Ok, more newbie questions:
1) I have 13 chicks who are almost 2 weeks old. The folks at the feed store told me that handling the peeps stresses them out, burdens their system, and can make them grow at a slower rate on account of the stress. I had been thinking that I needed to handle them frequently to get the accustomed to the kids roaming the yard, who will inevitably chase after them and try to pick them up, and was starting to worry that I wasn't handling them enough. Your thoughts? What is a good handling strategy to acclimate them to human contact without stressing them prematurely? Should we just wait until they are older or will we have missed a window?
2) I am hoping to eventually have them on a free-range and whole foods diet, kitchen scraps etc., with feed as supplement. I've heard that the chicks like certain grains and vegetables, fruits too, but mine aren't interested in anything I put in the brooder unless it's starter. Are they simply too young yet to be interested in other things, or am i just offering duds?
3) The chicks desperately try to jump out of the brooder and all they do is run around looking up, making attempts to flee. I suspect that they are bored and maybe need some more stimulation. I think I will start grazing them outside as soon as we get a warm day here in the next week or so, but what else can you do? My son wants to put his trucks in the brooder for the chicks to climb on, but that will just enable them to jump out.
4) Their feed and water containers are constantly covered with pine shavings. Most every time I look inside their box they have no clean water as pine shavings fill the container. I don't know what they would do if I weren't home to change out the water 6 times a day? I don't have a way of rigging up a hanging water feeder. Other ideas? I'm using the little mason jar red plastic thing they sell at the feed store. Likewise I end up dumping a lot of starter out because it gets all mixed with pine shavings and crap. Normal?
5) We've had two rounds of nasty colds since getting the chicks. Cooincidence? Are they known to carry these types of germs that can spread to humans via physical contact/handling/etc.? We do take care to wash out hands after being around them but I haven't been fanatical about it.
Thanks!!!!
1) I have 13 chicks who are almost 2 weeks old. The folks at the feed store told me that handling the peeps stresses them out, burdens their system, and can make them grow at a slower rate on account of the stress. I had been thinking that I needed to handle them frequently to get the accustomed to the kids roaming the yard, who will inevitably chase after them and try to pick them up, and was starting to worry that I wasn't handling them enough. Your thoughts? What is a good handling strategy to acclimate them to human contact without stressing them prematurely? Should we just wait until they are older or will we have missed a window?
2) I am hoping to eventually have them on a free-range and whole foods diet, kitchen scraps etc., with feed as supplement. I've heard that the chicks like certain grains and vegetables, fruits too, but mine aren't interested in anything I put in the brooder unless it's starter. Are they simply too young yet to be interested in other things, or am i just offering duds?
3) The chicks desperately try to jump out of the brooder and all they do is run around looking up, making attempts to flee. I suspect that they are bored and maybe need some more stimulation. I think I will start grazing them outside as soon as we get a warm day here in the next week or so, but what else can you do? My son wants to put his trucks in the brooder for the chicks to climb on, but that will just enable them to jump out.
4) Their feed and water containers are constantly covered with pine shavings. Most every time I look inside their box they have no clean water as pine shavings fill the container. I don't know what they would do if I weren't home to change out the water 6 times a day? I don't have a way of rigging up a hanging water feeder. Other ideas? I'm using the little mason jar red plastic thing they sell at the feed store. Likewise I end up dumping a lot of starter out because it gets all mixed with pine shavings and crap. Normal?
5) We've had two rounds of nasty colds since getting the chicks. Cooincidence? Are they known to carry these types of germs that can spread to humans via physical contact/handling/etc.? We do take care to wash out hands after being around them but I haven't been fanatical about it.
Thanks!!!!
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