chirp..chirp...chirp ...chirp...............chirp

[chickaroo3]

Ok I am new to the 3 day old chicks....we just picked up 2 3day old buff orpingtons...they are in thier med tote with the heat lamp..temp is 100 degrees on the hot side. One of them is completely content and drinking and eating...but the other is just chirping away....seems like all it wants is to be held or snuggled by its sister....is this anything to be worred about?

 

[crystal195655]

I am relatively new also, but from everything I have read 100 degrees is too hot....mine like it cooler. I started mine out at 90 degrees and they are just over 2 1/2 weeks old and they have had the light raised twice already. I have them brooding in the coop, it got down to 30 degrees last night and they did fine. try lowering the temp a little and see if that makes her a little happeier.

 

[MadabtChickens]

I agree that 100 degrees is too warm. I've got my 4 two week old Delawares and 2 six day old silkies in the house. The temp is around 90 under the lamp. The Delawares are scattered around in the brooder and the silkies are spread eagle under the lamp. Although....for the past couple hours 1 or both of my silkies has been peeping their heads off. I've gone in and checked on them numerous times and the little buggers have their heads jammed in the feeder pigging out, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Maybe it's time for a lower watt bulb (I can't raise the lamp).

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

The first week of life it should be 90-95 degrees...decrease by 5 degrees per week...see McMurray's chick care page:
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickcare.html

Also they must be able to get away from the heat.

 

[Tressa27884]

I had a baby that peep, peep, peepd at me all the time. She wanted to be held. A year later she still wants to be held. If I leave my sliding door open to my bedroom, she'll come in, jump up on the bed and watch tv with me until I kick her out - or come hang out with me in the house wherever I am. I love that hen......

 

[Apyl]

Congrats on your babies, but I agree with the others. 100 degrees is to hot, I would lower it to 95 and make sure they have a space to go to without the heat in case they need to cool down. Good luck. Sounds exciting.

 

[Ole rooster]

I had a baby that peep, peep, peepd at me all the time. She wanted to be held. A year later she still wants to be held. If I leave my sliding door open to my bedroom, she'll come in, jump up on the bed and watch tv with me until I kick her out - or come hang out with me in the house wherever I am. I love that hen......

What do you do with the stuff the chicken deposits with the white cover on it in your bed. Surely you don't just leave it, do you? You might have to move to the coop.

 

[Tressa27884]

What do you do with the stuff the chicken deposits with the white cover on it in your bed. Surely you don't just leave it, do you? You might have to move to the coop.

I have a towel especially for Dixie Chic to sit on when she's on the bed. It's on top of HER temper-pedic pillow. She knows it's her pillow and will sit there and cackle at me. As for the rest of the house, we have hard wood floors so compost deposits are not a big deal.

 

[Ole rooster]

I had a chicken once that did like petting but she never came in the house. We had carpet. That was not good for cleanup.

 

[Queen of the chickens]

When I got our brooder out, the thermometer was broken so I was adjusting heat according to behavior. I finally got a thermometer and left it in last night. This morning it was reading 100 degrees and still the chicks were bunched up right under it snuggling together like they were freezing. I guess they just like it warm. I am adjusting the heat though, as I heard it can delay feathering if they are kept to warm and it contributes to constipation. My guess is that your little chick feels a bit lost with just the two of them. She is probably already used to a crowd. Just tonight I divided my growing chicks among several brooders. There are 5-7 still in each one, but a few of them must be missing special buddies because I have been hearing some "distress calls" off and on.