Got my Peeps Today!

[Winsor Woods]

I went to the ranch store and got my peeps. I bought 6 golden laced wyandottes and 6 silver laced wyandottes. There is a noticable size difference between the two varieties. The silvers are much smaller and I estimate them at about a week old. the Goldens are almost twice the size and I estimate them at about 3 weeks old.

I have them set up in a 70 gallon aquarium with a 1/4" hole hardware cloth top. I have a 250 watt infared heat lamp on the top and a blanket draped over the top of one end of the tank. (far enough from the heat lamp that it won't burn.)

I've got plenty of water and starter for them. I'm using the wood pellet bedding.

One of the silver wyandottes was pasted up and I used a warm wet paper towel to remove the crusted mute. After a little gentle effort, I got it off and it appears the vent is now clear and the chick can flex the vent muscles properly.

Two of the smaller ones seem to be letharic at times. They seem to drop to the floor where they are and just sleep. I can see them breathing but the other chicks sometimes step on them and they end up laying on their sides. When I pick them up, they take a few seconds to become somewhat alert. They'll "cheep, cheep" a little but they don't seem too alert. I'll check back later and see if they weren't just tired. All the chicks seemed alert when I initially put them in the tank/brooder.

The area right under the heat lamp is about 93 F. Most of the larger chicks are congregating near the thermometer which reads 88 F.

It appears the starter mix I got is non-medicated. What are your thoughts on using medicated mix or at least putting some in the water?

Dan

 

[Mahonri]

Temp should be fine.

Don't add medication unless you note something.

Congratulations... we are all going to want to see them... get some pics, PLEASE!

 

[Winsor Woods]

Well 3 of the Silver Laced Wyandottes didn't make it through the night.

I don't know what the cause of their demise was, but they started acting lethargic, then listless, then they were sleeping and another chick would walk by and bump them and they'd be laying on their side or back. I felt so horrible. Just in case trampling was the cause, I separated the two varieties with a cardboard partition. The remaining three appear to be acting normal, eating, drinking, preening, and stretching.

The ranch supply store was notified and they are replacing the chicks. So just how much a size difference/age difference can you safely mix together while raising them? I saw some pics posted here that had chicks mixed that appeared to have more of a difference than mine had. Not that a picture posted here is gospel. I may have make an incorrect inference.

Another question...This one might see like a dumb question but here goes anyway...

Does "starter mix" contain grit, or do I need to add that as well? Is "scratch" the same as "grit?" Ok so that was two questions.

Dan

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

Might be too warm in the brooder, with glass there is not a lot of ventilation. You need ventilation or they go listless fast. If you see one doing it try gently cooling them off (not rapidly or harsh but remove them from the brooder and perhaps stand where there's a breeze?). I had two that tried to do that in a rubbermade tote and cooling them down and drilling vent holes helped.

 

[BantyRooster]

It's too hot inside a glass tank, especially with a blanket partially over the top. The glass holds all that radiated heat and reflects it back. I've tried in the past to use tanks when I was first brooding only a few chicks and it has never worked out well. You can try a plastic tote but it's hard to find one large enough so that the chicks dont get suffocated.

Try making a draft shield from cardboard. Cut the cardboard approximately 18 inches wide and use as many pieces as it takes to make a oval or circle three or four feet in diameter. Hang your light at 24 inches to start and watch the chicks to see how they react to the light/heat.

They should be evenly spaced inside the enclosure. If they are tightly huddled then they are too cold, lower your light. If they are all the way against the sides, too hot, raise the light. Keep the water and food off to the side, not directly under the light.

I would not recommend using medicated feed unless there is a definate problem. It doesnt hurt to put a little sugar into their water after you bring them home to help eliminate the stress of being moved. Use it for the first day and then switch to just plain water.

Starter does not contain grit. Your chicks should not need grit as long as they are strictly fed starter and not let on the ground.

Scratch is not the same as grit, it just a mixture of grains, usually cracked corn and wheat, etc.

You should be able to find starter grit, which is finely crushed granite, at the feed store. Grit is sold in three sizes, Starter for new chicks, Grower for chicks after three weeks, and Layer for grown birds. If you wish to use it sprinkle it over their ration lightly for a few days then provide it in a seperate container after than.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your news peeps!

 

[Winsor Woods]

Thanks for all the good responses. Before I start tracking down cardboard, I have another possibility. I have several 4'x4' wooden orchard boxes. They are about 2' tall with an open top and solid wooden floor. Would these fit the bill? Or do I really need to go with cardboard? I'd be able to just carry them into the basement and get the lights hung over them without making another trip into town. If need be, I'll go find the cardboard, but I was looking around at the possibilities and saw the orchard boxes.

Dan

 

[BantyRooster]

The orchard boxes would work. I'd advise you to put something into the corners so you have a radius rather than a square corner. The reason for this is chicks tend to pile into corners, potentially smothering any chicks that are unable to get out from underneath.

It wouldn't take much, an old soda or beer case opened up and stapled into the corners to prevent them from piling. Open the case flat, roll it into a tube, then unroll it, this gives it a nice curve, then staple it into the corner. Make sure it is high enough that they can't jump behind it and get stuck. To prevent this you can fill the backspace with woodchips.

I dont know your room temp, but a 250watt bulb may be too much indoors. Keep and eye on that. It's important that the new chicks aren't in a draft, but they have ventilation.

Mike

 

[Winsor Woods]

My wife stopped by the Ranch supply store on the way home from work to pick up the replacement peeps. The owner of the store was there and thinks that he got a bad batch of the SLW's and didn't feel comfortable replacing our chicks out of that batch. We've got store credit for now. I feel bad for the batch, but better that I might not have contributed to their deaths as much as I was thinking.

Thanks for all the help and tips. I've got the orchard crate inside and I'm working on the corners now.

Dan

 

[BantyRooster]

Quote:

good luck, let me know how it turns out.

 

[Winsor Woods]

Ok. I've got the GLW's set up in the orchard box now. The remaining SLW's are still in the aquarium but I took the blanket off for now. There is a hardware cloth top on it so at least some air can flow in and out.

For the orchard box, I found one that had the inside corners already tapered with some 45° degree boards. I just attached some risers to two of these and then put a long board across the top to hang the lamp from. I think this will work out very well.

Here are pics:

Original setup in the aquarium:

The Orchard box setup:

GLW Peeps inside the orchard box:

A close up of the GLW Peeps. The only one I can tell apart right now is the one with the rusty colored head feathers...Her name is now "Cinnamon"

The three remaining SLW peeps in the aquarium:

Dan