My first chicks...

[Kalthia]

So got my first six chicks ever today - 1 day old from MyPetChicken - a few questions - I can search later if this is not allowed but of course I am def a Mother Hen today so worried about them all...
1. I have one that is not doing well - gave him some sugar water per the providers instructions. How often should I dip his beak when he is lethargic? he will open his eyes a bit and moves around a bit but not like the others
2. The chicks wont eat out of the feeder, only food I toss on the bottom of the brooder, will they go to feeder later? They sure do eat a lot
3. So far they go under the brooder, sleep for just a bit then come back out and start eating again, I assume this is normal?
Thank you all, I am trying to work from home, watch the chicks and train my dog to them all at the same time

Betty

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

1) I’m not always sure what the best thing to do is. It depends how serious it looks. I have had the same thing to find them happy and healthy after a couple of days, but others don’t make it. If it isn’t eating or drinking and won’t recover after a day or so, the best thing may be to put it down. (It really does depend though, since I can’t see it in person to make a decision.)

2) if they can reach the feeder and access it properly they should use it if you stop throwing it in to them. Try getting one’s attention by tapping the food to see if they’ll start to peck at it and realise.

3) Yes, I think this is quite normal, especially if they have constant light through the day and no chicken parent to sleep along side to copy.

Hope this all helps, feel free to respond if you have any more questions, the first time having chicks without (especially broody hens) is always worrying, but totally worth it. Chickens can also be quite resilient so don’t worry too much unless anything seems severe, but this is still the time where they’re most vulnerable.

Good luck!

 

[Lonewolfgirl]

1) I’m not always sure what the best thing to do is. It depends how serious it looks. I have had the same thing to find them happy and healthy after a couple of days, but others don’t make it. If it isn’t eating or drinking and won’t recover after a day or so, the best thing may be to put it down. (It really does depend though, since I can’t see it in person to make a decision.)

2) if they can reach the feeder and access it properly they should use it if you stop throwing it in to them. Try getting one’s attention by tapping the food to see if they’ll start to peck at it and realise.

3) Yes, I think this is quite normal, especially if they have constant light through the day and no chicken parent to sleep along side to copy.

Hope this all helps, feel free to respond if you have any more questions, the first time having chicks without (especially broody hens) is always worrying, but totally worth it. Chickens can also be quite resilient so don’t worry too much unless anything seems severe, but this is still the time where they’re most vulnerable.

Good luck!

I had a chick like that and I gave it sugar water and cared for it it survived

 

[Kalthia]

Thank you both! I am feeling the stress

How often do I dip the lagging chicks beak in water?

 

[Lonewolfgirl]

Thank you both! I am feeling the stress

How often do I dip the lagging chicks beak in water?

Hmm that not to often but as long as you don’t go to far it might work

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

Thank you both! I am feeling the stress

How often do I dip the lagging chicks beak in water?

I’m not 100% sure but three or four times a day should do, make sure you don’t get the nostrils wet as it could just get stuck there without the chick moving much (and so it can still breath of course!) don’t worry if you can’t always do it this often as well as it is done at the start and end of the day.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

So got my first six chicks ever today - 1 day old from MyPetChicken - a few questions - I can search later if this is not allowed but of course I am def a Mother Hen today so worried about them all...
1. I have one that is not doing well - gave him some sugar water per the providers instructions. How often should I dip his beak when he is lethargic? he will open his eyes a bit and moves around a bit but not like the others

Sorry I'm not sure

2. The chicks wont eat out of the feeder, only food I toss on the bottom of the brooder, will they go to feeder later? They sure do eat a lot

Dip thr beaks into the feeder and stop giving them floor food. They should start eating out of the feeder. If they dont after a while then try a different style of feeder

3. So far they go under the brooder, sleep for just a bit then come back out and start eating again, I assume this is normal?

Yes, that's completely normal! They sleep alot, they are like newborn babies!

Thank you all, I am trying to work from home, watch the chicks and train my dog to them all at the same time

Betty

Enjoy them! They grow up fast!

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you have a feed store nearby, I'd go and get Poultry Nutri-Drench to use in lieu of sugar water, as it has additional vitamins and is designed to be quickly absorbed. You can give the chick undiluted drops a few times a day (I'd just dropper 1 drop at a time, then let the chick drink it), just be careful as chickens can aspirate very easily.

 

[Ridgerunner]

So got my first six chicks ever today

So probably 3 days old.

1. I have one that is not doing well - gave him some sugar water per the providers instructions. How often should I dip his beak when he is lethargic? he will open his eyes a bit and moves around a bit but not like the others

I don't dip the beak for a chick I'm trying to treat. Dipping the beak is to show the healthy ones where the water is. For the weak ones I use a medicine dropper and put a drop of liquid on the tip of the beak. They swallow that without choking, then I do it again.

I use hummingbird liquid because I always have that handy. The sugar water, nutri drench, or electrolytes should work. The idea is to get some liquid in them but also something like sugar or electrolytes that gives them energy so they feel like eating and drinking on their own. Often there can be something wrong with the chicks like that and they may not be meant to make it, but that doesn't mean you don't try. Sometimes they do.

2. The chicks wont eat out of the feeder, only food I toss on the bottom of the brooder, will they go to feeder later? They sure do eat a lot

It is often recommended that for the first day or two in the brooder you scatter the food on the brooder floor. I use a piece of plywood with a small lip around the edge. One of the first things a broody hen does is take the chicks to some place they can peck at the ground. Scattering it on the brooder floor but on some type of flat surface is a close approximation of that. In a couple of days just put the feed in the feeder, they will find it. Initially you are just trying to get them started. Refinements can come later.

3. So far they go under the brooder, sleep for just a bit then come back out and start eating again, I assume this is normal?

Totally normal.

 

[Kalthia]

Thanks everyone - my one chick passed away this evening. Sad, but glad she isn’t suffering any longer. Thank you all for your advice and support. The others seem to be doing fine - hopefully they all survive.