Baby chicks/sugar in water

[Heide1]

Hello,
My baby chicks should be here this afternoon. I am both excited and panicking all at once. The directions from the hatchery that i ordered them from says: If they appear weak or lethargic to mix 2 tbsp of sugar into a quart of warm water, then switch to regular water after 8 hrs. The sugar rate seems very high compared to the rates i have seen previously posted on here. I would appreciate your comments. I have had baby chicks before but never thru the mail, and have never used sugar water

before, always used vit & elec. in their water. Thanks, hope you are all having a good day!

 

[akchick76]

I did sugar water. I even had sav-a-chick on hand and went with the sugar water. I did not put it in their big water fountain. Instead, I had a little food cup from KFC (I know, irony), put about 1 cup of water, 1 teaspoon of sugar, stirred together and filled the bottom of the cup with marbles. I think the point is to get them interested in the water, not hopped up on sugar. Use your judgement, they will tell you if they like it or not. Mine didn't drink anything for the first couple hours just because they were tired. I even dipped their beaks in. They preferred getting the drops of my fingertips for the first couple of sips.

 

[Heide1]

Thank-you so much for the advice. I will see how they are doing when i get them, and if they seem like they could use the sugar water i will follow your advice, and have everything ready just in case. 2tbsp of sugar seems like an awful lot! Thanks again!