Newbie with Questions and Pics :)

[nova022]

Thanks everyone, I was nervous leaving them to go to work but feel better about it now.

They should be fine. They will spend most of their time eating, sleeping and growing. It is amazing how quickly they grow. Just make sure they have food and water. I give mine electrolites the first three days. It just seems to give them an extra boost. I also dip their beaks in the water when I put them in the brooder the first time to show them where the water is.

I have to admit that the first time I ordered chicks I took a few days off so I could stay home in case they needed me.

 

[fermentinginpa]

Yep, mine did that too...we refer to it as their "puppy button"

. If you've ever had a new pup, they'll run around like mad and be idiots for what seems like forever playing and then they just keel over exhausted asleep. It's like someone clicked a button...one minute awake, the next, sawing logs. I've had pups fall asleep in their food dish! My chicks did the same thing! Go, go, go...sleep.

Haha, yeah, that's a good analogy, I remember when my dog was still a pup and would just collapse.

 

[Lunalily]

If they continue to not eat or drink, I would recommend dipping their beaks in honey a few times a day until they get the energy to take care of themselves. I did this for my weak red star, who could barely walk and had stopped eating. She immediately started eating again and being more active in general.
I found this easier than trying to feed them sugar water from a dropper.