WakaFlockaChickens
Chirping
Hi everyone,
I have 5 chicks that will be two weeks old tomorrow, and I'm really struggling. I'll first say that I am an AVID researcher and I get really hard on myself for not knowing what I don't know, but I am trying to be gentle with myself as this is my first time raising chicks and while I have read many books (including Storey's front to back) and looked at this forum for literal years, there is still so much to learn.
When I got my chicks, I purchased unmedicated feed from the barn I bought them at as they only offered unmedicated and they are connected to a highly reputable tilth program in my area. If I purchased feed through the more local grange, it would have been the same feed so I felt good about purchasing a large bag so I wouldn't need to make a separate trip. They then offered me Amprolium (Corrid) to take home and give a half dose once weekly in their water (0.5ml per quart). I know how serious coccidiosis is and felt like that would be the smart thing for me to do since I'm a newbie.
Fast forward and I've had some serious challenges with my birds. First, lots of pasty butt in my runty girl and a couple others. Second, they didn't seem to really be growing much. Third, they just seemed... unhappy?
I had a neighbor come over who currently has chicks and this is her second time raising chicks, and she was really surprised to see how small and sad they seemed. We had been talking for days about my struggles and everything I was doing, and neither of us could figure out what I was doing wrong. We agreed to change them from a heat lamp to the brooder plate thinking perhaps they were too hot (they had ample room to avoid the heat lamp but they didn't) and the next day they were like new birds. Eating so much more and more active and chatty.
So yay, better heating situation has been sorted out! But now I have had one of my chicks (the same one) develop a twitch the day following the Amprolium dose and I feel like it must be because of that. I know Amprolium is used in medicated feed, and I know there are strong opinions about medicated vs unmedicated feed, but given that this is my very first time raising chicks I'm nervous I wouldn't notice if they had signs of coccidiosis. I'd like to start exposing them with soil from my yard, but I'm really nervous because I don't want to inadvertently kill my chickens. I also don't want to give my poor chicken a twitch (that is really weird since I know Amprolium is safe and widely used but I assume she is just extra sensitive to the reduction of available vitamin B that it causes?).
I also feel like they all are still terrified of me even though I've been trying to tame them. I think washing butts a couple times really diminished trust
But poops seem much healthier now that the heat source has changed!
I think I mostly needed to vent but I would also appreciate caring advice. I am trying SO HARD to do this right and somehow I feel like I'm failing over and over again. I just wish I had an expert to guide me! So experts, please guide me if you're up for it!
Thanks for reading my novel <3
I have 5 chicks that will be two weeks old tomorrow, and I'm really struggling. I'll first say that I am an AVID researcher and I get really hard on myself for not knowing what I don't know, but I am trying to be gentle with myself as this is my first time raising chicks and while I have read many books (including Storey's front to back) and looked at this forum for literal years, there is still so much to learn.
When I got my chicks, I purchased unmedicated feed from the barn I bought them at as they only offered unmedicated and they are connected to a highly reputable tilth program in my area. If I purchased feed through the more local grange, it would have been the same feed so I felt good about purchasing a large bag so I wouldn't need to make a separate trip. They then offered me Amprolium (Corrid) to take home and give a half dose once weekly in their water (0.5ml per quart). I know how serious coccidiosis is and felt like that would be the smart thing for me to do since I'm a newbie.
Fast forward and I've had some serious challenges with my birds. First, lots of pasty butt in my runty girl and a couple others. Second, they didn't seem to really be growing much. Third, they just seemed... unhappy?
I had a neighbor come over who currently has chicks and this is her second time raising chicks, and she was really surprised to see how small and sad they seemed. We had been talking for days about my struggles and everything I was doing, and neither of us could figure out what I was doing wrong. We agreed to change them from a heat lamp to the brooder plate thinking perhaps they were too hot (they had ample room to avoid the heat lamp but they didn't) and the next day they were like new birds. Eating so much more and more active and chatty.
So yay, better heating situation has been sorted out! But now I have had one of my chicks (the same one) develop a twitch the day following the Amprolium dose and I feel like it must be because of that. I know Amprolium is used in medicated feed, and I know there are strong opinions about medicated vs unmedicated feed, but given that this is my very first time raising chicks I'm nervous I wouldn't notice if they had signs of coccidiosis. I'd like to start exposing them with soil from my yard, but I'm really nervous because I don't want to inadvertently kill my chickens. I also don't want to give my poor chicken a twitch (that is really weird since I know Amprolium is safe and widely used but I assume she is just extra sensitive to the reduction of available vitamin B that it causes?).
I also feel like they all are still terrified of me even though I've been trying to tame them. I think washing butts a couple times really diminished trust
But poops seem much healthier now that the heat source has changed! I think I mostly needed to vent but I would also appreciate caring advice. I am trying SO HARD to do this right and somehow I feel like I'm failing over and over again. I just wish I had an expert to guide me! So experts, please guide me if you're up for it!
Thanks for reading my novel <3
