Few Urgent Queries.

[MarkJr]

My broody never has.

 

[Jeanw]

Hello, here is a good link for raising chicks. Brooding Chicks: The First 6 Weeks

 

[rosemarythyme]

Maybe the cardboard box you're using is too confining for the broody to be able to get up and move away to poop, so she's not bothering?

As far as feed, absolutely there's organic chick feed and that's likely a more nutritionally complete diet than anything you can make at home, plus commercial chick feeds will also be appropriately sized for tiny chicks to eat.

 

[Ammar-G-240]

Maybe the cardboard box you're using is too confining for the broody to be able to get up and move away to poop, so she's not bothering?

As far as feed, absolutely there's organic chick feed and that's likely a more nutritionally complete diet than anything you can make at home, plus commercial chick feeds will also be appropriately sized for tiny chicks to eat.

About feed yes you are right but the cardbox is not small, infact large 2.5ftx1.5ft, actually what i learned from the internet research and experience, i came to know this that i have to forcefully pick the mother away from the nest(cardbox) for 5 or 10 minutes to poop, since in incubation period a hen only poop once in 24hrs which already makes enough pressure inside that the owner/caregiver won't have to wait for 10 minutes and she will do it within 5 mins. I used this trick today and it worked. So i am assuming that at least for the most types of hens, we will have to use this trick when the mother is incubating even when few or all eggs have hatched which is probably the only way to keep the nest clean.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

A 2.5x1.5 box is very confining and it would not surprise me if that's why she didn't move.

 

[Ammar-G-240]

Hi People,

I am new here, sorry i don't know about the rules yet, but will read about it later. Since i have few urgent queries, so i had to post it somewhere, so i am doing it in this category.
I have kept a chicken pair as pet, so under the hen i had put 5 eggs for hatching, so now hatching period has reached, 3 out 5 eggs have hatched.
Chick A on 4Feb, Chick B & C on 5Feb. So the queries are:

Q1- Previously upon my cursory research i found out that newborn chicks must not be fed before 48Hrs. So now when Chick A's 48hrs gets completed, Chick B & C will still be in their 48hrs, so how to give food only to Chick A and not the others, because if i kept the food and water for Chick A rest will also eat and drink?
Also please note i keep them in a sufficient size(for both the Mother and chicks) cardboard box.
Q2- Mother hen is not defecating outside the c-box during incubation & half hatching. Before hatching i used to take out the hen from the coop by picking it out of the c-box for 20 minutes approx so that it can defecate, eat & drink. So can i do this in this state too?
Q3- For food i would request you people to suggest me good organic food for the chicks, e.g i heard about garlic, wheat, eggs, pearl millet?
Q4- Is pearl millet a strong food and can we give it to newborn chicks?
Q5- For water i heard we should give honey or sugar mixed water after 48hrs for flushing purpose, so can we give it?
Q6- Can we give tiny wheat grains to chicks as food?

For now that will be all.

Thanks
Ammar

Hi People,

I am new here, sorry i don't know about the rules yet, but will read about it later. Since i have few urgent queries, so i had to post it somewhere, so i am doing it in this category.
I have kept a chicken pair as pet, so under the hen i had put 5 eggs for hatching, so now hatching period has reached, 3 out 5 eggs have hatched.
Chick A on 4Feb, Chick B & C on 5Feb. So the queries are:

Q1- Previously upon my cursory research i found out that newborn chicks must not be fed before 48Hrs. So now when Chick A's 48hrs gets completed, Chick B & C will still be in their 48hrs, so how to give food only to Chick A and not the others, because if i kept the food and water for Chick A rest will also eat and drink?
Also please note i keep them in a sufficient size(for both the Mother and chicks) cardboard box.
Q2- Mother hen is not defecating outside the c-box during incubation & half hatching. Before hatching i used to take out the hen from the coop by picking it out of the c-box for 20 minutes approx so that it can defecate, eat & drink. So can i do this in this state too?
Q3- For food i would request you people to suggest me good organic food for the chicks, e.g i heard about garlic, wheat, eggs, pearl millet?
Q4- Is pearl millet a strong food and can we give it to newborn chicks?
Q5- For water i heard we should give honey or sugar mixed water after 48hrs for flushing purpose, so can we give it?
Q6- Can we give tiny wheat grains to chicks as food?

For now that will be all.

Thanks
Ammar

Update:

All eggs have hatched, chicks are active.
Most of the problems have been solved. Q1- Nest hygiene problem is mostly solved but it is slightly worrying because Chick A have started pooping although very small size, but i noticed he sometimes try to eat, so do they have enough immunity/strenght to endure any sickness due to this?
Q2- I noticed that often the day old chicks are strolling around mother and are not under her for 5 to 10 minutes, so wont they get sick or they are strong enough?
Q3- This is a very weird question, i saw that there is a chick who bit her mother's neck three times, is it normal?

Q4- Do chicks need sun, because i am keeping them in room with an ON light?

Q5- Should i keep food and water all the time or two times a day is enough?

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Food and water 24/7
Chicks with a broody mom will self regulate temperature.
All chickens need light and while sunlight is better as it produces vitamins indoor lighting is fine for 16ish hours a day, just make sure it's off at night for sleep.
It's normal for chicks to peck at things, including their own poop. It should be fine as long as mom is healthy and they have food and water.
Chicks peck things, including their mom. If you've never been bitten by a human baby I would say you've not been around babies enough. Baby animals bite things - even their parents. Pretty normal.

Food and water. 24/7. At least until they don't need their mom for heat anymore. At LEAST. Better until they're full grown.

 

[Ammar-G-240]

A 2.5x1.5 box is very confining and it would not surprise me if that's why she didn't move.

If you say so, will replace, although it seems adequate for movement.

 

[MarkJr]

Keep food and water in front of them at all times.

They will climb under momma to warm up when needed. After watching hen reared chicks, I realized brooder raised chicks are spoiled.

The chicks will ruin a nest. They poop everywhere. Again.... my broody always waited until off nest to let her landmine go.

Chicks are like children. Everything gets pecked at/put in their mouth.

Pecking at momma is normal. Eyes, combs, feathers. They will use her as a gymnasium. They will get punted WHEN they get in the way as she shows how to scratch and forage. All normal.

 

[Ammar-G-240]

Thank you ALL, your help and suggestions were really beneficial in understanding the behaviour of chicks and mother and the care they need.


Thanks
Ammar