Babies arrived from Ideal this morning...quick ?'s

[sillyovrsilkies]

Good morning...

This is our first time owning chicks, so I have a few questions....

I was given Duramycin-10 by the feed store owner...is it necessary to add to their water now? Mixing instructions are a little confusing, so clarification would be greatly appreciated!

The chicks are being kept in our garage & it is quite warm here (supposed to be in the 90's again today)-do I need to put the heat lamp on them anyway??

Any other "pointers" to get us off on a successful start would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

SillyovrSilkies

 

[Muggsmagee]

Why were you given an antibiotic for your chicks??? Do they have an infection/symptoms?

This is a tricky one...if it is going to be hot out today...I would put the lamp on anyway...but make sure they have PLENTY of room to move around to get away from the lamp if it is too hot. You will need to check on them periodically. My garage stays cool...around 60 degrees. I can't know what your garage temperature is like...so use good judgement. If it gets hotter in there than it is outside, that might not be the place to keep them.

Make sure they have starter chick feed and plenty of water. Other than that, you should be all set.

 

[X2Farm]

Just dip thier beaks in the water, set em in the brooder with plenty of chick starter and water available and they should be good to go!

I second the above poster on the heat lamp and space!

 

[happytxchick]

No need for antibiotic of any kind. I use Duramycin only on my adult birds if they are sick. It's good to keep on hand, but you'll probably rarely use it. Add a teaspoon of sugar to luke warm water to keep them from becoming hypoglycemic for the first day, then just use regular water and be sure to keep it clean & not too cold because they can loose their body temp fast when newly hatched. Definitely dip their beaks, so they'll know where the water is. They'll probably be fine today, but I'd put a lamp on them tonight, and make sure they can get away from it if it gets too hot (like Muggs. said). They are easy to care for, so no worries! Enjoy! Cackle Hatchery has a really good chick care page on their website (link at the bottom of the home page) if you want to check it out.

 

[sillyovrsilkies]

Thanks for the replies! I greatly appreciate the advice from "seasoned" chicken owners!

They all seem to be doing great & I can hardly keep my kids away from them!

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Your KIDS???!?!?! You're not hovering over the edge of the brooder spending all your time watching them yourself???? I couldn't drag myself away from my first batch o' chicks.

(By the second batch, I knew enough to leave 'em alone for short periods of time.)

 

[sillyovrsilkies]

Yeah, I am enjoying them, but probably more nervous that something's going to happen to one of them!! Not to mention I'm trying to find a place to buy some lavender Silkie babies (yes, I already want more!!)