Chicks for the first Time

[Jeanna Marie]

My three chickies are two weeks old today - and I had to upgrade their accommodations. I lined my unused bathtub in plastic, then in an old sheet, then a layer of cardboard and the shavings last. It's a pretty deep tub so I'm convinced they'll be happy there until I can get my hands on the old dog crates my mom has in her garage. The temperature seems to be regulating far more easily than the box - I assume because the tub holds more heat. They've all started trying to fly - and can now fly onto my arm when it's a foot or so above them. Love the idea of a tree perch from the pet storm, and am going to try both hard boiled eggs and mealworms. Thank goodness for this forum! Here they are - Amelia, Kaia, and Snuggly Sue - two americaunas and a gold laced wyandotte.

Beautiful babies! The bath tub is a great idea. You could always fashion a higher wall on the outside if they started flying out.

 

[Jeanna Marie]

...

Does sand work as grit or do I have to get something in particular? 
[/quote

What I have done is get sand/ dirt from the coop area and put a bowl in the brooder. They peck outthe smallest pieces and dust bathe in the rest. But mine are almost four weeks old

 

[one old chick]

My three chickies are two weeks old today - and I had to upgrade their accommodations. I lined my unused bathtub in plastic, then in an old sheet, then a layer of cardboard and the shavings last. It's a pretty deep tub so I'm convinced they'll be happy there until I can get my hands on the old dog crates my mom has in her garage. The temperature seems to be regulating far more easily than the box - I assume because the tub holds more heat.

They've all started trying to fly - and can now fly onto my arm when it's a foot or so above them.

Love the idea of a tree perch from the pet storm, and am going to try both hard boiled eggs and mealworms. Thank goodness for this forum!

Here they are - Amelia, Kaia, and Snuggly Sue - two americaunas and a gold laced wyandotte.

I love the bath tub idea. i don't have an extra tub but sometimes they have them on craigslist cheap. i had to upgrade my plastic tub after a week. we are now getting ready to build the permanent coop in our barn. regarding the tree perch i bought one at petsmart that was designed for reptiles and my babies love it. i have one rooster and he sits at the top all the time practicing to be in charge. mine are two and a half weeks old and i just started with meal worms. i bought a small bag but they go crazy over them so a bigger bag is in need. i have to say i don't feed them those that often as they go nuts and the brooder just isn't big enough for them to run too far so they start stepping in the water and the feed and eachother LOL. i also find now that because i fed them the worms by hand whenever i put my hand into the brooder to do something they all come running up and start pecking my fingers. sometimes i feel like i'm in the movie the Birds i haven't tried the egg yet but i do feed the grit. i mix it in the feed and it seems to work. i have them in front of a window and the weather was so nice i turned the light away and let the natural sun in and they really liked that. they are almost all feathered so they don't depend on the the light as often just mostly at night. does anyone have any advice on when to go off the medicated starter. i put them on it originally to reduce the risk of coccidida. i also have them on pro-biotics for digestion. i am going to leave them on the pro-biotics as it won't hurt them but wasn't sure about the medicated feed. some people say until they start to lay others say two weeks. i just bought more because the woman at the feed store gave me such a guilt trip about it. any input would be appreciated. thank you

 

[Jeanna Marie]

Our first trip to the run!

 

[Jeanna Marie]

First real dust bath...

 

[kynewbchickie]

does anyone have any advice on when to go off the medicated starter. i put them on it originally to reduce the risk of coccidida. i also have them on pro-biotics for digestion. i am going to leave them on the pro-biotics as it won't hurt them but wasn't sure about the medicated feed. some people say until they start to lay others say two weeks. i just bought more because the woman at the feed store gave me such a guilt trip about it. any input would be appreciated. thank you

Medicated feed is a personal decision, just like flock management.

Personally, I had mine on medicated feed the first 2.5-3 weeks. When that 25# bag ran out, I gave them unmedicated feed, but still kept up with the probiotic in the feed and the natural ACV in their water. When they went outside permanently, I stopped the probiotic but still use the ACV in their water and plan to do so until I feel it's no longer needed. Natural ACV is a natural antibiotic of sorts, so I figure with them grazing on fresh grass, dandelions, plantain, and any worm or bug they can get a hold of - it'll only help, not hurt, to keep it in their water. Once this bag of unmedicated starter is finished, they'll be going on the non-GMO feed that was featured on the home page "ticker." Their prices are not bad at all for good quality feed that falls in line with why I originally decided to grow our own food and raise our own eggs and meat. They charge the same price for a 50# bag of the non-GMO all natural stuff as the local feed store here sells their feed that can't be verified on where the ingredients are coming from.

So...to each their own. Some folks prefer the amprolium (medicated) feed to unmedicated. Some prefer organic to conventional. Some prefer non-GMO to whatever they can find locally. It's all about personal preference. What your birds eat is essentially what you will be eating, egg or meat. Having worked for an avian vet and being good friends with him, his opinion on the medicated feed is that the little bit of amprolium antibiotic in it actually doesn't do anything - chicks fed that can, and do, still get cocci infections and require stronger antibiotics to get well. When he came out before my first bag of feed ran out, I asked him for his professional opinion on the matter and that's what he told me - but again, there are as many opinions on what is the best feed/solution out there as there are chickens. You'll just have to decide what makes you feel more comfortable. The biggest concern of medicated feed has been the increased antibiotic resistance noted in the human population, but that's only a fractal of the problem. People not taking their full rounds of antibiotics, doctors over-prescribing antibiotics, the left-overs being dumped down the toilet and into our water supply, etc. - add it all up and you can see where the resistances are coming from. That problem is a "sum of the individual parts" thing, not one thing in particular. Flock management and feeding are a personal decision...I feel awful about a store employee guilt-tripping you. They shouldn't do that to anyone, because they certainly wouldn't appreciate someone doing that to them when it came to a personal decision of their own choosing. I'm sorry you had that happen. I, too, have dealt with it over my plant crop and my choice in using natural sources for fertilizer and soil management as well as pest control. I kindly told the gentleman at the store that I appreciated his insight, but I'd stick to what my Biology coursework had been teaching me about the need to return to more natural means in order to get higher nutrient quality and less chemicals in what we were putting into our bodies. He went blank, I smiled, and left the store.

Moral of the story - every person here has their own feeding advice and flock management advice. When it comes down to it all, it's your flock and it's your personal choice in what suits your beliefs, lifestyle, and personal choice. Sure, there's guidelines about when to switch from starter/grower to layer/broiler ration...but when it comes to what KIND of feed and how to manage your flock once they get moved outdoors permanently, stick to your own guns about what you think is best for your birds and your own diet, if you'll be eating their eggs and meat.

 

[kynewbchickie]

Jeanna Marie - your babies have gotten SO BIG and SO PRETTY! They look like they thoroughly enjoyed their outing!!!

 

[Ghetto Dunn]

I love it when the babies go out for the first time.

 

[Jeanna Marie]

I tried to post more pics but the mobile version wouldn't let me. They stayed close to me the whole time and even tried to dust bathe in my flip flop! Silly meep meeps!

 

[Jeanna Marie]

Anyone have any ideas on how to handle a small dog who wants to eat the baby chicks? She is a foust/fiest or whatever breed. My gandmother encouraged her to kill mice and chase cats but mamaw is gone now and dad takes care of the dog. I don't want to beat the dog but durn she's sneaky!

(I would never beat an animal)