Help!! baby chicks

[Cntry1958]

Your round container is way to small they have no room to move around. Chicks grow fast very fast. Your heating pad like you have it can also burn them since they are so small just laying on it. If you look at my set up you can see the heat lamp. Place a thermometer at the bottom of your container and turn on the light. Let it heat up and keep a eye on the temperature till it stays at 90 degrees. If its higher move the light away a little bit if its to low move the light closer to them. If the temperature stays at 90 degrees for 4 hours you should not have to adjust it again. Make sure you keep a close eye on it while your waiting your 4 hours. till its time to change the temperature again by 5 degrees lower each week. Once your chicks are at 70 for that week and its time to drop it once again you can turn off your heat lamp. They should not need any more heat. Make sure you put shaving in the bottom of the container as well as everything they need feeder and small shallow water. Place marbles in the bottom since silkies are small birds. This will help them so they do not fall in it. Place some blocks that are cut from a 2x4 into the middle of the container this gives them something to explore and play with. Later you can make a small perch that they can learn to roost on taking two blocks and a longer piece and nailing or screwing them together. The black container I have under my water dish is so they don't get water all over the shavings as well as shavings in the water. Once they are a little older I will turn over the container and place the water dish on top of it. The chicks you see in my picture are just going on a week old.

Pasty butt is when there is poop stuck to their vents and you wash off their bottoms and dry them off. Then put them under the heat lamp on the shavings and let them dry off. Making sure the vent is clear in order for them to be able to poop once again. This is very common and has to be checked for a few times a day if you know one has a pasty butt. Do not use hot water on the chicks just luke warm almost room temp. If you need use a soap try using Dawn. Its gentle will not hurt the chicks. I hope this information helps you some.

 

[dblackdutch]

Ok i see where im going wrong now! Will make a new set up! I had no idea they needed that much room. I feel bad now! I will fix this instantly! Thank you all so very much.

 

[redsoxs]

Glad you have it worked out!

 

[Cntry1958]

Ok i see where im going wrong now! Will make a new set up! I had no idea they needed that much room. I feel bad now! I will fix this instantly! Thank you all so very much.

Don't feel bad, your learning like everyone else is. If you have questions just ask we will be happy to help get them answered. While your setting up your new brooder keep the chicks in the old one for a bit till you know everything is ok and temps are correct. Then transfer the chicks into the new container. Show them were the water and food is and don't move the dishes once you put them in till they know where they are. The little blue dishes I have food and grit mixed together in there as well as the larger container. Place the light in the far end so if they get to hot they can move away from it. If they are to cold they will go towards the light.

The chick you recued today from the water dish keep a close eye on it for the next few days up to a week. You want to make sure there will be no complications that may set in as time goes on.

 

[dblackdutch]

Is there a way to tell at this age what sex rhey are? Yes rhe one seems to ne doing well im shocked its alive to ne honest it was bad. I had done the same once with a baby wild bird i found and it worked so i tried it. I have already change some stuff except the lite witch they didnt have at feed store so i have to drive to another town in the am so im extremely nervous about tonite. Im leaving the lite on also so they can see. Water is lifted. Pebbles added. Stuffed bear amd a cardboard hut. I plan on checking through the nite. Plus in a larger container.

 

[Cntry1958]

Since they are so small yet I would be careful of the stuffed bear falling on one of them and they get trapped. For sexing them they are ways to do it called vent sexing. But you would have to read up on it. That I have never done. I am waiting till mine are big enough and then start looking for the signs. The males have larger feet, combs, waddles It all depends on the breed you have also. Some combs in roo are slanted just a bit while thicker to. There is also a way they say to look at the wings and be able to tell but I believe its with in a few days old before the pin feathers begin coming in the females are off set ( they remind me of rick rack) while the males if straight. Most roos I hear are more colorful like the combs again are deeper red. Their build starts to change and you can tell.

 

[Blooie]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

Laying on the heating pad is not very comfortable. Since you have one already (and if it doesn't shut off automatically after 2 hours like many of them do, check this out.

 

[sheharyar]

I only have one baby chick I found it out side I don't think the mother Henson really wanted it so I took it in now it is 4 weeks old and happy even if it is living by it self from the other chick. Does any one know what treats I can feed my baby chick any safe treats to make it easier to train it?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Since they are so small yet I would be careful of the stuffed bear falling on one of them and they get trapped. For sexing them they are ways to do it called vent sexing. But you would have to read up on it. That I have never done. I am waiting till mine are big enough and then start looking for the signs. The males have larger feet, combs, waddles It all depends on the breed you have also. Some combs in roo are slanted just a bit while thicker to. There is also a way they say to look at the wings and be able to tell but I believe its with in a few days old before the pin feathers begin coming in the females are off set ( they remind me of rick rack) while the males if straight. Most roos I hear are more colorful like the combs again are deeper red. Their build starts to change and you can tell.

Silkies, being bantams, are not generally advisable for vent sexing, even by experienced sexers....which is why they are sold as straight run chicks. Additionally, as a breed, they are notoriously difficult to sex, often taking months rather than weeks to be sure of whether the bird is male or female due to the unique characteristics of this breed.

 

[Blooie]

Absolutely right as usual, Old Grey Mare - and vent sexing by non-professionals can easily kill chicks. Best to wait until they "tell" you what the are.