New Chick Help

[Julia_Bedenbaugh]

Hi everyone,
I just ought six baby chicks, all about a week old, from Tractor Supply. While there and on the short trip home (literally 5 five minutes) they were all very active and chirpy. Since coming home they have been sleeping, about 3 hours now. I dipped all their beaks in the water so they knew where it was and what it was. I have a heat lamp over the brooder on one side. they are all lumped into two sets of 3 on the outskirts of the lamp so I raised it a bit but they haven't moved. One chirped about 5 times a few minutes ago, but otherwise they are not doing anything. I heard baby chicks were very active and now I am wondering if I did something wrong after having them only for a short time.

 

[DobieLover]

Can you post a picture of your brooder?
What is the temperature under the lamp?
What is the temperature at the cool end of the brooder?
What type of bulb is in your heat lamp?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Can you post a picture of your brooder?
What is the temperature under the lamp?
What is the temperature at the cool end of the brooder?
What type of bulb is in your heat lamp?

X2

And chicks do sleep at times. It could be stress from moving. They were shipped to TSC and then driven to your home. I found that temp is important (as DobieLover suggests).

I also found with my own chicks, a little NutriDrench helped a lot. They have that at TSC, too. You can give them a small drop directly. I did that with my lethargic Buff Orp when she first arrived last year. Perked her right up. I also mixed it in their water for a couple of weeks - just a few drops until the water resembled weak tea. It seemed to help.

 

[Perris]

hello @Julia_Bedenbaugh ! welcome to BYC
good advice above; good luck with your little fluffballs

 

[007Sean]

Depending on whether your brooder is inside or outside...it may be warm enough to not have a lamp on at all.

Pics would really help us out, in order to give you the best information you seek. The lamp should be adjusted to maintain a temperature of 90 to 95° under the lamp on the brooder floor, for the first week, you will want to raise the lamp to lower the temperature by 5°, each week until they are either feathered out or the ambient temperature is around 70°. If they huddle under the lamp, they are cold, if they are at the edges of the brooder as far away from the lamp as they can get, it's too warm for them. They should be evenly distributed around the brooder if the temperature is right.

 

[Julia_Bedenbaugh]

I’ll have to get pics when I get home from work. I have the warm end at 90 which is where TSC had theirs. They all woke up about 9 last night, ate, drank, and went back to sleep. 2 were awake when i got up about 7:30. My daughter is hone so i told her to open the curtains and turn on the overhead light to simulate daytime for them. I’ll try the drops that you mentioned. This is all new to me. I had chicks when i was maybe 7 so none of the taking care part was instilled in me so I want to make sure I’m not doing something wrong.

 

[Julia_Bedenbaugh]

Here is my brooder. Its in a quite area of the living room over on the side we dont use much. They get plenty of attention from us. Now though, 3 of them are pecking the other chicks. 1 Orpington is pecking 1 leghorn. That leghorn is pecking a different leghorn and that leghorn is pecking the Orpington. I thought this would be easier. I just wanted happy healthy chicks to raise. I even started building their coop.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Here is my brooder. Its in a quite area of the living room over on the side we dont use much. They get plenty of attention from us. Now though, 3 of them are pecking the other chicks. 1 Orpington is pecking 1 leghorn. That leghorn is pecking a different leghorn and that leghorn is pecking the Orpington. I thought this would be easier. I just wanted happy healthy chicks to raise. I even started building their coop.

If you don't keep a thermometer in the bottom of the brooder you may consider investing in one.
A consistent 95-98* F is a comfortable temp for the first 5 days.
drafts and placed near windows is not recommended. Air conditioned rooms not ideal.
Those RED LIGHT BULBS are dangerous. A regular incandescent 100 watt bulb is effective w/o the risks.
Vitamins & electrolytes do greater good than just plain tap water.

 

[Julia_Bedenbaugh]

There is a thermometer. They are opposite the window...15 ft away. They are all just about 7-8 days old. I'll have to look into the vitamins & electrolytes. They seem much more active than yesterday and they are eating and drinking.

If you don't keep a thermometer in the bottom of the brooder you may consider investing in one.
A consistent 95-98* F is a comfortable temp for the first 5 days.
drafts and placed near windows is not recommended. Air conditioned rooms not ideal.
Those RED LIGHT BULBS are dangerous. A regular incandescent 100 watt bulb is effective w/o the risks.
Vitamins & electrolytes do greater good than just plain tap water.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Are there room for the little boogers to get away from the heat source? Can't tell from that pic. I was thinking maybe they are getting too warm and it's zapping away their energy or something. But when my chickens were newly hatched, they were a lazy bunch and would always take naps throughout the whole day on and off so I wouldn't fret.