- Mar 4, 2008
- 5
- 0
- 7
I've never had baby chicks (or any chicken for that matter) until I got my order in on Tuesday of this week. I'm sure there are things I am not doing right but certainly there are other things I've just misinterpreted.
For example, I kept reading that they LOVE oatmeal and it's good for them so I made a tablespoon of oatmeal, stirred it furiously until it was cool and put it in the brooder. They did love it - I think everyone of them came and rubbed their little butts in it. I thought they ate it but apparently is a sort of "facial" treatment.
Last night I thought I'd try again but this time with yogurt so I put a spoonful in a container and put it in the brooder. Again, they LOVED it. They ran through it this way and then they ran through it that way. Must be a pedicure type treatment. I did leave it in with them for a while and later, there was not a drop of yogurt left. I don't know if they ate it or just smeared it on their feet.
The other thing I've had problems with is reading the thermometer. Between the red heat lamps, the red line on the thermometer and the chicks and chick poop on top of the theremometer, I just can't see the temp. We have one of those laser instant read from a distance thermometers and my husband got it out. Well, as soon as the red dot appeared on the bedding, and I don't know how they even saw it, they all came after it. It was just like playing with the cats with a laser pointer and now I think I have a few obsessive compulsive chickens. I didn't want to wear them out so I didn't play too long but they seemed to really enjoy it. Am I going to have to get a bug or two and drop in the brooder for them?
These babies are turning out to be so much more fun than I thought they would. And now that they are getting some little feathers started, maybe I'll be able to figure out what kind of chickens they are.
Betsy
For example, I kept reading that they LOVE oatmeal and it's good for them so I made a tablespoon of oatmeal, stirred it furiously until it was cool and put it in the brooder. They did love it - I think everyone of them came and rubbed their little butts in it. I thought they ate it but apparently is a sort of "facial" treatment.
Last night I thought I'd try again but this time with yogurt so I put a spoonful in a container and put it in the brooder. Again, they LOVED it. They ran through it this way and then they ran through it that way. Must be a pedicure type treatment. I did leave it in with them for a while and later, there was not a drop of yogurt left. I don't know if they ate it or just smeared it on their feet.
The other thing I've had problems with is reading the thermometer. Between the red heat lamps, the red line on the thermometer and the chicks and chick poop on top of the theremometer, I just can't see the temp. We have one of those laser instant read from a distance thermometers and my husband got it out. Well, as soon as the red dot appeared on the bedding, and I don't know how they even saw it, they all came after it. It was just like playing with the cats with a laser pointer and now I think I have a few obsessive compulsive chickens. I didn't want to wear them out so I didn't play too long but they seemed to really enjoy it. Am I going to have to get a bug or two and drop in the brooder for them?
These babies are turning out to be so much more fun than I thought they would. And now that they are getting some little feathers started, maybe I'll be able to figure out what kind of chickens they are.
Betsy
