HELP- New baby Chicks !! ***please!!

[JWarner]

When we got our girls last year we were told to put a bit of sugar in their water, just to make it sweet enough to be interesting, and dip each beak into it so they drink. After that they were running around and drinking their fill. After that first day I didn't add the sugar since they didn't need it. Now that they are almost a year old I use the electrolyte powder if I see them start to look droopy. It perks them right back up and gets whatever blahness they got going on out of their system and they'll eat again.

 

[furbabies86]

When you got them home you should have dipped their beeks in the water dish to make sure they drink something. You don’t have to do it a lot, just enough to show them where it is. They do sleep a lot and fall asleep standing up. ( supper cute to watch!!) but, they should be up moving around throughout the day drinking and wandering around.

Yeah they are all up and good

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

Hey everyone we just got 2 day old baby chicks (5 of them) - one is up and walking around chirping away. all others do not have eyes open, legs are stretched and they are sleeping right now) - this is new to me. is something wrong? they had a hard time walking without falling over. wasn't sure if this was normal for 2 day old chickens. (bantam) - what can we do? how do we know without watching them 24/7 if they are even getting food/water.

They were probably chilled. Young chicks chill pretty easy and it can be rather surprising if you haven't experienced it before. But they are usually fine if it hasn't been too long and you warm them up, which you did, so they should be good now. I'd just watch their vents for pasty butt (poop drying on their vent) as it's a common problem when chicks get stressed.

 

[chickencoop57]

Theyre usually very tired after they hatch out but if theyre 2 days old already, hmm. I'd say put a temperature gauge in with them, just to double check. My concern is, why one of them is up and about, chirping and the others, not. They should all be the same. I just had 14 hatch out in my incubator and after 2 days, theyre all chirping and running around like your one, well, except for one, it had Spraddle leg and died. Be sure, like LCsAChicken Lover said, they know where the water and food are. One day after my chicks hatched, I put theyre lil beaks in the water, to drink, several times during the day, until they learn to do it on theyre own.

 

[SMC]

Hey everyone we just got 2 day old baby chicks (5 of them) - one is up and walking around chirping away. all others do not have eyes open, legs are stretched and they are sleeping right now) - this is new to me. is something wrong? they had a hard time walking without falling over. wasn't sure if this was normal for 2 day old chickens. (bantam) - what can we do? how do we know without watching them 24/7 if they are even getting food/water.

Looks like they may have Spraddle leg, which needs to be treated in order to correct. They will be unable to access food and water without help. Look for treatments online, which from what I've seen, requires bandaging material applied to give their legs support.

 

[SMC]

Hey everyone we just got 2 day old baby chicks (5 of them) - one is up and walking around chirping away. all others do not have eyes open, legs are stretched and they are sleeping right now) - this is new to me. is something wrong? they had a hard time walking without falling over. wasn't sure if this was normal for 2 day old chickens. (bantam) - what can we do? how do we know without watching them 24/7 if they are even getting food/water.

Looks like the may have Spraddle leg, which will need to be treated. They will need assistance accessing food and water until their legs are stronger. Check for treatment online, which from what I've seen, involves bandaging tape to support their legs and teaching them to walk.

 

[Frijole]

Please read through all of the info on this site for raising babies. Banties are particularly delicate from my opinion. Having said that, if you mail ordered them, it was tough on them and (from my experience) not all will survive.

Be sure your brooder lamp is at the proper temp, they should have the ability to self-regulate their heat by moving into and out of it. Watch them closely, if they are huddled in a corner away from it, it is too hot. If they are stretched out and sleeping on the edges of the heat, they are happily napping. It can be worrisome to see them soundly sleeping, but this happens, and when they stretch their little legs out you know they are having happy little chicken dreams.

Be sure you have oriented them to the food and water by sticking their beaks in the water and food GENTLY. I usually whirl the chick food one more time in a blender to pulverize it just a little bit more. Refrain from picking them up a lot, they're pretty delicate.

Keep a close eye on the warmth and their mannerisms. You will get adjusted to the noise and understand what it means. HAve fun!

 

[mpdnd1]

Chicks are very temperature sensitive and it can't be too hot or too cold or they may not survive. I don't use shavings, just put them on newspaper and that is easier for them to walk on. Have tried a heating pad under the box as their feet tend to get cold and that is not good.

 

[NatJ]

I don't use shavings, just put them on newspaper and that is easier for them to walk on.

Newspaper can cause problems by being too slippery.
A layer of paper towel on top of the newspaper seems to work really well for giving them good traction while still being flat enough for them to walk easily.

 

[SLA]

It might be a little early for shavings...hard for them to navigate. Place a puppy pad and paper towel in brooder and see how they do.