New chicks what next?

[mboreham1]

just bought home 2 barred rock chicks (first time having 1 day old chicks), i have what i think to be a broody bantam, but she is only 8-9 months old, can i introduce her to the chicks here indoors, if so when? I have a heat lamp, water and food, i put them next to the waterer but they dont seem to drink anything, should the bantam teach them? If no bantam how can i get them to eat and drink?

 

[gryeyes]

Dip their little beaks INTO the water a couple times.

They should start drinking and eating on their own. You may have to make a mash out of the chick starter meal.

 

[mboreham1]

ok, they found the food on their own, one of the chicks has a little lump/bump on its beak, right at the end of it, any ideas what that could be?

Anyone, any feedback on when to introduce my bantam?

 

[flgardengirl]

The bump is probably its egg tooth. Chicks use it to pip the eggshell when they hatch. It usually dissappears in a few days or so.

 

[teach1rusl]

So is your banty sitting on eggs now???? I've only heard of sneaking chicks in when it's close to hatch time. Either way, as long as you were closely supervising, you could see how she acts around them... Hopefully someone with experience will respond.

 

[mboreham1]

define "sitting" on eggs? she sits on the other chickens eggs for a bit, she has quit laying recently and has just started trying to sleep in the nesting boxes but then, when i open the coop up she jumps out and free ranges, so i dont know if that means she is sitting on eggs.

My buddy has the sister of my bantam, he said she went broody a week ago or so, he bought a few chicks and whacked them under her, i just want to see if i can bring her inside and let her do her thing with the chicks

 

[mboreham1]

oh and one other thing, are chicks normally very noisy?

 

[dovecanyon]

Do you have a heat lamp for them? Chicks are very noisy if they are cold.

 

[mboreham1]

yes absolutely and a thermometer in with them to check temp! I think it was just them adjusting to their new home, 2 days later and they are chirping away while exploring their 8sq ft home! I kind of want to put something in there for them to "play" with so they dont get bored but it looks like they are just enjoying hopping around, roosting on the feeder ridge and walking through their waterer!

 

[Bootsie]

Hello I am new, from Texas and I really don't know where I am supposed to post first on this forum. I have 21 hens and 1 buff rooster, and I have some pullets ordered. How do you go about preparing for your baby chicks, I have seen where some use shavings I have a wire cage and I put wood in one part of it with a heat lamp. My chicks seem to do fine but my ducks died last year, healthy one day dead the next day, don't know what I did wrong. One never could walk right the other one seemed healthy. I was feeding the ducks chick starter with the chicks do you feed a duck different? I also found the chicks starting to beat up my other little duck that could not walk right. So I put it with a little chick that seemed nice, they got along, but that little duck died too.
Does anyone have some advice for me, could really use it.