Help hatching chicks

[peafowl_Lover]

 

[Debbie292d]

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They may eat small particles of it but for the most part, will prefer their food to eating bedding. It won't hurt them though as it's just pine. I've sometimes thought mine were eating it but they were just scratching it to get some of the crumbles scattered around in it.

 

[TwoCrows]

I put wood shavings in and now the chicks are eating little bits of it is that OK?

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Watch carefully, babies sometimes don't know the difference between food and bedding. Chicks can impact their crops with shavings. If you notice them becoming obsessed with eating even tiny bites, remove it until they grow up a bit more.

 

[peafowl_Lover]

Thank you

 

[NatJ]

I put wood shavings in and now the chicks are eating little bits of it is that OK?

Eating small amounts of shavings will not hurt them.

It's a good idea to provide them with some chick-sized grit, to help grind up what they do eat, but small pieces of shavings will go through them safely even without grinding.

I see you posted a photo of the whole brooder-- much bigger than I had realized. Good! That gives them room to run and play, and room for you to put things like the shavings and perches (which I see you also have.)

 

[peafowl_Lover]

Yeah the father is a rir and the mother is a light sussex. I thought the feathers would be red on the female but they are white and black.

 

[NatJ]

Yeah the father is a rir and the mother is a light sussex. I thought the feathers would be red on the female but they are white and black.

That is the correct direction for a sex-linked cross.
Daughters should have red & black feathers, sons should have white & black feathers.

Since your chick has reddish down but the first feathers are showing white & black, that is a bit confusing. I would wait until it grows more feathers to be sure, but I would judge the sex based on the feathers rather than the down. Feather color genetics have been studied more thoroughly than down color genetics, which is why I would trust the feathers more than the down color if they disagree. At present, I would consider it probably male but not certain yet.

 

[peafowl_Lover]

Another roo so far 4 out of 13

 

[NatJ]

Another roo so far 4 out of 13

That does tend to happen with straight run chicks.

 

[triciayoung]

Eating small amounts of shavings will not hurt them.

It's a good idea to provide them with some chick-sized grit, to help grind up what they do eat, but small pieces of shavings will go through them safely even without grinding.

I see you posted a photo of the whole brooder-- much bigger than I had realized. Good! That gives them room to run and play, and room for you to put things like the shavings and perches (which I see you also have.)

Thank you for the great education.