Bought 6 chicks yesterday

[mandelyn]

Now that the food is sorted out, have you added any vitamins to the water? It really does help. You can use the chick variety, or an avian variety from a pet store in the bird section. Usually it's just added to the water.

What normally happens is the chicks are shipped (same as if coming to your house) and then displayed soon after. The stores don't give time to see who will survive the shipping before they're on the sales floor. So when customers buy them, they may still be suffering from shipping stress or getting too chilled. If I'm ever shopping for chicks, I ask when the shipment came in. If they say "This morning" or "Yesterday" I know there's a chance I might lose some.

The vitamin water perks them up, and the energy gets them moving, eating, and drinking.

To encourage them to eat I'll dab my finger in the water, than dab the finger in the feed and make "chick-chick" noises like a momma hen. The water makes the feed stick to my finger, imitating when the momma hen is throwing food around to catch their eye. Tames them down, and they learn that you provide the food. Quite handy for later training. But the natural way is for someone to show them what to eat and drink, and show them which is food. That noise you make becomes their call home when they're adults. They'll come flying from all over, knowing that it means food.

Sorry you lost the one, but hopefully the other pulls through.

 

[miquwid]

I wanted some good layers so I went to the feed store 4wks ago and bought 6 amber links and when I got home two had poopy but and one was a bit more lethargic than the others. It's hard but keep up the work and the rest should be fine. So sorry about the one baby, and good luck with the rest.

 

[Megan Amber]

I am sorry to hear that. I hope the other does get better. I think it will.

 

[confusedturtle]

I didn't know that we needed to add vitamins to the water but I definitely will. I started with 1 month old chicks last time & I have been doing it the same as last time. I think I need to go back & read my chick chapters again. This is a terrible way to learn.

 

[bj taylor]

sometimes just adding sugar to warm water (in case you don't have the vitamins on hand)will make a big difference. when i had some that were not doing well, i dunked their beak in warm sugar water. it was an almost immediate boost. sometimes they just need the boost to get back on their feet so to speak & then they're fine going forward.

they sure are pretty babies

 

[confusedturtle]

I will give it a try. The other 5 seem to be doing well, including the second sickly one. They are walking around, peeping, eating & drinking.

 

[Megan Amber]

That's good to hear!

 

[Kay1993]

I also mistook chick grit for feed once. The packaging was pretty misleading... I hope your remaining chicks are doing well! It sounds like you're doing your best so don't get discouraged

 

[confusedturtle]

This was the first time I've raised them from such a young age. I saw the grit and it says "for proper digestion" so I thought that's what the babies needed. It looked like ground up gravel, nothing like the crumble I remember feeding mine, and they seemed to peck at it but not eat it. I was looking at the bag and thought I'd call the feed store, we left to buy crumble as soon as they told us.

 

[Chicken Master1]

This was the first time I've raised them from such a young age. I saw the grit and it says "for proper digestion" so I thought that's what the babies needed. It looked like ground up gravel, nothing like the crumble I remember feeding mine, and they seemed to peck at it but not eat it. I was looking at the bag and thought I'd call the feed store, we left to buy crumble as soon as they told us.

i did the exact same thing. the bag just doesnt say anything about it not being food.