We brought home ten two-day old chicks from the PO today. Everyone seemed fine, though the Buckeyes (quite small!) seemed a bit chilled. We got everyone into the (roughly 4x2.5') in-coop brooder (our basement-less home is under 800sqft and already houses two adults, a dog, and two cats), already prepared with bedding, paper towel over the bedding, feed, two sources of warm water, and their heat plate. Once acclimated (and warmed up beneath the heat plate for a bit), they all seemed to be happily running around doing their chick thing. I checked each rear before dipping their beaks in the water; no sign of pasty butt. I did also put a q-tip soaked in Nutri-Drench to each chick's beak.
Due to a) needing to get some work done and b) an approaching thunderstorm, I had to come into the house. I can hear distress peeping from the coop! I ran out once to check on everyone, and they seem fine! So I race back into the house through the rain, and more peeping.
Could it be the rain and thunder upsetting them? It is a very heavy rain and quite noisy. Or my having to close the coop door to keep them from damp and drafts (they definitely didn't seem to appreciate that)? They know how to use the brooder plate, as I saw more than one head beneath to crash under it for a nap while I was ogling the new flock members. It's 74 with a heat index of 81 right now. A few photos attached—not the best display of the setup, but I can get better ones later.
That's Grant, our collie. After about a minute the chicks decided he was utterly ignorable. Or that he might be their mother.
FWIW, they're not peeping as often/loudly now as they were ten minutes ago. But downpour or not you know I'm headed right back out...
Due to a) needing to get some work done and b) an approaching thunderstorm, I had to come into the house. I can hear distress peeping from the coop! I ran out once to check on everyone, and they seem fine! So I race back into the house through the rain, and more peeping.
Could it be the rain and thunder upsetting them? It is a very heavy rain and quite noisy. Or my having to close the coop door to keep them from damp and drafts (they definitely didn't seem to appreciate that)? They know how to use the brooder plate, as I saw more than one head beneath to crash under it for a nap while I was ogling the new flock members. It's 74 with a heat index of 81 right now. A few photos attached—not the best display of the setup, but I can get better ones later.
That's Grant, our collie. After about a minute the chicks decided he was utterly ignorable. Or that he might be their mother.
FWIW, they're not peeping as often/loudly now as they were ten minutes ago. But downpour or not you know I'm headed right back out...
at this rate.
