- Oct 18, 2013
- 97
- 19
- 43
This is what I do and it works well for me. I have some pretty tiny serama chicks from my birds too. I DO use medicated. I just don't like to chance it. Things are so different with chicks raised away from hens vs chicks raised with hens. I have had very good luck with this method. After they come out of the bator, they seem a little down and ready for a pick me up. It is hot in incubators and hatching is hard. I mix up some sugar water, a good vitamin drench and a little gatorade. Say about one tablespoon of water, 2-3 drops of drench and maybe a teaspoon of gatorade. I then draw it into a syringe. VERY slowly squeeze a drop onto the tip but don't let it release or drip, and don't do that while pointing towards a chicks face. I then hold chicks up, they usually peck at the droplet and decide they like it. It is also good first training if you like to use waterers with nipples. I will make sure they get about 3-5 drops. Never push a drop out unless you are pointing away from the chick and don't squeeze it into their mouth, let them peck it so they don't inhale it where they shouldn't which could happen if you are forcing it into their mouths. Usually within half an hour you can see a marked difference with a little electrolytes and B vitamins. I just like to give them a good start with some energy and it perks their appetite. I grind crumble in a coffee grinder specifically designated for chicken feed. I don't grind it until it is like flour, but pretty fine. I offer this to them and ONLY this for the first day of real eating. Usually they are about 2 days old when they really want to eat. By day three, I do this ratio (about 1 cup medicated crumble to 1 small pinch grit to 1 half hard boiled egg. I grind it ALL up together into a fine texture. The eggs are super good for them and also moisten the feed some. The grit is super fine like sand and easier for them to consume. I keep it in a container in the fridge. I only fill their dish enough to know they won't let it sit and waste all day. They love it. And they do very well on it. By 3-4 weeks I go to regular crumble with mashed bits of hard boiled egg and regular grit. I have had such good luck with this. Very healthy, happy chicks who don't leave a crumb of feed and very healthy crops. I also ad a little bit of apple cider vinegar to their drinking water for crop health and I put the drench vitamins in their water for a day every 4-7 days. Good luck!
the fuzzies can go 3 days without food/water. Grind up the MEDICATED chick starter for those teeny beaks and place food & water in shallow HEAVY weight dishes (if you have them, I look for old glassware at the thrift store) Put a few marbles in the water so they don't drown if they fall in and let MAMA do the rest! 
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:yiipchick :cd
