NEW to Raising Chicks: Please Help Me!

[Yardbirds286]

Congrats on the new chicks. Sorry that you had a couple losses, but I have read that it is common. Enjoy those little fuzz butts!

 

[sheaviance1]

I went to purchase chicks the other day and a whole brooder of them were panting. It was 110 degrees in the brooder and there had to be at least 80 chicks in there. I went and got the owner and told her that the chicks were too warm. She said they would be fine. I started adjusting the lights myself, so she started helping me. Is it possible you had them too warm?

 

[SkyWarrior]

All the folks here have great advice. Also be sure you don't keep the chicks too hot (that can cause them to keep their mouths open too).

 

[pkw]

Chicks are so delicate. Too hot or too cold and they die on you. I hope your other chicks does fine. I love ducks but my husband won't let me get ducks. I loved it when I did have ducks and listening to them quack. Pekin ducks are really sweet. We had one that really loved to be held and petted. We called him little duck even when he got grown. Little Duck had a black streak on him (he was a crossbreed) so he was really easy to spot not to mention he was the only duck that didn't like getting wet. Little Duck was raised in the chicken pen because the other ducks liked to pick on him so he grew up with the chickens who didn't need to go in the pond.

 

[tammyd57]

I'm so sorry you had losses, and on your first time with chicks too!

Chicks are usually pretty tough little buggers, but sometimes you get one or two who just don't make it. Not only from shipped chicks either. But usually once past the first few days, they will grow like weeds and be fully feathered before you know it!

Your black chick with feathered feet sounds like a Cochin to me. They are usually so sweet and friendly. I have 2 Cochin mixes that I just love!

Good luck with the rest of your chicks!

 

[thechickonthehill]

It probably sounds strange, but my favorite pass time now is to sit and watch them all running around, tripping over their sleeping siblings, fighting over a blade of grass...passing out with their head and one wing in the food tray...LOL!!!

No, you don't sound any more strange than the rest of us! My whole family watches "chicken TV" on a regular basis. I never dreamed they would be so entertaining.

Also, be aware that BYCers love chick pictures (hint, hint).

 

[mrsroberts102009]

Thank you all so much for your very helpful advice. Honestly, I don't think that it was too hot for her in there, because she was the only one that was seeming to have trouble breathing. So far, they are growing like little weeds and constantly coming off with things that constantly have me worried. We have a bully in the brooder and we still can't figure out which one he is. We will hear at least one of them scream out so we run over there and by the time we do, we can't tell who the bully is, but we find the one who is wounded and move him/her to the "Hospital box." So far we have had 4 get pecked to a point that they bled, which I have been treating their wounds with peroxide and neosporin (gosh, I hope that's okay, I'm no expert!). Besides sitting and watching the little fuzzballs (well...featherballs?? lol!) 24/7, what should we do when we do find the bully??? Also, I have one baby girl (I think...) that I have named Angel and she has become extremely attached to me. She was one of the ones that got hurt. She had several of her tail feathers pecked down to the quick and spent about a week in the hospital box. Now, she is closer to me than Edgar! Whenever I open their brooder box to move them out so I can clean the box, she flies out of the box, lands clumsily on my shoulder, sings to me, and just sits there while I go about cleaning feeders, waterers, etc. She is a total doll! I wish someone would have warned me how loving chickens can be (SOMETIMES!). We actually have quite a few that when you put your hand in the brooder to move them, instead of running, they just stand their and peck the heck out of your hands! They all look alike, too...rust colored with dark brown feathers coming in. I apologize for not getting pictures of them on here sooner. I still haven't adjusted to the chaos of keeping my 2 children home and out of daycare, and balancing that with school and all the new babies!