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krcchickens said:
Ok I need advice guys. 12 chicks in my brooder they are 3 weeks and I stay at home so I easily change they're water 10 times a day and they still NEVER have clean water. Now they are duming their food dish as well. I bought a larger feeder today that hangs. The little hook made it to high so I rigged it with some string. I also bought some of the nipple waterer's not sure how your suppose to set them up in the brooder I again rigged with string. Has anyone used these. The chicks seem to be figuring out how to use them. They don't seem to leak but when they're drinking water drips onto bedding. Do you think this will be an issue. I just don't want to cause harm when I'm trying to make it better for them.
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Here's some pics
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Here another
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krcchickens said:
Ok I need advice guys. 12 chicks in my brooder they are 3 weeks and I stay at home so I easily change they're water 10 times a day and they still NEVER have clean water. Now they are duming their food dish as well. I bought a larger feeder today that hangs. The little hook made it to high so I rigged it with some string. I also bought some of the nipple waterer's not sure how your suppose to set them up in the brooder I again rigged with string. Has anyone used these. The chicks seem to be figuring out how to use them. They don't seem to leak but when they're drinking water drips onto bedding. Do you think this will be an issue. I just don't want to cause harm when I'm trying to make it better for them.
Here's some pics
Click to expand...

I haven't tried the nipple waterers yet, partly because of the dripping issue. There are some with a modified design so they actually drip into a tiny cup that someone on BYC is using, and prefers to the original design. As far as the traditional waterers, other than setting them on blocks so they're about chest height to the chicks, I've never found the perfect solution to keeping them clean, and basically live with the fact that every time I change a waterer it will have shavings in the tray.

That said, I would keep an eye on how wet the bedding gets, and maybe put a small tray of sprouted grass under it, or just a tray for now - the water will be fouled but contained in a way that allows you to discard it. Or even just a "chux" - pee pad/puppy pad/absorbent pad intended to catch moisture. Just put it on or under the bedding, cut a small piece of one since they're usually much larger than you probably need, and change it every day.

Luckily they are quickly approaching the time they no longer require heat and can be moved to their coop and run. My oldest pullets are 4.5 weeks old, have been out from under heat since Sunday, and look like little hens. They are ready to be outside, and by next weekend I will have set up a day-pen for them so they can scratch in the grass and get some sunshine and fresh moving air.

Hopefully it won't be much longer before the shed is ready. In the meantime whatever isn't sold by the time they are 8 weeks will be integrated into my laying flock for ease of care - right now that would be 6 Barred Rocks, 6 White Leghorns, and 5 Araucanas plus the little bantam mystery chick that I have yet to really try to identify. It's blonde/buff with faint dark markings on the wings. That is too many for my layer coop once they are full grown of course, and if I have many of them in another month I'll move them to the shed or another layer coop. I have one I want to modify by shortening the legs so it isn't so top-heavy, which hopefully won't take long once we get the shed done. If we ever get the shed done.
 
krcchickens said:
And one mor
Do you think they get enough water?
Click to expand...

You will notice if they start to make more noise and it sounds like distress noise, not just chatter. If you feel unsure, put a standard waterer in on a block and see if they swarm it drinking like mad. If they do, they may not be getting enough from the nipples.
 
I got 2 day old chicks today and in my group of 4!-5 wkold bantamstandard layer mix I'm having issues with bullying :/ . I have seperated the 2 day olds for now but I need them integrated asap. I was thinking of cutting a window out of their divider and taping poultry netting in the opening so they get used to seeing one another. Then in about 5 days removing the barrier and seeing how they do. Has anyone had luck doing something similar? I wasn't planning on getting new ones but the feed store gave me 2 cm chicks to make up for a mix up. I couldn't turn down free chicks! Especially the marans I really wanted!
 
My girls are already starting to get wing feathers!! I just got them on Monday, is this consistent with week old chicks?


Also, the wyandotte is pooping something more liquid and 'consistent' than the other girls. By consistent, I mean the other two poop something with a whitish top, brownish middle, and runny edges. The whole dries fairly quickly. The wyandotte's looks more like a slug and takes longer to dry. Here's a pic, not the best...



Is this ok? Bad? Something I can actually affect with food/water changes?
 

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