my 99 baby chicks came today, I have questions

[rnmommy7]

I got a st run of Barred Plymouth Rock chicks. We have them in a brooder and they are warm. They are all walking around eating and drinking. I have already changed the water once because they poo in it. I noticed some chicks laying down and thought they were dead. Are they just sleeping? Will it harm them if I take them out to play with me? They are soooo cute. I sprinkled their food on the burlap, is that ok.

BTW, I'm afraid to touch a dead one. I'm a RN so it shouldn't bother me so much but one was dead in the box from the post office and I was scared to get it out, made my husband do it.

 

[sumi]

Sorry to hear about the one that didn't make it.
Little chicks like to sleep, a lot. And when they find a warm spot, like under the heat lamp they will just fall over and enjoy it, scaring the heck out of you in the process, cause it really does look like they're dead! Mine did that often. The first time I found one flat on it's back and picked it up. I don't know which of us got the biggest fright LOL.
You can pick them up and handle them a bit, yes. Get them used to you.
I read a tip once that I tried and it works: sprinkle their food on paper or something that makes noise. It'll get their attention and make them peck at it and start eating. And it's fun watching them do it

They are so curious!

Enjoy your babies!

 

[gg706]

Watch for pasty butt! Have you checked them all yet?

 

[Kristin Brown]

Try raising the water dish off the ground level if possible. Do this with an object like a plate, scrap lumber, stones, etc. This will help debris and poo from being tossed into it. The chicks will indeed "sun-bathe" beneath the heat lamp, appearing dead but thy are in fact sleeping. It is important however to remove dead chicks immediately - so if your husband is not always around you will need to become comfortable with this task.

Definitely handle the chicks! This will teach them to be calm in your presence and eventually they will be eager to see you. I make a clicking sort of noise when feeding my chickens as well. I start this on day one. The purpose is to teach the chickens to come at your beckon call. If you train them well, they will come to you when food is not being offered which is handy if you need to round up your flock.

 

[rnmommy7]

yes i checked them, and all are clear, yay

 

[gg706]

I bet that was "fun".....looking at 99 chicken butts! And keeping them straight as to who's butt has been looked at and who's has not!
95 chicken butts clear right now....95 butts all clear...take one out pass it around 95 butts all clear! 96 chicken butts clear right now..........

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I have never had more than 35 baby chicks at any one time but found that if I put a divider in the brooder with all of the chicks on one side, and then picked up each one and checked its bottom before placing it on the other side of the divider I could make sure that all of the chicks bottoms had been checked. Once everyone had been checked, the divider went away until the next day. After the first few days I got sloppier, doing more of an visual scan of the whole group, looking for dirty bottoms rather than picking each one up.

BTW, when you say "take them out to play with me" I think it matters what kind of play you are hoping for.

 

[TamTurkey]

Ok why are we checking butts again?? What is it supposed to mean if they have a dirty butt?

 

[rnmommy7]

If they have a dirty butt that's supposed to mean they have pasty butt, I think, and they will die, but can poop just stick to the feathers back there even if they don't actually have pasty butt?

 

[sumi]

Yes, it can get stuck to the butt fluff, but when the next poopy gets stuck as well the chick can get clogged up quickly. Better to keep them clean. Some vaseline or olive oil will help.