Hey everyone. I picked up chicks a week ago. Everyone seems healthy and is doing fine except one is scaring me a little. She seems lethargic and some of the other chicks peck her. I moved them to a bigger brooder hoping that would help but she still seems out of it. Sometimes she’ll drag a wing a little but she doesn’t walk far without laying down and going to sleep. She eats and drinks and there is no weird breathing sounds. I also don’t think it helps that the woman I bought the chicks from gave me what appears to be a mixed range of ages. Here they are and I’ll post the chicks I’m worried about at the bottom. Thanks
New to chicks just a few questions
- Thread starter Brian720
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #3
reluctant farmer
Songster
We lost one, sometimes it happens. Good luck, don't get discouraged.
Is that a typical heat lamp (150-250W)?
Is there a cooler place on the brooder?
Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.
The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!
The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.
Is there a cooler place on the brooder?
Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.
The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!
The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.
- Thread starter
- #6
I have them under a 250w lamp. I read your post and rearranged everything. I’m also giving them a multivitamin and a probiotic. I also cut their feed with a fortified food I found at tractor supply.Everyone seems to be doing a lot better. The chicksI separated are doing much better. Walking around chirping and acting like they’re supposed to. My only issue is there are some that are definitely older than others. Two have already started growing breast feathers and there’s still two that don’t even have tail feathers yet. I was thinking about going to the local pet store and seeing if they have meal worms for them to eat as a treat. Thanks so much for the help!
What exactly is this?
I'd just stick with a decent chick starter and plain water.
Do not give them meal worms unless they also have granite grit.
..and really, you should stay at home.
- Thread starter
- #8
It's called farmers helper Ultrakibble for chicks. I just wanted to try everything possible to help out the one chick I was worried about. Seems to be helping and they all like it. I normally do, but I had to get dog food anyway. Bought the worms but I'll hold off.
What is your regular feed?
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