Have had chicks about 4 hours. Resting under lamp, not huddled, quiet. Is this OK?

[Peggy O]

Lamp is at one end of the tub, so if they were too hot I assume they would be at the other end, but they stopped running around/eating. They all seem very relaxed now. Too hot? OK? I am new to this, and paranoid I will screw it up. I have a 250 infared, and it's about 2 feet above only 1/2 aimed over the tub edge (worried about "cooking" them). The light is not shining directly at 1/2 the tub's bottom. Thermometer reads 90 under lighted end, but I read in chickens for dummies that an infared heat lamp will heat the chicks, not the air, so a thermometer will not be accurate.

They have been home 4 hours. Maybe they are just tuckered out from their big day? (hour in the car home from the farm) They were very excited and eating running around/peeping softly for a couple hours.

I know they huddle when cold, but what do overheated chicks do?

 

[donrae]

They sound just fine. Remember, all babies sleep a lot!

Overheated chicks pant, act lethargic and hold their wings away from their bodies.

Good chicks stretch out when sleeping, so don't think that means they're too hot.

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

They sound fine!

 

[Peggy O]

Ok. One did have her wings away from her body. I went in 30 min later and they were peeping again and exploring the tub.

 

[Ashleyschicks]

I am also new to raising chicks, however, i have had mine for a week now. In the first 2 days they slept ALOT, i panicked at first too, but realized this is completely normal

They are actually quite funny to watch, they run around and all of a sudden its like a switch goes off - face plant - and fall asleep. Some of them even slept in really funny positions with their legs out to the side. (Like a passed out human LOL) Not to worry, it is completely normal.

Just be sure to check on them regularly to make sure their breathing is normal, and that they do get up for food water and run around.

Have fun

 

[Saerasx]

Ive caught mine in all sorts of fun sleeping positions under the Brinsea! from side laying to one who was clearly standing and she face planted!

 

[Peggy O]

Thanks guys. I am checking them like a psycho. Every half hour or more. Everyone seems OK. These guys were hatched on the 10th or 11th, I got them at a farm. so they are almost a week old. Do chicks have a pecking order at this age? One of the yellow ones is being a jerk to the chipmunk-lookin' one! (might be a buff orphington picking on a partridge wyondotte, not sure). I keep checking to make sure it's not constant. So far it is not.

 

[Ashleyschicks]

One of my chicks was also doing this around 2-4 days old.. i was concerned for a while but eventually it stopped. One day they were all pecking at each other quite a bit, but i kept a close eye and it was nothing serious.

Chickens are curious, so they are just figuring out what to peck at , and what not to peck at. Eventually they will figure out that their friends are not food ! As long as they aren't injuring one another or drawing blood i think it is fine. It should be just a passing phase.

I have 5 chicks and they grew out of the pecking phase very fast and now they all get along great, they even snuggle when they sleep

 

[Saerasx]

my EE pecks at EVERYTHING!! we have two black australorps as well, and the poor things have multicolored beaks right now...thats just asking for her to peck at it!

 

[ShockValue]

It was my EE that was the pecker <snicker> as well for the first week. She never was "mean", it looked just like she was curious and was pointing her beak at the wrong things.

I was worried, so every time I caught her pecking at another chick, I would gently pick her up and place her on the opposite side of the brooder from her sisters.

I don't know if it made a bit of difference (or maybe was harmful? I hope not...) but she quickly out grew it and everyone got along fine.


Unfortunatly due to my inexperience she was also the first one to fly out of the brooder (I thought the walls were high enough ). I'm sure she had an OK time exploring the garage, but the dog found her and that was the end of that