My chicks hatched over the weekend! Lot of questions

[mamakelly]

I have pictures, I promise I'll post them tonight. Out of the 18 eggs we started with, we hatched 14! I'm still in shock, especially since 2 eggs weren't fertile. So we only had 2 quitters. I didn't expect so many to hatch, and we were scrambling making a bigger brooder. They have nearly outgrown what I have them in now, and I have to think of something else, quick! I need to spend some time browsing chick pictures, I know the 4 possible breeds that these babies might be but I need to identify them. Anyway, have a few questions.

1. pasty butt. I have several chicks that have poo around their vent, but not on it. Should I leave them alone or clean them off?

2. Sometimes they poop on each other. Will they eventually clean themselves off or do I need to do that?

3. They are climbing all over the feeder, pooping on their food. Should I dump it out and give them fresh food when they do that?

4. Am I supposed to be giving them grit yet?

5. When can they go outside in a supervised pen? We live in San Diego, and it's in the 70's outside.

6. We have one chick that was born with no fuzz at all on it's neck!? It's otherwise healthy. I think the other chicks are pecking at it's neck, because his neck is getting red. Should I separate him?

Thanks everyone!

 

[urbanfarmer101]

I also would like to hear answers to these questions.

I kinda pick the poo out of the feeder for a day, then on day two, I dump the entire thing. Once a week I completely clean and disinfect the cage, water and feeder. It gets harder as they get bigger. I usually don't put my chicks out until they are completely feathered out and big enough that they cannot escape thru the fence. I do have a chicken tractor that I put them in when it is warm enough like 80 degrees. Too funny, I am a Kelly that homeschools too.

 

[medan]

everything sounds normal I put my feeder and water feeder on top of a foldgers lid from a plastic coffee can it helps oh and they always have the poop but it goes away i dont wipe mine and they are great I dont know about the neck fuzz maybe its a turkin ? clean water all the time and flick the poop out of the feeder i use a small spoon right on the floor of the brooder clean brooder about every 2 days I put my grit neer the door or anyplace you can clear shavings and they need close to a month in a brooder or untill the outside temp is the same as the brooder yes seperate them for a time

 

[CantSkipThis]

Quote:
Congrats on your chicks! What breeds are they? I am in San Diego too and have my first chicks.

 

[B. Kossum]

I am in the process of raising my first chicks and haven't run into any problems. I've got nine of them ranging from two months old to two weeks old. I started the first five in a ten gallon tank and kept them there until they were 4 weeks old. I put them straight onto shavings at three days old and just changed them out when they started to smell (2-3 days). I wiped down the tank real good about every five days to a week. They were kinda cramped towards the end but did well and seemed happy. I would notice poop around their butt, but not on it so I left it alone. If one used the bathroom on another I would clean it if need be, but most healthy chicks will keep themselves somewhat clean. As far as poop in their food and water, I tried to make sure to keep the water clean but I didn't go out of my way for the food. I would make sure the feeders were clean and full before I went to bed and when I woke up. If it was empty or just covered I would change it during the day, but a little poop won't hurt them. Until I felt like mine could handle leftovers, I fed them strictly chick starter. They'll eat anything I put out there (their favorite is fried chicken) but the only actual chicken feed I give them is the starter and I will continue to do so until twenty weeks. I took my chicks out at a few days old when the temp was in the 70's as long as the wind wasn't blowing. At a month old, I put them out in the coop for good. It was still getting down into the 50's at night, but they weren't even really huddling around the light. If you do separate the one that's getting picked on, I would try leaving one chick in with her unless that one kept pecking too. Right now, my two week olds have been staying outside with the older ones and I haven't had any problems. If they see a weakness they will keep going at it though, so once the other chick heals they'll probably leave it alone. Good luck!