh! i had a red bulb, but the wattage wasnt high enough at first, and i completely forgot about it!!!!! i will so go put that one in!! thanks




also, another question- i havent socialized my chicks very well... at first i held them quite a bit, and they seemed to hate it, so i let off and just held them every few days... if i go back to holding them often, will they react better eventually ya think? i feel like im being soo mean to them... lol.

 

[CorporateGranola]

There are a a number of different schools of thought, but I think that handling them is perfectly fine in moderation. Try to limit handling them to 2 or 3 times per day. With palms out reach into your brooder and allow them to come to you. Try to resist the urge to grab them from the back because that's how predators usually attack and it seems to make them very nervous (understandably!). Speak in a very calm, soothing voice with your chick cupped in your hands (near your mouth). Mine seem to love the warm breath and will nearly drift off to sleep in my hands. If they seem apprehensive about approaching your hand at first, I've heard that putting a black dot (with a Sharpie) on the palm of your hand will help draw their attention to you. Once they are comfortable in your hand, you can cuddle with them for a few moments. Be careful though, if you have any sick or "borderline" chicks, over-handling can stress them out and result in their health declining.

Source: BYC member noodleroo [https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=55921 ]

 

[adbayer]

thanks so much!

 

[easttxchick]

When you say your chick lays its head back until it rests on its chest, what exactly do you mean? Is the head going forward or backward?
I'm not sure about Tophats, but I know in some other breeds(Sumatra is what I know about with the 5 toes)-I believe that gene can be passed on to the pullets.
As far as handling your chicks-I handle mine a few times a day just to get them used to me. Makes it much easier in the event that I have to handle them if something happens, pasty butt, etc.
Good luck with your babies!

 

[schmije]

I've noticed that my chicks tend to go through stages of friendliness. They start out absolutely terrified of everything, and they gradually mellow out. It usually improves after they start laying. Of course there are always chickens that are more friendly than others, but since you already have other chickens, you probably know that.

As for moving them outside with your others, we try to do that between 4 & 6 weeks. I like to get them out of the house around 4 weeks, but if the weather is questionable (too cold or too hot), I'll wait. Do you have a way to separate your chicks from the older ones inside the coop? Chicken wire works great, because they can see each other, but the big ones can't pick on the little ones. Before we had a second coop, we built a temporary area for the little ones, and we gave them a door that was too small for the big ones to fit through. That way they could go into the big area, but they could also get away if they wanted to. At night we closed them in their area so there weren't tempted to roost with the big girls and possibly get picked on.

I hope this helps.