Is leaving chicks home alone bad?

[coocoohead211]

Since i am getting chicks and i am gone for about half the day , i want to know if leaving them alone is bad. That is my biggest question.

 

[sumi]

Leave them with enough food and water (especially water) to last them while you are out and make sure the heat lamp is secure and they have cooler spots in the brooder to escape to when they need to cool down. That all you need to to. They'll be fine.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

They'll be completely fine. We brooded many, many chicks when we both worked full-time and no one was home for 10 hours a day.

As Sumi said, give them enough food and water to last them, make sure they have a light that is well-secured so it won't fall and cause a fire, make sure they can get away from the heat if they want to, and they'll be absolutely fine. They are very independent, and don't miss people the way a dog does.

 

[donrae]

What they said. Most of us work and are gone most of the day. When I'm brooding chicks, I check on them twice a day most days. I have very low mortality rates.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

What they said. Most of us work and are gone most of the day. When I'm brooding chicks, I check on them twice a day most days. I have very low mortality rates.

Yup, we only look at ours twice a day most days, too--just to check on the feed and water dishes. I've never lost a chick (that wasn't already "off" when it came from the hatchery).

 

[ShellLea]

Mine are in our basement and we only go down twice a day unless they're going outside on a nice day. That means they get checked on once every 12 hours or so. They are all happy and healthy. As long as your brooder is set up well and they have plenty of food and water they'll be fine.