we all woke up this morning in good shape. everybody seems relaxed & active. a few of them have slightly dirty fannies. not sure @ what phase it is termed "pasty butt". not particularly eager to start wiping chick fannies, but i will sure do whatever those little darlins need. oh, do i need to be supplying chick grit? i ran into this reading yesterday & i am only giving medicated starter. i will get that grit this morning if they need it. so far it's been pretty fun & they are adorable. there is one who cracks me up. not sure which breed it is, she comes up to the front of the brooder & stares at me. i hate reading about some of the problems others are having & wondering when it's my turn. my cats are thoroughly ticked off at me because these little cheepers are in the garage making little bird noises - the cats can see them but can't get to them. oh well, they'll get over it.
Hello and congrats on your chicks! They are so much fun....I love 'em! Anyhow, I've brooded lots of chicks, and I found that they like to be very warm. If you've got them in a large brooder, then I would put heat lamps at both ends. Pasty butt happens when the chicks are just a little bit chilly. And you do have to watch that because, it can literally clog up their vents so they can't poo, and they die. So if you see dirty behinds, then it's important to get that hard clump of poop off. You can do that with a little warm water on a bounty paper towel. I wouldn't get them too wet, since you're brooding in the garage. After four years of raising chicks, just last year I had the first time ever with no pasty butt to worry about, and it was when I used two lamps. I use a 110 gallon black stock tank for my brooder, so it's pretty big. Good luck with your chicks! We love to see pics! Sharon
The chicks should get baby grit after about 3 days. Sprinkle the grit on over their food as if you were salting your food. Try to avoid putting too much on because they could fill up on the grit instead of food. Have fun with your babies!
