HELP, Day Old chicks got SOAKED*Update, still need helppost6!*

[baltimoreharps]

First time hacter here, apparently the waterer I had in there and had a slow leak. I just got home and they were soaking wet under the broody hen.

All are peeping loudly and I got them out, dried them off as best I could with a towel, then used a blowdryer on low heat to get them a little more dry while dh was cleaning out the brooder cage and replacing the wet hay. We dried Momma off and put her back in the dry cage with the chicks. They are still damp, but not as wet as they were.
As of now, they are warming up with a blanket over the brooder to trap some more heat more quickly. It's been in the upper 80's today, no rain and as of an hour ago, the chicks were slightly damp but not soaking wet according to dh. The waterer is obviously not in there anymore.

Are they going to be ok???

I would be SO sad if this accident kills my brand new babies!!!

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

They should be OK. We have had that happen in our brooder and did the same thing, drying and warming and they were fine and fluffy after a couple of hours. Momma's body heat will finish drying and warming them.

 

[farmerjill]

It sounds like you dried everybody off, and with warm temps, I think they'll be fine. I did something similar to my chicks when they were a week old (a paper towel got into the corner of the waterer and wicked all of the water out and onto the floor of the brooder during the night), and I also worried that I'd done them in....but they were just fine once I got them dried out.

 

[annek]

This seems to happens so frequently, were you using a plastic tub? These things seem to hold water and are so dangerous. I have the plastic gallon rounded waterer from TSC and if it isn't perfectly level it leaks. I have it hanging from a chain now so it is doing better, but I sure don't trust it. Also make sure that you put marbles/rocks in the water so your chicks don't drown.

 

[baltimoreharps]

Quote:
That is EXACTLY the waterer that was in there! I'm throwing it out asap and am going to buy one from our local feed store. In the meantime, i'm just using a slaw container filled with rocks from our mister to weight the container and to keep them from drowning.

Thank you all for the fast replies!! One chick just hatched today, poor thing, what a welcome to the world!

i'll check them in a couple of hours just to make sure they're drying...never using that waterer ever again!!

 

[baltimoreharps]

Ok, just went and checked on them and they are still very damp, but very warm like they should be.
I don't want to stress them out by trying to dry them more, I'd be very concerned if they were cool, they just aren't dry again after a couple of hours.

So as of right now, we just had a heavy thunderstorm pass over, the brooder is on the covered porch with two light/med blankets covering the outside to prevent moisture in the brooder and for extra heat.

All the chicks are firmly under their Momma and are noisy when bothered, I'm just still concerned about them still being as wet as they are.

 

[Vanderfelt]

I was gifted 63 Cuckoo Maran chicks that got soaked in the rain, I have already lost 8, I figured some would go the first day or two but I lost another one this morning! They are clean and dry and all seemed like they were doing well last night, I have been feeding medicated chick starter feed and added some yogurt in their enclosure today. Do you think I will lose any more? What else can I add to help them out?

 

[Love my Critters!]

If they are quiet when under their momma, then they are plenty warm enough. They will dry, but if the humidity is up from the storm then it may take longer. If you are too concerned to relax about it then bring them in and dry them with a blow dryer (make sure not on real hot setting) You might do mom too, she may still be wet and that is why the chicks can not dry quickly. I've blow-dried many chicks (after rain and from falling into a waterer) and they do fine. Don't worry about stressing them, if you will feel better when everyone is all dry and toasty, then I would blow dry them