baby chicks and their behavior

[whiskaye]

hello, im helping my mother with raising some chicks and i got a couple of questions.

1. what are some sure signs that they are distressed
2. why is one pecking at the eyes of the other chicks
3. should i have a brooder and a heating lamp or just one

sorry if these are already answered in another topic but needed to get this out here instead of searching.

 

[rosemarythyme]

1. Loud and excessive chirping or conversely, lethargic chicks that don't respond to stimuli.
2. They get stimulated by shiny things. Might want to look into some of the advice given here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chick-pecking-other-chick.1430088/#post-23567316
3. A brooder is the box/cage/enclosure that holds the chicks. Are you asking about a brooder plate (or a heating pad)? Answer depends on your temperatures at location of brooder and the specific heat source you're using. Example, some brooder plates have manufacturer instructions that specify they must be kept at 50F and above.

 

[whiskaye]

1. Loud and excessive chirping or conversely, lethargic chicks that don't respond to stimuli.
2. They get stimulated by shiny things. Might want to look into some of the advice given here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chick-pecking-other-chick.1430088/#post-23567316
3. A brooder is the box/cage/enclosure that holds the chicks. Are you asking about a brooder plate (or a heating pad)? Answer depends on your temperatures at location of brooder and the specific heat source you're using. Example, some brooder plates have manufacturer instructions that specify they must be kept at 50F and above.

yes a brooder plate is what i meant, if they were under a heating lamp before instead of a plate would they prefer heating lamps more? we have a plate setup but they refuse to use it but instead they huddle under the lamp, wasnt sure if its cause of the red light and heat. on top of that the chick dosent seem to be going for something "shiny" it seems to be aggressive in its pecking.

 

[rosemarythyme]

if they were under a heating lamp before instead of a plate would they prefer heating lamps more? we have a plate setup but they refuse to use it but instead they huddle under the lamp, wasnt sure if its cause of the red light and heat.

You haven't specified the ambient temperature but if they have both a plate and a lamp they may not use the plate because they're overheating.

on top of that the chick dosent seem to be going for something "shiny" it seems to be aggressive in its pecking.

Have you tried the suggestions above to see if that makes any difference?