Chicks are HERE! Need HELP!

[aclee]

So I left my house at midnight and drove to get the chicks, then came home, arriving about an hour ago. My husband has set up the brooder and water thing for them, and I put them all in. They were all alive, and looking...okay I guess? I'm new to being a fluffy butt Momma. Anyway, I dipped all their beaks, and put in food, and they ate and drank and ran around insane. In the process, a lot of them got soaked in the water. So I was taking them out one by one to wipe them off with a towel and fluff them a little. It seemed like the more that got wet, the louder they got. So I moved them into a slightly smaller box that I could raise up closer to the bulb to warm them up. They are all quiet now, but I haven't put the food and water back in the new box. Should I put it in? I don't have marbles for the water container yet, and it's a big holder, like a gallon I think? So they are pretty much standing in it. I can go get a chick water thing tomorrow, but for tonight, I'm not sure what I should do. Some of them were shivering it seemed like, cause they were cold. I don't want to give them food and no water though...Do I need to re-dip their beaks in this new box?

Thanks!

 

[Tiramisu]

Is there a small container for water you can put in for now? Maybe using a towl or something to cover the top to keep heat in will help, I did that with mine since they were in my room, i turned a air purifier on to sleep and that made a draft. They should know how to drink, they just may need to know where it is.

 

[aclee]

That is pretty much what I ended up doing I took the big water holder out, and put in two plates with wet soupy food in for them. This morning the plates we dry, with most of the food gone, so I added a little more water to each one, went to get more food to mix in, thinking I would give them a couple minutes with each little plate, that had some water puddles on it, I came back, and they are all soaked again! What the heck? Is it okay that they get all wet and then go under the hot part of the brooder and dry off? It's like they are rolling in the water or something!

 

[Tiramisu]

You have some naughty chicks lol, then going under the heat lamp more is fine, it will dry them and keep them warm.

 

[bigstack]

Not sure why but chicks luv water! You can put anything in the waterer to keep them from climbing in. as long as its clean! I used those lil glass stones from my wifes vases. I have used rocks from the yard after giving them a good scrub. As long as its clean you can even use Hotwheels or something. As long as they can get warm and dry quickly they should be fine. We NEED Pics!!!!! LOL

Good luck and God Bless!

 

[aceschix]

You really need to get some marbles or stones to put in the water. You need to put the water bowl in and they will drown themselve if given half a chance. They just came out of the environment that was full of water and there instincts are to get in the water. Keep the marbles or rocks in for a while.

 

[aclee]

Okay, for now, I switched out both the food and water holder. I put the food into an egg carton, and I put a plate with a little water in there, and some food on it, so it just has small puddles, and they can stand on it without getting all wet. I have been adding more water to the plate when they need it. I will get out later today and get marbles for the water holder so they can't climb right in there

I will try to get some pictures up soon!

As a side note, my free exotic chick is striped like a chipmunk, and has some feathers on his legs....I'm guessing it's a "he" and it's a Brown Leghorn? Didn't get to look into it too much!

 

[Tiramisu]

I dont think that would be a leghorn. Feathered legs would be cochins, mostly bantams...brahma, mille fluer, etc.

 

[aclee]

Quote:
hmmm...I'll have to post a picture...I didn't notice the feathers on his legs till this morning, and I've been to busy to research more.

Are all the free chicks usually boys? That is what the guy at Grain store said.

 

[Tiramisu]

Depends, pretty sure the free ones are random.