Long story short ... I took home some baby chicks today (3 silkies and 1 white rock and 1 buttercup - the remainders)... 1 of the silkies I knew was on it's way out ( ... sadly it only made it a few hours once I got them home - but I couldn't leave it there to die on the metal grated floor
)... The rock and the buttercup are doing fine, active, chirpy, eating, drinking investigating in the brooder... The remaining silkies however aren't as active...
They get tired VERY quickly, only once have I seen one hop and chirp around, the other is very "sad" and wanders away to the wall to sleep ... it drank a little, haven't really seen either of them eat anything. . . I know they're only a few days old - but should I be doing anything extra for them?
They have electrolyte water, chick starter . I did do a TINY dab of nutri-drench for each of them - really just put their beat at the end of the dropper. I don't have a thermometer in the brooder (I know I should get one) but they have a 250w heat lamp - I'm sure it's very! warm under the lamp ! ! the rock and the buttercup are asleep just outside the center of the lamp - but the 2 silkies are on opposite corners, they don't want to cuddle or anything
...
.....
I was also thinking (I don't know if anyone has tried/done this before)... I have a broody silkie/cochin hen (6 months old) she's been sitting on her "nest" for 2+weeks now ... really she's on nothing but she doesn't care ... I wondered if she would mother these chicks safely? ... or if she would "squish" them - if the silkies really are too weak
...
These little feather balls are tugging at my heat strings ... I just want to do whats best for them --- so any suggestions?
They get tired VERY quickly, only once have I seen one hop and chirp around, the other is very "sad" and wanders away to the wall to sleep ... it drank a little, haven't really seen either of them eat anything. . . I know they're only a few days old - but should I be doing anything extra for them?
They have electrolyte water, chick starter . I did do a TINY dab of nutri-drench for each of them - really just put their beat at the end of the dropper. I don't have a thermometer in the brooder (I know I should get one) but they have a 250w heat lamp - I'm sure it's very! warm under the lamp ! ! the rock and the buttercup are asleep just outside the center of the lamp - but the 2 silkies are on opposite corners, they don't want to cuddle or anything
.....
I was also thinking (I don't know if anyone has tried/done this before)... I have a broody silkie/cochin hen (6 months old) she's been sitting on her "nest" for 2+weeks now ... really she's on nothing but she doesn't care ... I wondered if she would mother these chicks safely? ... or if she would "squish" them - if the silkies really are too weak
These little feather balls are tugging at my heat strings ... I just want to do whats best for them --- so any suggestions?
