Doing right by baby peeps?

[CariLynn]

I have 9 four week old Ameraucana chicks. This past week we have been taking them outside during the day, we ensure they have sun and shade, water, food, etc. Today because we had some drizzly weather, my husband put up our open air tent for them to have protection. They love it out.

However....I have some questions....first, they have NO interest in anything other than meal worms and their food and grit. Is this normal? I have given them crust of bread, they run and circle it then leave it. I have tried other things, they will peck at lettuce. What can I do to stimulate their interest?

They have been living in a giant kennel. I put up a roost now for them, which they love to hop on and off or go under it. I stopped putting on their light as they have been crowding to the door and all going to sleep there, so I thought it may be too hot. I have since shut the light off and I put a night light behind the crate for ambient light and when I bring them in for the night, they squawk, peep loud, then settle down and sleep like my adult chickens do. Is this okay at their age and with them having most of their feathers?

Feathers...a few of them are going after the others and pulling/plucking feathers and what little down they have left off and eating the feathers. I put pine tar on the couple that had some bald spots, I surely don't want them to pick them as horrid as some I have seen on here happen...is that okay? Is there anything that can be done to further help the situation?

We have a coop coming in about 2 to 3 weeks...so hopefully by then the weather will be perfect, they can go out in that, we can set up a temporary fence for a few months till they get bigger then let our whole flock be together.

 

[Panth]

Sounds like you are doing fine. Do they have access to grass? If not, if you put them on grass, that should stop them picking at each other. If you can't get them on grass, dig up a clump and put it in their pen. They probably shouldn't eat bread at that age anyway, so I wouldn't worry about their lack of interest. Try scrambled egg or yogurt instead. Eating feathers is one way for them to recycle the protein in them, mine do it also. It should be fine as long as they are not bleeding. You can expect some mock fighting among them which will get a little more aggressive as they get older, but that is completely natural as they organize their pecking order. They shouldn't need a heat lamp at this age, but the night light is a good idea. I use one with my 9 week old chicks still because I have mine in with the adults and I want them to be able to get away if they need to. You will want to start letting your adults see and hear them as soon as possible, so try to get them as close to the adults as you can while keeping them protected. This will make integrating them much easier. I went out to my own coop last week and saw one of my 8 week old pullets cuddled up under my adult rooster on the very top perch. It was so cute!

 

[CariLynn]

Sounds like you are doing fine. Do they have access to grass? If not, if you put them on grass, that should stop them picking at each other. If you can't get them on grass, dig up a clump and put it in their pen. They probably shouldn't eat bread at that age anyway, so I wouldn't worry about their lack of interest. Try scrambled egg or yogurt instead. Eating feathers is one way for them to recycle the protein in them, mine do it also. It should be fine as long as they are not bleeding. You can expect some mock fighting among them which will get a little more aggressive as they get older, but that is completely natural as they organize their pecking order. They shouldn't need a heat lamp at this age, but the night light is a good idea. I use one with my 9 week old chicks still because I have mine in with the adults and I want them to be able to get away if they need to. You will want to start letting your adults see and hear them as soon as possible, so try to get them as close to the adults as you can while keeping them protected. This will make integrating them much easier. I went out to my own coop last week and saw one of my 8 week old pullets cuddled up under my adult rooster on the very top perch. It was so cute!

Thanks Panth! I feel a little better. My last 6 chicks were raised by a very protective and broody hen so I had to take care of her and that is easy peasy. We put then out in a secure enclosure every day for a good 10 to 12 hrs and it is on grass. They can pick in it, walk around, they jump, fly a little, mock fight and bump chests.

As for them getting use to the adults, we ordered a second coop especially for them yesterday and it should come in about 2 weeks or so....we will be putting a fence up where no one can get to one another but they can still see and hear one another until they get a little bit more height and weight on them. Then when we do eventually take the fence down, there will be two coops, which I hope too is alright. I learn as I go....I can talk horse but chicken is a new experience for me!