Fuzzy bottoms are here!! Fuzzy bottoms are here!!

[silkiechicken]

I'm home and now have gotten pictures of the fluffy butts!!!

Once they are up on their feet, out they go to the brooder outside. Probably put them out in a week.

 

[Cetawin]

Cute fuzzy butts for sure...Congrats!

 

[SeaChick]

Awwwww!!!!!

Hey I didn't know you could water chickens with a hamster bottle! How old before they're too big? And I like the stand you made for it out of some building toy? Ingenious...

 

[MissPrissy]

Send me the one in that 4th picture! How very cute and tiny!! Also that one looks a bit put out having to pose for glamour shots. LOL

 

[Texas Fluffy Feet]

Oh my gosh! Let me just say I feel very sorry for anyone who does not have their little fuzzies yet who sees those pics! When I was waiting on mine I kept looking at all the cute pictures to help me through, but those made me run out to the garage where my brooder is and ohh and ahh at my own little babies. What great pics! They make me just want to pick up those cute little fluff balls and kiss them all over.

How in the world did you manage to get such great closeups of them sleeping with out waking them?

Absolutely beautiful little chickes there Silkie! Smooch one of those sweet little beaks for me will ya?!

 

[MissPrissy]

Silkie, how does the nipple waterer work for you? Is that a hamster or bunny bottle? Do they figure it out quick?

 

[silkiechicken]

They are drinking out of a 32ounce rabbit/ferret bottle. They learn pretty quick, but you have to not give them a regular waterer, because they will take to that and not learn how to use the nipple.

Teaching them involves tapping at the tip for a few minutes a couple dozen times, and the brave one will figure it out and all the rest will learn. It's not that bad.

However, I do watch them VERY carefully because some might not pick up on it. The silkies are now in a separate brooder because they can't peck hard enough to get the water to come out of the big bottle. They'll have to be raised with the regular waterer or the 8 ounce single ball waterer.

I find the window of learning how to use it is within the first few days... and then again after they are a few months old. It just doesn't seem to click if I try to change from a regular water to a nipple water if I wait too long.

I use the water bottle from day 1 till about 4-5 weeks old. Reason being, is by that time, they will drink all 32 ounces in about 5 hours or less and I don't care if water is spilled out in the run from the rubber tub like bowels. By 4-5 weeks, they are old enough to go outside and drink and go inside to stay warm. I'll be kicking them to the out door brooder in about a week, and kicking them to the grow out pen/brooder in 4 or so weeks... maybe sooner since these are all meat birds except the silkies. I think you can always use the watering style if you had a big enough bottle and enough nipples for the number of birds.

As for how to get those shots... lots of time, patients, and clicking.

Edit: The water bottle holder is made out of K'nex pieces. I really really wanted the roller coaster set when it came out, so I got it for Christmas and by far has been the best toy EVER! You can make anything out of it. Every kid needs something like that to build out of.