Messy little chicks!

[mylittlefarmhouse]

I get day old chicks and put a branch in the brooder before a week old. View attachment 2133146
My girls at 5 weeks. View attachment 2133148
Are they in the coop? If they are, You may have to put them on the roost after dark. GC

Yes they are in the coop and I think I will try that tonight. Every time I go in though they are sooo excited and active, running around my feet, it crazy... and very cute. I guess if I go in when my older hens are roosting and it's somewhat dark in there I can start putting the little ones on their roost as well....

 

[GC-Raptor]

I guess if I go in when my older hens are roosting and it's somewhat dark in there I can start putting the little ones on their roost as well.

I have a headlamp that I picked up at the grocery store in the aisle where they keep light bulbs. So I can go into the coop after dark.
It has 3 settings. Setting #3 is Red LED lights that doesn't upset chickens as much as a bright white light. You can adjust the light angle.


It keeps both hands free which comes in handy when trying to handle chickens. It takes 3 AAA batteries, not included. It costs $5.99, plus batteries. GC

 

[baysidechicks]

I switched to a nipple waterer because I was also cleaning out their water bowl several times a day - I have a similar waterer. The chicklets and I all love the nipple waterer (I got mine from gardencoop.com, it's basically a human water bottle in a bike water bottle cage with a nipple on the bottom). My four girls went right to it and started using it right away, although I left the other waterer for the first day just in case. I have the gravity fed feeder and that keeps them from climbing all over it, although I also have to clean shavings out of it, that's only once a day. And now they're eating so much, I have to refill it every day anyway so it's not a big deal. My girls are about 5 1/2 weeks now.

 

[Al Gerhart]

There isn't any really good chick feeder or pullet feeder on the market. You just have to waste feed till they are large enough both in weight and reach to use a treadle feeder. Wait till they are at least three pounds, treadle feeders are dangerous to tiny birds, they can get trapped!

I have put a lot of thought in to a chick feeder and short of making something with electronics and pattern recognizing vision it just isn't likely to be done. But it is only for a few weeks, would it be worth it? I doubt it.

 

[mylittlefarmhouse]

Yes they are in the coop and I think I will try that tonight. Every time I go in though they are sooo excited and active, running around my feet, it crazy... and very cute. I guess if I go in when my older hens are roosting and it's somewhat dark in there I can start putting the little ones on their roost as well....

I have tried over and over to put my youngest hens (8-9 weeks old) on their roost and they still get off and lay down in the straw to sleep, all seven of them sleep together in the corner of the coup while my older hens all roost in front of them on their side of the coop. Why? and is it necessary that they roost during the night?

 

[iwltfum]

I have found that the feeders that have a loose bar across the top that spins when the chicks get on it are great and work really well for teaching the young birds to stay out of the feed. I even use bigger versions of these in my broiler pens and I have zero problem with wasted feed or poop in the feed, even from day one. And for water, we use a bell waterer in our brooder that hovers just above the shavings (it hangs from the ceiling) and the height is able to be adjusted as the birds grow. That also works really well. Yes, they kick shavings into it for the first week or two and I just pull the shavings out every day or two. No need to clean a dirty waterer more than that. Changing water and food 4-5 times a day sounds like a huge pain.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have tried over and over to put my youngest hens (8-9 weeks old) on their roost and they still get off and lay down in the straw to sleep, all seven of them sleep together in the corner of the coup while my older hens all roost in front of them on their side of the coop. Why? and is it necessary that they roost during the night?

Some chicks take longer to adjust to it, others take to it like a fish to water. If a more dominant bird decides it's a good idea, the others will likely follow. My last batch watched the hens and roosted themselves in 2 days without my needing to push them.

Do they NEED to roost? No, not really, some chickens do sleep on the floor. But if they're off the floor they're less likely to sit in their own poop and might be slightly less likely to pick up parasites.

 

[mylittlefarmhouse]

They still won't stay on their roosting bar, I've tried fat and skinny branches, 2x4s at different heights, they just climb all over each other in the corner of the coop and then go to sleep, a couple of them sleep together onto of their feed bin as well. No clue why they do this lol

 

[mylittlefarmhouse]

I have found that the feeders that have a loose bar across the top that spins when the chicks get on it are great and work really well for teaching the young birds to stay out of the feed. I even use bigger versions of these in my broiler pens and I have zero problem with wasted feed or poop in the feed, even from day one. And for water, we use a bell waterer in our brooder that hovers just above the shavings (it hangs from the ceiling) and the height is able to be adjusted as the birds grow. That also works really well. Yes, they kick shavings into it for the first week or two and I just pull the shavings out every day or two. No need to clean a dirty waterer more than that. Changing water and food 4-5 times a day sounds like a huge pain.

Thanks, I did change their feeder recently and it has helped immensely!

 

[Wormhunter]

Hi All,

I have always gotten my hens as ready to lay but this year I bought 7 cute little 5 week olds. They are so adorable and way more friendly and trusting than new ready to lay hens so I'm truly enjoying them however, they are very busy little girls scratching the ground and kicking up straw constantly and as a result their water is always filled with straw and I'm having to change it 4-5 times a day. The same thing happens to their food. I am using these for food and water. I currently have these on the floor in the coop for easy access because when I put these up on cinder blocks like I do for my full grown hens they couldn't find their food and water. Is there something better, maybe more age appropriate that I should be using to make my life, and theirs a bit easier?

My girls are pretty messy too, sawdust everywhere
We’ve put their water ‘feeder’ which is just like your photo, on a low brick, it’s easy access stilll but away from kicking feet, works well as checked it outside where I could wAtch first before I put it in the coop
There’s also water in their pen in an old washing bowl that they love to drink from