new chicks!Not sure what to do. *new! please chime in with opinions!**

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
All day. sunrise to sunset, with access to the feed and water.

 

[emilysteng]

oh!! all day! ok then.

I'm confused though. What about the thing with keeping them 100 degrees the first week and 95 degrees after that? Didn't I read that somewhere? If they're out and about how can they stay that warm?

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
Those are guidelines for when humans brood chicks. When mother hens brood chicks, they take care of all that.

The babies just run under mama when they get cold, which in good temperatures, isn't very often.

 

[emilysteng]

ok! Yeah, when they were out today, one of them went under her but the other didn't. I was thinking that the other one wasn't listening to mom, but I guess it just wasn't cold.

Well, I guess tomorrow we'll have to either move the box so it's accessible to the chicks, or make it so the chicks can get up and down from the box. Cause they should go back in there at night to sleep right? I'm not sure where Casino used to sleep - I think maybe up in a tree.

 

[Judy]

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

You might find this interesting -- a really good article about broody hens. I'll never fool with a brooder again. It's easy to overheat them in one; I couldn't keep mine as warm as they recommend because the chicks would move as far away from the heat as they could. I've also had chicks out pecking in 40 or 50 degree temps, with a mama. They run under her for a minute, come out and peck a minute, go back under her, back and forth.

 

[Judy]

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

You might find this interesting -- a really good article about broody hens. I'll never fool with a brooder again. It's easy to overheat them in one; I couldn't keep mine as warm as they recommend because the chicks would move as far away from the heat as they could. I've also had chicks out pecking in 40 or 50 degree temps, with a mama. They run under her for a minute, come out and peck a minute, go back under her, back and forth.

Hopefully mama will stay with them in the nest at night. She most likely won't go back to her tree branch if and when the chicks don't follow her; she will go where they are.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Also, if you are giving them things like grapes and peas you will want to make sure they are out with mama picking up bits of gravel for grit. They don't need it for chick food, but for other stuff. If they are not out scratchin' with mama and are being given treats, they might need some chick grit...depending on the treats.
They're very cute and it sounds like fun to watch the process.

 

[cletus the rooster]

yup id give them food and water and some type of ladder and momma will do the rest after all she does know best

 

[emilysteng]

Thanks everyone. This forum is so helpful! I'm not sure how we're going to create a ladder of some sort. Better figure that out today. It's a rainy gloomy day though. I'm wondering how high the little ones can jump. I think more than I would have thought. I saw them trying to fly around in their nest box.

I think they'll have no problem getting grit as long as they get out and scratch around.

 

[emilysteng]

So they spent the entire day today scratching around with mom!! They must have been so tired at the end of the day.

I was going to build them a ladder, but am still afraid of the mongoose finding them. There seem to be so many around lately. We tried to put a ramp and get them out this morning. They started to come down, but kept running back in, so mom went back in after them. So we just picked them up and put them out, and mom came right out. She did a great job keeping them warm. It was pretty rainy all morning and she would try to huddle near a tree or something and covered them up. It was so cute.

Around 4:30 we put them back, and mom used the ramp to go back in. They settled back in under mom for the night. I love this picture of them. Rest up for another big day tomorrow!