care, poop, etc. have a few questions

[jessicafisher3]

Hello everyone! So I just have a few questions and want to make sure im doing the best job I can being a new chicken mama. First off, my baby chicks couldnt be sweeter, I love them so much. I have 2 that are just over a week old and then 2 that are a few days old. I got them on Tuesday and 2 of the breeds i wanted happen to be a week old and the other 2 just day old little ones. So yesterday I took the bigger 2 girls outside for the first time to explore with me right therand they just kept hopping and flying back to my and my sons laps, it was adorable, they seem to like being on us, which is what i want. I want them to be pets as well as egg providers! Anyway, is it normal for them not to want to peck around the yard the first couple times? Im sure it is kind of scary the first few times.

Also, do chicks peck at their own poo? I have pine pellets down as bedding, and have been scooping out most poop every morning, Ill clean out completely this weekend (was gonna make that an every 5 day kinda thing).

The are eating and drinking a ton, but i am noticing the 2 younger girls have runnier poop than the others. IS this normal? They poop on me when I let them just play around and sit on me so ive seen them poo a milion times. the older girls have regular chicken poop that im used to seeing from chickens but ive never raised baby chicks before, just been around my parents flock of older girls

I also built a small perch out of sticks and they love it, the older girls got a hang of it right away and love it up there.

Anyway, just want to make sure Im doing it all right!

 

[manychitlens]

That all sounds normal to me. I would keep an eye on the runnier poop but they could just be drinking a little more, or getting their plumbing sorted out. I wouldn't worry too much at this point (I know that is hard, lol!!). Yay for new babies!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The first few days they don't peck and scratch much if not being taught by a mother hen. Eventually, instinct will kick in. A mother will find food for them and show what to eat.
They do tend to eat their own feces. When with a healthy mother hen, they'll get probiotics from eating her feces.
The consistency of feces will fluctuate.
You can give them probiotics to help the feces. Watch them carefully the first few weeks for pasted vents.

 

[WindyHillFarm]

That all sounds normal to me.

I would keep an eye on the runnier poop but they could just be drinking a little more, or getting their plumbing sorted out. I wouldn't worry too much at this point (I know that is hard, lol!!). Yay for new babies!!

x2! Congrats on your chicks. They are just adorable.

 

[jessicafisher3]

Thanks everyone... I never thought I'd love a chicken so much but these little girls are just perfect. Of course since joining this site, I'm not nervous I may have a rooster and I'd be so sad if I had to get rid of one!
Here is our bigger girls playtime outside, they stuck to us the whole time.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I understand liking them as pets and tame birds. Most BYC people are of that attitude.
There's no way I could put one of my chicks outside without being penned or homed to a coop already. I would never be able to catch them unless they put themselves to bed at night.
I prefer them like that though. I can turn them out during the day and no predator worries.

 

[donrae]

Use your finger to show them about pecking. Tap the ground several times and make excited, high pitched sounds like "chick chick chick", this is similar to what Momma would do. Use your finger to make scratching motions. Sometimes they just need some encouragement.