dirty little chicks!

[pghoff]

I'm totally new to this and our six little chicks are just dirty, with food and pop and water! Should I clean them some how? They have plenty of clean water and food, but these little ones seem to poop just all over their little pen...which is actually a big fish tank, until I can get them in the coop.

 

[RedJasper]

I am brand new at this also. Good luck. I have the same issue...except mine poo in their water and food.

My 1st batch (NH Reds and RIRs) I got is about 2.5 weeks old. I change their box every day and it stinks so badly! I am assuming that this is how it is until they are outside?

My 2nd batch - Plymouth Rocks (Barred variety) don't seem to be so messy. I wonder if it's breed related?

Best wishes with your chicks!
Keri

 

[mxer]

Try making your litter deeper and keep it mixed up. This may help with the smell.

On the poo in the water and food, try to hang the feeder and waterer to around the level of their backs. Or set them on something tho keep them out of the litter. At first I just used an old large cookie sheet to set them on.

Good luck.

 

[Marie1234]

Fish tanks don't make the best brooders because nothing dries out in there. Dampness is going to give you problem after problem from general ickyness to respitory problems.
A couple things you can do to make things better are to make sure the bedding is not flying into water dish and working like a wick to draw water down by placing the water dish on steps of some sort (bricks or pieces of wood are good) and to give them temporary roost of some sort to concentrate the droppings to one easy lay a paper towel under it and toss it daily spot. If the chicks are very dirty themselves you can gently brush them off with a warm damp cloth as long as you don't let them chill.
Good luck.

 

[Glenbogel06]

For the first few weeks, I use puppy pads in my brooder. It seems to really help the poo dry out. when the puppy pad gets too ucky for me, i lay another one down on top of that one until I have a few layers, then I clean the whole thing out and start over again. I like to use pine shavings because they smell good, but if the chicks are too young they will just eat the shavings so I do the puppy pads for about 3 weeks or so then begin to add a layer of pine shavings with hay on top. As the chicks get older and taller, I start to put their food and water on higher and higher objects to keep them from pooping in it. Making them stretch up a little to eat or drink is just fine.