Medicated or not??

[furbabymum]

As for chick mixing, before their untimely massacre I had chicks from 1-6 weeks all in the same area and sharing the same light. I honestly think the 6 week olds were doing an excellent job of "mothering" and teaching the younger ones. You'd see a big chick running about eating things and a bunch of little ones following it and copying. I have vid of 3 of my older chicks pershing on the wheel barrow and a 2 week old chick desperately trying to get up to them. Little wings couldn't get him high enough though. Adorable!

Also, mine have been outside under a plain 60w bulb in a dog house with hay flooring and an open water container since March and have done fine.

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

LOL - yeah - I never got around to 'rounding' out the corners of the brooder - and they're not crushing anyone... The bulb is a plain old 100 watt and so far they don't appear to be too mentaly damaged. They're eating the heck out of the feed..... at least I think they are... I fill the 1qt feeder every day. Is that good??

They all have wing feathers and are starting to get tail feathers... any guess on age??? I was so excited at the swap that I barely managed to remember the breeds....

those are Way cute.
My cheat sheet says:
week 1, wing feathers
week 2, tail feathers
week 3, back feathers
week 4, breast feathers
week 5, head feathers

My 7 girls will be 5 weeks on Wednesday (2 buff Opringtons, 2 Barred Rocks, and 3 banties, unknown breeds)
This week their combs are beginning to grow and I'm starting to see some red in the circles behind the eyes.
amazing to watch.

 

[speckledhen]

Guess what? Chicks can still contract cocci while on feed containing anti-coccidials like amprolium! You still must look for signs of cocci if you are raising chicks in a brooder as opposed to them being naturally raised by a broody hen (those never seem to have issue with it).

In my locale, I do not have access to non-medicated feed so all mine are raised on feed with amprolium, a thiamine blocker, till laying age. Every chick starter I've ever bought has had the same exact dosage of amprolium, though one used to contain something in addition to amprolium called ethopabate, but they have now ceased to put that in that particular feed.

If I had access to non-medicated, I'd feed that since it really doesn't matter which you feed, they can still be overwhelmed by oocysts in the soil that cause it when they hit the dirt at 4-6 weeks of age (or whenever you get them outside) unless you start the first week of life putting dirt from your property into the brooder with them-that really seems to make a huge difference. I haven't had a case of cocci here in ages by doing that.

 

[canesisters]

Thank you! I just finished doing a LONG search to see if I could find something like this! YEAH!

Everyone has wing feathers.. and most have tail feathers - or are starting to get them. So I guess that would make them around 2 1/2 weeks. The little black copper maran seemed a little slow this morning so I can hardly wait to get home to check on them. The brooder got a little too cool last night and I'm hoping she was just having a slow start this morning. The light is in the middle of the coop right now. But I think I'm going to drop it and move it to the end - so there is a definate "WARM" spot and plenty of room to get away and cool off if needed.

Question - where should I place the food and water? Right now, with the light in the middle of the rectuanglar box, the food is on one end and the water is in the middle, just out from under the light.

 

[DuckyLou]

Im in Tx and its already HOT!!! grrr, so I am not even keeping a light on mine anymore, its just plenty warm here. But Im not sure what your lows are in Virginia at night?? When I did have the light on them I would keep a little aquarium type thermometer where the light directly hits to make sure I had it at the right height. I keep their water on one end and the food kinda in the middle, but thats just me and I am by no means an expert!!! lol

 

[canesisters]

Thanks Duckylou.
Spring in VA means WILD variations of temps. We can be running 85d/65n for a few days and then in 24 hrs be running 65d/40n. Last night it got into the 60's and the thermometer in the brooder said 72 when I opened it. Everyone was laying under the light - but not piled up - just all together in a circle. When I opened the top they all got up, looked around and then went to the far end. Except for little Hurra, she just stood there. I picked her up and held her for a little bit and when I put her back I had to sort of tip her out of my hand. She looked a little squinty eyed but went to be with the others - GOSH I hope she's ok! I get off in an hour and I'm not getting less and less work done as the day winds down. I want so bad to get home and check on her.