I've only had them 5 days!!

[Lorije1]

and I am already expanding my chicken house and run! Planning a trip to the feed store for 2 EEs and maybe some RIRs. Next week a different feed store is getting a shipment, no idea of what but I feel I MUST go check them out. I absolutely refuse to be without BOs.

My current little flock of 6 is doing great! The 2 BR are getting so big. One of them (Fric) is kind of dense - I call her Fricken Chicken. Frac is awesome! Ever since I fed the group some hard boiled egg, Frac will jump out of the brooder (tote bin) and onto my lap.

Some questions though:
My mom saw the chicks for the first time today and was holding Pat (Dark Brahma). She was "talking to " her and said "you're a skinny little thing, aren't ya?"
Now I am in panic mode! I keep a feeder with medicated chick feed clean and full. They have been getting a little egg on occasion for treats. What is "skinny" ???!?! My 2 little Golden Comets are fat little fuzz balls, but they are younger than the others too.

Next - How on God's good green earth do you keep water clean in the brooder?! I have one of those one quart jars that gravity feeds the little watering tray. The tray is constantly filled with pine shavings or being dumped out (somehow ? it is never turned over but is sometimes empty after only a short time and the litter is soaked). The other day when I came home from work they were without water and thirsting so much - when I filled the waterer they were crowded to drink it as it bubbled out. So now I am paranoid and go home on my lunch break just to check their water.

Any tips?

 

[wolftracks]

Try raising it with a piece of wood, small brick, just high enough for them not to pile in everything under the sun and either stand on or low enough to drink from.

 

[emvickrey]

I set mine on an upside down butter bowl that I cut down to raise the water just high enough so they can drink but not kick anything into it. Your not gonna be able to keep the water clean. I change mine twice a day, sometimes more. They really could care less if their water is clean. When they get a little older they will be on top of it pooping in the water. I suggest making a cone to put on top, maybe use a funnel. They can't roost on top of it then.

Somebody posted a really good idea for the food dish. Chicks, and chickens for that matter, will scratch out the feed from the feeder and onto the floor and waste alot of food. This person bought a litter pan that goes in a hamster or rabbit cage. It has a wire screen in it and the chicks can't dig the food out. They will still poop in it but at least there isn't so much waste when you clean out the brooder. I plan to use that idea and expand it and fix all my feeders with that small wire. I think it's called hardware cloth. I don't know why it's called that because it is made of wire. Anyway, I think that will work the same cause they can still get tiehr beak in through the squares to get the food but they can't scratch it all out. My coop has way too much feed all over the floor. We raise very healthy mice for our cat to eat. lol

 

[Lorije1]

thanks.... I feel like I should have thought of setting it up on something LOL

I never intended to get feather footed chickens so I didn't read up on them much... now I have 2 Dark Brahmas. Anything special I should know for their care? What about getting wet? Not much I can do about it once they are outside?

 

[wolftracks]

I wanted feather footed and don't have them yet. But they're coming

I like that hardware cloth idea.

I'm just really looking more into PVC. I think I can make a feeder and waterer that will work in a brooder.
Have eggs hatching the 25th so guess I better get on that.

And yeah no matter what you will be changing that water at least twice a day. Better than 10 though. I was doing that when I had 26 in there. Man they were busy.

 

[Lorije1]

It really isn't so much changing the water, I am ok with that. The problem has been when I go home they are completely without water at all - so thirsty they drink as it bubbles out of the jar when I refill it. The jar is always full of fresh, clean water when I leave for work but somehow they dump it out (even though the container is never tipped over). I think setting it on the brick will help though, as they had water (with litter in it still ) when I went home for lunch tonight. I just hate to think of the poor little things doing without.

I am hoping to find time on Saturday to wrap hardware cloth around my dog's 48" wire kennel so I can leave the chicks outside some without them escaping. Although, Frac will come to "chicken chicken" at a dead run in case there is boiled egg or some blueberries

 

[emvickrey]

Is it maybe running out. I found if the water is leaning and you don't have the hole the water comes out facing the side it is leaning towards the water will run out. Because it works with gravity the way it stops is the water line is above the hole it is coming out of. If it's leaning and the water line never gets over the hole it will keep running out till it's gone.

 

[Qi Chicken]

I overturned a flower pot tray you know the round ones that are terra cotta (clay) that fit under the pot so they don't leak all over! Do those have an actual name??? Anyway, I had the smaller waterer and turned one of those over and put the water on top of it. It works great and is still their favorite. The other bigger waterer I put on foot square patio paver thing. I thought it was taking up too much room so I took it out along with extra waterer. The little one always has water in it when I come home and if I have to I'll put it on a patio paver too as they get bigger. good luck to ya!