Chicks Progress Log

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

Thought I would do a chick progress log. Will update once a week with some pictures.
Got the 6 (3 Black & 3 Golden Sexlinks) Thursday afternoon. Ate and drank well. Did put a couple drop of Nuti-drench in the waterer and a drop on each of their beaks. Got the MHP at the height they liked. Chicks on Thursday in their inside brooder.

Friday(3/1) changed water adding 3 drops of Nuti-drench. Did the hiney check. Clean hineys. Spent most of the day outside getting things moved to add the little grow out coop to the run. Came in several times. They were running in & out of MHP. Eating drinking, doing chick things...like making a mess kicking food out of feeder and waterer .
Sat (3/2) Cleaned up their food and waterer mess. Went out and got some 2x2 blocks. Put feeder & waterer on a couple of 2x2 blocks. That put them at about shoulder level. Watched to make sure they could eat and drink. No problem there, less food mess. No messy water. Changed water gave them plain water today. Went outside got the little coop attached to the run. Run fence between wood making it secure. The nesting box on that little coop was coming apart, so I removed it. Used the back of the nesting box to cover the nesting box hole. Picture is the fix

Little coop attached to run. Have it where the hinged lid can open.

When they go out into that little coop there will be a temp see but no touch run for them inside the run.
Came in watched them running around. Jumping up on top of the MHP, jumping down. Eating, drinking, little nap warm ups. A little bit ago 5 where under the MHP, black sexlink was on top of it, chirping. I said OK get under and I will turn off the light. She jumped down went under. I turned off the light. Said to hubby, OMG, she was telling me to turn off the light, it's bedtime. A few soft chirps, then quiet. Guess that is what I was being told.
Will update each week with their picture.

 

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

Week 1:
Chicks are doing great! Wings have feathers and 2 black sexlinks have little tail feathers. Very active, and oh what a mess with the food being kicked out. Feeder is raised on 2x2's but they get on the base and kick out feed. After kicking out so much, I remove the feeder for a while and they clean up most of the kicked out feed. Learned to scratch. Hubby got concerned when he saw the cecal droppings. He said are they sick? I told him no that is normal, that happens every 8-10 times of deficating.
Yesterday noticed several was just barely going under the MHP, turned it down to Med. No complaints, no huddling. They are not scared of my hand coming in to clean. Using potty pads, shavings underneath. Makes cleaning easier.come running over. They get handled every day, hiney checks, all have had clean hineys. Tried the horizontal waterer yesterday. They were trying but just couldn't get the water to come out. Removed it, will wait and try it again each week until I see they can get the water to come out. Thought about leaving it in with other waterer, and let the keep trying, yet have access to water.
Week 1 pictures.

 

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

Have a question. On Wednesday as stated above. Turned heat pad to medium since several were barely going under MHP. I have raised the back from the half inch to 2 inches front at 4 inches yesterday. They were not going under much, and when they did stayed close to the front, mainly sitting and laying on top. They did finally go under last night. About half way. They haven't gone under this morning, been out eating, drinking, running around, laying and standing on top of the MHP for over 2 hours. No loud chirps. Should I turn the MHP to low, they are not even 2 weeks old. Got them on the 28th (hatch date was 25th or 26th). My question: Is this normal? First time with chicks this young. Here are a couple of pictures on top of and 1 barely under the front of MHP.
Thank You. Appreciate any advice.

 

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

Week 2:
Had an accident. On Sunday (3-10), A black sexlink got injuried (plastic tie wrap had sharp edge and moved out of place). I didn't see it, was fixed. Got it cleaned and meds put on it. She continued to eat and drink like normal. Injury is healing very well. Do the treatment twice a day. Other chicks didn't notice it. Blu-Kote hides it very well. Limped for a couple days, now running around like nothing happened. Growing like weeds.
Decided on their names. Goldens named after Country Music singers, blacks named after R & B/ Old Rock singers. Yesterday they started trying to do dust baths on the potty pads. Went out to the run got some dirt to make their dit bath. First pan I used was too small (9x9) Now in a aluminum roasting pan (high sides). I sifted the sandy dirt, and put some chick feed on top to entice them to explore it. Will try to get video on here of Dolly dust bathing this morning in the pan too small.
Individual 2 week pictures

Tina is the one who got injuried.
Hope I did the video right. Did it first try

 

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

Week 3:
Removed potty pads, oh did they love scratching in the pine shavings.
This past weekend I put the horizontal waterer in, kept the othere waterer in. Sunday was able to just have the horizontal in. All was using the horizontal Saturday evening, but left other in over night to be on the safe side.
Got a picture of how they bed at night. The light of the camera disturbed them, Dolly stood up.

Made them a roost with PVC pipe, 2 90 fittings and 2 T fittings. It's 6 inches high. They get on it during the day, but haven't roosted on it at night. They will get there when they are ready.
Feathering out nicely. Goldens have reddish feathers coming in. Black sexlinks have reddish specks on wings and backs

Changed them over to the hanging chick feeder. Yesterday they kept knocking over the other chick feeder.
Got the grow out coop and run within the run set up. 2-3 weeks they should be able to go out in it. That means in the next 2-3 weeks 2 of the older hens go to freezer camp.