Just resued two chicks and need help

[Sir Birdaholic]

I think the red bulbs get hotter, but are easier on their eyes. If you use a red bulb, ajust it to 95 degrees underneath it. As for bedding, for the first 3 weeks, I cover the bottom of a shallow box with chick starter. They lay,sleep, & eat in the box. I cut slots out for easy access in & out. After 3 weeks, they get pine shavings.

Welcome to BYC!!!

 

[chickluver:D]

Quote:
MAY GOD BLESS YOUR HEART AND GIVE YOU MERCY hey i have one chick right now and u can put paper towels on top of news paper for about a week, then put in pine shavings (rely any wood shavings would do) and they will peck at it abit but thats ok they lern quick u can feed the hrd boild eggs and crickets or small meal worms also after a few days when they ar used to there new home try to pick them up idk why but it rely confrets them
GOOOOOOOD LUCK

 

[Happy Chooks]

I think you have received great advise here. I just wanted to say how nice you are for rescuing those chicks.

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

Quote:
I agree!

 

[shazzam2k8]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I put a red bulb in today and they seem to be sleeping a lot more now. I also bought some starter feed which although they don't enjoy it as much as the oatmeal I gave them on the first day, they still eat it. I will probably try to put the soft wood bedding in again tomorrow this time with paper towels over it but is it safe if they end up eating a little even if it's not cedar?

 

[LeghornLisa]

Hello and Welcome to the crazy world of chickens! I put shavings in a box with paper towels on top for a few days. Keep the temp at 95 the first week then drop it by 5 degrees every week, you can tell if they are cold or hot by their behavior, if they huddle they are cold, and if they spread out they are too hot. Just raise the light accordingly. Feed them medicated mash for the first 12 weeks. A red bulb will keep them from pecking each other and seeing blood. Enjoy them, they grow fast!

 

[shay20]

and your are great for saveing those 2 little babys. Thank you from all us chicken lovers.

 

[iluvcks]

You're awsome for taking those babies home.

All of the advice is great. My understanding is absoultly NO cedar shavings. ONLY pine. and everything I have read and been told also says do not have them on newspaper. We did layers of newspaper with papertowels over for about 3 days then all pine shavings. Start thinking about plans for a small coop now because they are 8 weeks and ready to go outside before you know it.

Good luck

 

[Buzzy]

thanks for rescuing those babies. Good for you and Good for the universe.

I've got 3 babies in the house now; a first time for me. I've had hens raise two broods out in the chicken run and I'm trying as much as possible to reproduce the natural conditions. There's a heat lamp and 24 hour light which is obviously unnatural, but I've put a tray of sandy dirt in their box and scatter chick feed on it. I also used paper towels the first 2 days, then just put newspaper down (not any slick pages). They're 6 days old and already scratching like mad in the dirt. No problem with spraddle leg. I wonder if that might happen when they're more crowded. With only 3 chicks they have plenty of room to run around.

You don't need a fancy watering dish, just a saucer full of pebbles works fine. Use the pebbles so they don't drown in their water. It does evaporate quickly because of the heat lamp, so if you can't check them often it may be better to use a waterer.

Next question is when to remove the heat lamp. I don't know! When my hens had chicks they ducked under her for months! Not all the time or even for very long when they were older, but they warmed themselves under mom for much longer than I would have expected. Does this mean we need to keep a heat source?

I understand they can be introduced to the flock at 14 weeks. Are you going to put your little ones outside?

 

[iluvcks]

Buzzy,

You start out at 100-95 and every week decrease the heat by 5 degrees untill they are at room temp. We start going out for "trips" for a few minutes to a time around 2-3 weeks, if the weather is nice. And then by 6 weeks our girls only came inside in bad weather and at night. At 8 weeks they were full time in the coop. Your ready for it by then (the smell of Quite a few poopy butts Eeewwww) We are building on to our existing coop. Last years 8 girls and the new 15 babies will be together, but seperate. They will see each other just not touch each other untill we are ready. And the babies will have a seperate enclosed run within the large run. We have never intragated a flock so I have really done my research.

You only get one chance do do it right.