My chicks from MPC are here!!

[featherz]

And they are soooo cute! I had the brooder (a plastic bin) for 100 degrees using the big red light, but they hated it - all ran away. I now have a 100W white 'reveal' light (will pick up red later if needed) and brooder is only about 92, but they seem to be happy now and are walking all over the place not all huddled away from the light. So I assume this is where they like it /shrug - my cheapie thermometer is probably not accurate. They shipped out yesterday from MPC and I got them today - the post office called me, and it turned out to not be MY post office, but another one 10 miles away so I ended up doing a little trip for em, but all were cheeping when I got them. You should have seen the looks I got at the post office!

I am keeping my fingers crossed that they are all hens (as they are supposed to be), but I know I won't know yet. 4 RIR and 4 leghorn..

 

[MareeZoCool]

from Ohio. Hi featherz, you sure have a beautiful flock of fuzz-butts on your hands!

I 'm jealous! . . . and I have (3) 1- week old chicks my hen hatched out right here in our back-yard coop/run. I love your pictures! I'm a chicken nut. I drive my hubby nuts with all mychicken-chat!

 

[Beekercat]

Welcome!

What cute babies!

 

[Yardbirds286]

So sweet! I can't wait for mine to come.

 

[featherz]

They still seem like pretty happy chicks (not that I would know since these are my first!). I am so thankful they arrived today - I took the day off and crossed my fingers that today would be the day! I have a little sugar in the water that I will change out and they have their crumbles.

How many days till I take them off the towels and put them on pine? I was planning to use my feline pine (pellets) but throw it through a sifting clean litterbox first so they will get the biggest pellets and not eat the pine. or is eating the pine inevitable? I also have shavings, but I'd prefer to use the pellets if it's ok - much less mess, I think..

I have to go back to work next week for 8+ hour days. I hope they will be ok!

 

[Yardbirds286]

I am not sure about Feline Pine, however the pine shavings I bought from TSC are pretty good size. I am still planning on covering them for 3-4 days until I am sure they know where their food is. Plus it smells so darn good. I am sure they will be ok while you are at work.

 

[HerbiLady]

They're gorgeous little chicks..congrats

I put mine on pine shavings this past weekend when they were about a week old...I'd transitioned them from paper towel over shredded paper to shredded paper and then to pine. The paper was really big shreds that came in a bag and it worked really well but I can't afford to buy that for their big brooder.

I got the big bale from TSC of shavings. They pecked at it and ate some and it worried me but they didn't seem to be harmed by it. They also love to peck and eat it off each others' backs when they dust themselves in it, which they love to do. Those pieces that end up on their backs are really small and it worries me but I guess some eating of shavings is inevitable. They certainly know what food is by now!

I wish I'd gotten the pine pellets but they'd probably try to eat those too ... sigh...

ETA: I could only keep up with the paper towel for about three days...mega poop but I have 29 chicks.

 

[Supermommy486]

Awww too cute!

 

[featherz]

I decided to try the pine shavings for now.. And yes, even with a nice chick starter mash they are eating the shavings. They will be OK without grit, even if they eat the shavings? All I have here is 'big chicken' grit - I didn't know what to get when I was shopping before they were actually here. The grit has pretty big pieces. All the crops appear full but squishy although one seems a little lumpier than the others. Maybe she got a big pine chip.

I have given them a little plain yogurt which they seem pretty 'eh' on. All seem happy and bouncing around. One had a bit of pasty butt but she seems better today - had applied olive oil after unpasting her.

A big ant got in the brooder and before I could catch it it actually SCARED the chickens. ROFL.

They ran away from an ant! it was a big carpenter style ant but still..

Oh. and how long do I have until they can fly/jump out of the plastic bin I have them in? I can cover it for now with a mesh, but I am looking for a higher walled box soon. Right now it's about 18 inches high.