New at raising chicks and I have a couple of questions

[cmom]

I am going to ask a stupid question. What is DE?

I see this has been answered, Diatomaceous Earth. There are different grades. There are industrial, pool and food grade. The industrial and pool grade are poison to animals. Food grade is what is used.

 

[Sharon Bee]

DE works great in the dusting boxes and sprinkled in the nesting boxes.  The crystals that make up the earth are sharp and will cut the exoskeletons of the mites, fleas, whatever.  As long as it stays dry.  Inside a bird...I haven't seen anything to make me think it would work for removing worms.  Possible, but not as well as something like Safeguard.  DE isn't a cure, it's a prevention and if used in the right way can help keep mites and lice away.

Oh thank you. Yes I've heard of it. Good to know.

 

[joseph-lee]

I hope this is the right post - I am new at this my Rhode Island reds 1 male and 1 female there 6 weeks old and they refuse to go to sleep unless they have a nightlight - well this evening they were raising holy hell over the fact that they both couldn't roost on top of it, it a small ceramic toy house with a small Christmas bulb inside it . I had to put it in a medium size box and they both jump in and snuggled in tight and now they are sound asleep.Am I doing something wrong? The other problem when I leave the room where I keep than they raise hell until I come back into the room,I take them out of the cage put them in a box and carry them around the house,they usually fall asleep or play in the play pen that I bought them it too cold outside to let them run around., I have a home business and they are with me 24/7.

 

[Sharon Bee]

My chicks were afraid of the dark also when I first moved them to their coop at about 5 weeks old. Prior to that they had always had a heat lamp over them.

They would all run to the corner in the coop trying to get on top of each other. I was worried for them. I just put a night light in and also have a timer on their overhead efficiency light bulb (not a heat light).

They were fine after a few days. I leave their light on all day until dusk. They are happy and all are laying since they were 5 mths old. They are 6 mths now.

 

[cmom]

I hope this is the right post - I am new at this my Rhode Island reds 1 male and 1 female there 6 weeks old and they refuse to go to sleep unless they have a nightlight - well this evening they were raising holy hell over the fact that they both couldn't roost on top of it, it a small ceramic toy house with a small Christmas bulb inside it . I had to put it in a medium size box and they both jump in and snuggled in tight and now they are sound asleep.Am I doing something wrong? The other problem when I leave the room where I keep than they raise hell until I come back into the room,I take them out of the cage put them in a box and carry them around the house,they usually fall asleep or play in the play pen that I bought them it too cold outside to let them run around., I have a home business and they are with me 24/7.

I have a couple of pullets that were runts that I keep separated from the flock in a cage. They will settle down as they get older. They are juveniles right now. I actually have night lights in all of my coops. If you leave the light off they will eventually get used to the dark. At 6 weeks old they should be getting their adult feathers and soon you can give them some supervised outside time. I would pick the weather and take them out on a mild day.

These are some of my brother's birds. He has a mixed flock.

 

[Sharon Bee]

I hope this is the right post - I am new at this my Rhode Island reds 1 male and 1 female there 6 weeks old and they refuse to go to sleep unless they have a nightlight - well this evening they were raising holy hell over the fact that they both couldn't roost on top of it, it a small ceramic toy house with a small Christmas bulb inside it . I had to put it in a medium size box and they both jump in and snuggled in tight and now they are sound asleep.Am I doing something wrong? The other problem when I leave the room where I keep than they raise hell until I come back into the room,I take them out of the cage put them in a box and carry them around the house,they usually fall asleep or play in the play pen that I bought them it too cold outside to let them run around., I have a home business and they are with me 24/7.

I sent a post above in reply to yours. You must love your chicks very much. Don't worry, they adapt. Just leave a night light on Iin the room for awhile then slowly try turning it on later each night. I'm new at this also. Mine are 6 mths and out in the coop now. I have 11.

Now I'm worried for them in the cold. It is below freezing here. I'm in the process of making a water heater to keep their water from freezing. They huddle together at night on their roosts.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
You can also buy the water heater bases for the galvanized waterers.

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i:aps,k:poultry water heater

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/water-heater
With this method you can also use a clay pot. You may want to experiment with the wattage of the light bulb as the heat transfer through the clay may not be as good as it would be going through tin. Put a light bulb in a clay pot and then put a large saucer on top to provide a safe enclosure. Then place the base of the waterer on the saucer, ensuring that it rests firmly on the saucer.

 

[Sharon Bee]

Thanks Cmom. I have the plastic waterer though. There are some good ideas on that site though. I like the temp. controlled thermostat idea. We are going to try the cookie tin heater.
Last night the water didn't freeze. Strange because it was - 7 c. Maybe chickens provided enough warmth? We have them in an enclosure with tarps hanging around it in our carriage house. Maybe that helps to enclose some warmth. Lots of straw on floor as well. No drafts at all.