leg bands

[AngieB]

I got my first chicks in the mail today from Meyer Hatchery! They are beautiful and healthy. Ended up getting 12 instead of 15 because they didn't have any black or white silikes to ship, so they are going to ship them later.

So we have:

2 Plymouth Barred Rocks
2 Black Austrolorps
2 Buff Orpingtons
2 Easter Eggers
3 Bantam Buff Brahams
1 Partridge Silkie

I have figured out all the breeds, except there are 3 solid yellow chicks. So I'm assuming 2 of them are the Buff Orpingtons. Could an Easter Egger be an all yellow chick?

Our brooder is working out nicely, but I'm obsessing about the temperature. Is it better to be a little below or above? It seems if I raise the light a little, it drops just below 90. Then when I lower it a little, it climbs close to a 100. Is about 92 warm enough? The chicks are acting fine, mostly staying within the ray of the heat lamp, but eating, drinking and exploring. I have some chick grit. When should I offer the grit? I read somewhere to wait at least 3 days.

We want to be able to to name them and tell them apart. I found a website that sells leg bands. Should I order the smallest size, size 4?

Sorry so many questions. These are my first babies!!

 

[greeneggsnham]

First off

-I ordered EEs from MPC and one of them is pure yellow so I would assume they can be.
-92 is ok as long as your chicks seem ok. Just go by what they do. If they huddle under the light they are cold and if they move to the edges of the brooder they are to hot.
-Chicks don't need grit unless you start feeding them treats. As long as they are on the chick starter they don't need it. You can also give them yogurt w/o grit.
I'm not sure about the leg bands though.
Post some pics of your babies if you can we wanna see em.

Edit: It seems I can't spell at all.

 

[Tala]

I wouldn't order sized legbands at this time, because they will grow out of them very quickly!!

I personally use zip ties to ID my chicks, but others on here will advise you not to. It's really up to you.

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

If the brooder is large enough, a higher temperature is ok because if they get too hot, they will move away from it until they need to warm up again. Chick grit is not needed for awhile because chick starter is small enough and easily digestible. When they get a little older and you start giving them treats, you will need to supply grit. As far as leg bands go, they will be growing so fast and changing so much, you probably shouldn't buy any for awhile. Chicks also have fewer features that make them unique compared to older birds and if they do have any(not including physical deformities or special coloring, etc) they will probably grow out of it. As you get to know them you will be able to name them and will be able to tell them apart. I'd wait awhile before I get leg bands if I were you. And if the yellow chick looks the same as the other two, it might be an extra orpington. Good luck with your chicks

 

[AngieB]

Thanks everyone! I lowered the lamp. The brooder is big enough for them to get away from the heat. I was worried they would fall asleep under it and get too hot. But I will trust them to go where it's cooler if they need to!

I will try to post some pics tomorrow!

 

[TajMaChicken]

I agree with the leg band comments. They will grow very very quickly so ordering sized leg bands would probably not be the way to go. You will most likely be able to tell most if not all of them apart when they feather out and their combs and other features fully develop. I did use colored zip ties on my Rouen ducks to tell them apart. I found some that have a tab to easily remove them with out having to put cutters near those kicking feet. Just be sure if you do use zip ties or any band while they are growing you check them constantly to make sure they are not too tight. Chicks will grow faster than you imagine. Believe me that little fluffy thing will be fully feathered in no time. Hope this helps!

 

[ChickenMama18]

This might sound strange, (that wouldn't the the first time coming from me) but what we did to identify our chicks is we took some blue kote and sprayed it in different areas for identifcation purposes. Some on the tail or right/left wing, chest, etc. We had to do this even as they grew because it was hard to tell the buff orps apart. One was plucking and as soon as we spotted her we sprayed her tail to identify her. Worked for us anyway...and then you wouldn't have to worry about the leg bands getting too tight as they grow. I don't know...I'm just a newbie winging it as I go...LOL

 

[AngieB]

I will get some better pics today. They are still sleeping this morning! I have the thermometer off to the side now so it's not in their way. And to the side edge of the heat lamp ray, it's only about 80. But I think they are warm enough. They are sleeping near each other, but not huddled or even touching. And I'm sure it could be 10 or 15 degrees warmer directly under the lamp where they are sleeping. We bought kind of a big thermometer, so it was getting in their way and we had to move it to the side of the brooder.

When you test your temp, do you put the thermometer direcly below the center of the heat lamp? Okay, I will quit obsessing about the heat for now.

Our chickens our kind of a community project. So relatives and friends have "claimed" a chick, and they want to be able to know which one is theirs each time they come to visit. So for instance, the three bantam buff brahamas look so similar, but each one "belongs" to a different family member.

I don't have any blue kote. I guess I should get some to keep on hand. My SIL wanted to know if we could put a touch of nailpolish on the foot of her chick so she could identify it, but I said no. I wasn't sure if that would be a good idea. So when I found the leg bands, and they are only like 19 cents each, I thought that would be perfect. What if I just ordered a bunch of different sizes so we can change them as they grow? Should I start with size 4, the smallest, and order some 5's and 6's to grow into? Or should I skip sizes and go with 5's and 7's? It would be nice to order an assortment now and only pay shipping once.

The chicks seem very hardy and healthy. I have 6-year-old twin girls who are very excited about them and want to cuddle them. Yesterday I told them the chicks need to stay under the heat and not be handled too much since they just arrived. When do you think the chicks are hardy enough to be taken out of the brooder and handled, with supervision?

How long until they can have their first treats? What do you recommend we give them first? I am going to the farmers market on Saturday where I buy sunflower and pea sprouts for our salads, and I'm wondering if something like that would be okay. Or would yogurt be better to start with? Is plain Greek yogurt okay?

I'm keeping an eye on their butts, and I don't see anything that looks pasty, but some of them look like there is something kind of hanging, like a longer feather or piece of poop. Do I need to wipe their little hineys, or just watch for build-up?

Thanks!

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

I'm not an expert on leg bands, so I wont comment on whether you should go ahead and get an assortment. As far as treats go, the chick starter is nutritionally sound, so too many treats can throw off the nutritional balance. This is not to say that treats are bad. I usually just wait a few weeks before I give them anything other than yogurt or scrambled eggs, neither of which require grit. As far as handling, I try not to handle my babies any during the first four days or so, to give them the least stressful start that I can, especially after they have traveled the first 2-3 days of their little lives. Some people say after the first day it is fine to hold them. Handling and when to handle is somewhat controversial, but just remember that handling does induce stress, even if the stress is minute. On the opposite end of the spectrum, chicks are also hardier than we give them credit for, so if the chicks seem pretty healthy and strong after the first day or so, go ahead and hold them if you wish.
Plain Greek yogurt is ok and sprouts......Sprouts require grit to help the chicks digest so I wouldn't give them those for a week or so....Just my opinion. I raise bantams so the chicks do not get big as quickly as standard size chickens. The chicks might be large enough pretty soon to have treats like sprouts.

Good Luck!!

Oh and too much yogurt at one feeding can cause diarhea so be careful! And if you don't like the advice of someone on this forum, learn from your own experience. If you find that in the past, something didn't work, try something else and pray it works lol. We aren't your masters and they aren't our chickens. Hope your babies grow up to be big and strong!(Brooder temp is much hotter directly under the lamp than even a few inches away)

 

[AngieB]

Thanks, FlTeen. I will hold off on treats, and we'll try not to handle them too much for a couple more days, even though they are irresistable!

I ended up ordering an assortment of sizes and colors in leg bands. So we'll see how they work out.

Yesterday after they arrived from the post office and got introduced to their new brooder, they hardly napped at all until late evening and slept most of the night, as far as I know. Should I expect them to sleep a lot today? Just don't want to worry if the're not real active, but I'm sure they were exhausted after their travel and all. They seem to still want to nap this morning.