Ordered from a different hatchery

[honeyk]

We just got 33 babies on Friday. All doing very well. A miracle since they were lost in shipping and our postmaster had to drive an hour and a half to find them at another post office. Thought they would all be dead by the time they arrived. Got them from Cackle Hatchery. Don't know if I'd order from them again (when we called to say the chicks were lost they were not at all helpful) except that all the chicks seem really sturdy and healthy.

And a question:
We add Fastrack liquid dispersible to the room temp water each day. Does anyone else do this? We use it on our older hens and they lay eggs through all the season changes.

 

[Chirpy]

I am so happy that you got your chicks and they are doing well after that terrible time. You have a special post master... make sure you tell him/her so.

Unfortunately, I've heard more not good than good about Cackle on here this year.

Can't help you with the Fastrack liquid, never heard of it.

 

[EngieKisses]

I so happy they are in good condition

 

[honeyk]

Chicks are still doing really well, but are terribly afraid of human contact. What's the best way to help them over this? It's really hard to get a hold of each and evry on when you climb in the pen area with them...they scatter like autumn leaves getting blown about.

Any suggestions?

 

[Chirpy]

We used two separate large boxes for brooders. I have them all in one of the boxes. I would literally pick up each chick and hold it for a while and then put it in the second box so I knew exactly which chicks had been held. Then, the next time I would pick them up and hold them and put them back into the first brooder box.

I usually had to gently "corner" each chick to catch them. I have young children who do a great job holding them but I don't let them catch the chicks... that's always my job, then I hand them to the kids.

The best thing I learned is to move real slowly while catching them. Kinda let your hand hand near them and move it slowly toward them, while moving them toward a corner. (I will add here that I round out my corners with extra cardboard so that the chicks can never be suffocated in a corner, so it makes it a little more difficult without having real corners.

 

[honeyk]

We don't have corners either. We are using an x-pen that was used for puppies years ago and the cardboard goes around the inside. About how long do you handle each chick? We have 33 so I guess it will take quite awhile each day.