Hmn, weird. I wonder how much sitting at the feed store does to their little systems too, though. My store keeps them in some nice outside brooders, but I feel they keep them a bit too warm and definitely too crowded for some breeds (like the heavy layers). Who knows how long they are there before I get there. When I picked up my last set of silkies their water was not in good shape.
To add to how I raise mine:
Brooder box is a sterlite container with shavings. I feed out of a very shallow dish and then upgrade to a bottle feeder. I feel they can access the food easier in a very shallow dish to start. It's messy but I clean often. I soak my dishes and bowls in dish soap and hot water, then give a small scrub. I use a water bottle waterer, usually elevated on another dish so it is out of the shavings. Right now I use a small cat food dish that brings it up to level. I keep it very clean, having it elevated a hair over the shavings helps with that a lot, though. I don't have a set temp, nor do I use a thermometer. I place my lamp on the very extreme of one side and judge their comfort based on how they act. Huddled is too cold, sitting away from the lamp is too hot and just adjust based on that alone. Other than that, nothing else special. My brooder box is topless (oo, la la!) with wire dividers on top to keep the dogs from poking their noses in, and I drilled 3 rows of vent holes at the top of the brooder to help with air flow. I moved my babies outside when they were 4 weeks, too, with larger silkie crosses who were already outside and older. No problems. I even took them out frequently as soon as a few days old to see the sunshine and peck in the grass. I kept them mixed with silkies chicks. Everyone did fine.
