July 18th "Due Date"! Anyone else?

[Wildflower_VA]

Settling in- Don't you love it when their anxious chirping changes to soft peeping?

I have been astounded at how quiet these 32 chicks have been from what I remember about my six chicks I brooded back in the spring. There was only one really loud chick today, right from the very start, and she quieted down within the hour. These chicks don't startle at new noises or the sound of my voice like the others did. I am wondering if the difference is that they are in a low-sided container and can see out, where the chicks back in the spring were in a box with very tall sides and they couldn't see me until I leaned over the box, and they couldn't see out at all.

I am amazed...I've been in the garage all day (much to the chagrin of my other pets)-can't take my eyes off of them!

The only other "pets" I have are my six black Australorps (20 weeks old), but they have let me know that they are not used to being ignored all day long except for me feeding them and getting them fresh water hours later than usual. They raised such a ruckus a little bit ago that I did go pick them a bunch of grape tomatoes to give to them for treats. They are used to me coming to see them first thing in the morning and if my car leaves and comes back, they can see and are used to me coming for a quick visit. Today, they watched my car leave to pick up chicks, then they watched me come home, all without coming to see them. I guess they are even more spoiled than I thought, because I have never, ever heard them carry on like they did a while ago when I went out to fetch something else for the chicks and didn't go interact with them.​

 

[GardenState38]

My dog scolded me whenever I'd go into the garage without her!

OK--should I be worried about my Faverolle chick yet?
She was the most active at the start, Ate a good deal and drank well--had a few poops...
But she doesn't seem to be keeping up with the others now and can barely keep her eyes open. Plus, she's been staying beneath the EcoGlow brooder and seems a little wobbly now. She didn't even come out when I presented them with some mealworms. They were all scrambling frantically, but she didn't budge.
She's had the electrolytes and vitamins in the water--but hasn't been over to water or feed in awhile. I gave her some water with a syringe. What else can I do?
Is she just tired?
Temperature is fine, humidity 38%

 

[Wildflower_VA]

Hopefully, she is just tired. She could have hatched later than the others or she could have had a hard time getting out of the shell, so needs time to rest up. She can go without eating more than she can go without water, so make sure she is getting enough. Be careful with the syringe--just a drop on the beak until she swallows.

I don't know anything at all about Faverolles. I have only ever had hardy heritage breeds.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

Quote:
I know less about Faverolles than I thought. They are a big, standard breed. I thought they were fancy bantams. Duh! I still don't know what to tell you about your not-a-fancy-bantam chick. Hope she is better soon.

 

[GardenState38]

Thanks Wildflower

I hope she'll be ok

I picked a Faverolle because they're supposed to be quite cold-hardy (and they are attractive and docile) She was so active and cute when she first arrived! Fast became a favorite.

I read so much about all the possible things that can go wrong, and now that she's not well, I feel utterly helpless!

I think I may feel as bad as she does--no sleep for 2 nights and dehydrated from sitting in a hot garage all day! Maybe we both need a good rest!

 

[Wildflower_VA]

I just went to tuck my chicks in for the night and found a huge pile of 31 chicks sleeping on one side of the brooder, and all the way on the other side was one lone speckled sussex, sound asleep all by her lonesome! It looked so funny, I had to wake them all up snapping a flash picture!

 

[erinangele]

Quote:
She sounds like how my little Delaware was last week. I only had 4 chicks, but she was the first to find the food and water, was quite active etc. then after a couple hours she was very sleepy and would sleep under the light while the other 3 pecked around. I also had electrolytes in their water, she was still eating and drinking, just much sleepier than the others. She perked up within a day or two, now exactly a week later you would never know she had a slow start. I hope the same goes for your little one.

 

[GardenState38]

Thanks erinangele! I think you were exactly right!
What a difference a day makes--Phew!
I think I didn't realize just how much sleep/snooze time they'd need. I guess she was just stressed and exhausted.
This morning, she's pecking away at the food, drinking and keeping up with the other 4 as they go through their feeding/resting routine.

Despite all the research and reading I've done, nothing is a substitute for experience. If I ever get another batch of chicks, I'll hopefully not be such a worry-wort!

 

[Gerry2011]

I'm heartsick, my chickies didn't come in today and they were shipped Wednesday. I am so worried. Cackle is only 3.5 hours from me. I wish we'd gone and picked them up. I am imagining them sitting in a hot truck somewhere. Am waiting for our postmaster to return to the p.o. to see if he knows where the distribution point is from the hatchery. Fat lot of good knowing that will do. Unless we could intercept them.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

Quote:
I'm sooooo glad she is rested up and doing better.

You are so right about actual experience! I can realize this time how overwhelmed I would have been if my first experience was this batch of 33 chicks by mail order. Raising the first batch of six bought locally back in the spring was good practice for this time, but I still was freaking out over this bunch. I didn't sleep much better last night than I did while waiting for my call from the P.O. I got up to check on the chicks at least every hour and a half last night, and every time they were perfectly fine.

I read and researched for over two years, and I belong to the poultry club organized by Pat Foreman (author of Chicken Tractor, Day Range Poultry, City Chicks, etc.) with many members with years of experience in keeping poultry, I have been to Polyface Farm, owned by Joel Salatin, many times to observe his pastured poultry operation, and I was raised on a farm, but it was a whole different story when it came to actually raising these tiny little fluff-balls of life in a brooder in my house. It's a lot of pressure to have their very life in your hands!

My goal this year is to establish my flock in order to have mature hens and roosters next spring, so I can let the broody hens take over this job of raising chicks. My choices in breeds of heritage chickens had a lot to do with whether they were apt to go broody or not. It is a lot of fun watching the chicks grow in the brooder, but I will feel much better letting a mama hen do the job much better than I can.