Our chicks are here... 4 Days Old & Eating Bugs!

[DawnSuiter]

We received our 7 (one bonus chick received as a bonus because they came late) Buffs yesterday evening around 8pm. They arrived in various states of nervous, lethargic and curious. We set them up in our temporary brooder, and watched intently for hours. They are on our screened in back porch in a large dog crate with their own run about the same size. We don't have formal feeders so in went a small cat food/water dish with vitamin water on both sides, and I just tossed the chick starter ontop of the newspaper all over the crate, and my daughter cut up a shoebox to make it 3 sided and in went more food.

We dipped some beaks in the water and we had to clean one because of pastey butt

and then we watched. Some layed around, very "flat" looking, others seemed to pant, some just sorta sat there looking like ducks, others looked passed out some even with their legs behind them! :|
Needless to say, as first time chicken owners, we were concerned.

After about an hour, they seemed to snap out of it, one of them found the water, soon they ALL followed, some in the middle of the bowl, the others gathered around. Then the "happy feet" routine started and lots of socializing. Then they would nap for about 10 minutes, and start all over again, water, happy feet, bounce around, sleep.

Today, they are much the same as last night, with ONE big added bonus. Our porch still lets in a few bugs here and there, and its definitely not secure from creepy crawlies, tonight.. a flying roach type thing crawled past their crate along the wall and two went for it. they ERUPTED in a FLURRY of squaks, feet & wings flying everywhere!!! It was simply the cutest thing ever, and we were proud! Good chicks! Then.. along came a black crawly thing, and again, big eruption! This one is trying to steal it away from that one, everyone running the length of this giant dog crate playing keep away! By the third catch, we discovered that they can squeeze out the front corners of the dog crate (which doesn't have plastic wire) into their play yard to eat their new treasures, some fit through, others don't.

Right now we have a gathering of 3 chicks eating their catch 'in the yard' and the 4 stuck inside frantically searching the walls & floors for bugs.

These guys&gals are sooo cute!

 

[Dawn419]

Unfortutely, shipping is hard on the little ones! Keep a close eye out with the pasty butt. You can use a bit of mineral oil or baby oil on their butts to help keep the pooh from sticking.

Sounds like you're doing everything right and they sound like they are doing great. The only thing I would change would be putting paper towels down, instead of the newspaper as it is slick and be hard for them to get good traction for their feet and possibly cause leg problems.

Enjoy them while they're small...they grow like weeds!

Dawn

 

[Eggseronious]

We had 13 Dominiques that hatched tuesday. We put them in the washroom in a large wooden box, we enter the back of the house this way. I came in the house thursday through the washroom and I guess a couple of tiny bugs followed me and ended up in the box of chicks. Now you talk about a feeding frenzi I laughed out loud at these little fellers they went wild on those bugs.

 

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
This group wasn't shipped, we got them from a guy in Parrottsville, who raises them with a partner in Greeneville.. so.. fortunately for them they got a 30 minute drive only, but he had them in a box with nothing else in it, no shaving, no paper, no towel.. so I think they had a bit of a trip sliding around in the box. Not a straight road in sight here!

My next group comes by mail though.. definitely anxious about that.

Thanks for your support, mineral oil, I will remember! It seems like I could remove the newspaper altogether... what's the wisdom on letting them straight onto the shavings? I know they lived on shavings at their uh "mom's house"

They do pick up little pieces along the sides of the crate, and seem to know that it's not food, once they try to eat it.

 

[freerange freaks]

I took my chicks off of the paper towel and placed them on shavings at four days and I totally regret it. I lost 3 chicks the very next day. I can't be sure that it was from eating shavings but I won't take that chance again.

I could picture the little feeding frenzie you described. Very Cute!

 

[Reinbeau]

Mine have been on a product called Woody Pet since I got them on Friday. I haven't seen them eating it at all, and there's no smell. I've been giving them fresh dandelions to play with, they're funny playing keep away from each other! Mine were born on last Wednesday, so I guess they're five days old now. Only a little pasty butt on two of them, other than that they're doing great!

 

[malia]

Quote:
I waited four days and put down shavings. Then lost 2 chicks within 24-36hrs. Covered shavings up with paper towels until they were 1 1/2-2 weeks old. Now all are almost 3 months old.

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
I doubt is what the shavings...my 6 girls are going on 12 weeks old and they went straight on shavings at 1 day old...my new 5 girls are almost 2 weeks old and they went right on shavings. I have not lost any to that problem.

I would suggest the problem was something else.

 

[goldnchocolate]

Congratulations!!! I agree, they are very entertaining to watch as they do their thing. Even the adult hens are fun to watch as they go about their business of scratching and pecking all the day long

The first time I ever saw chicks having a nap I thought they had all died or something. They sort of just flop down where ever they happen to be and fall asleep. I have a picture of one chick with it's head draped over the edge of the food bowl--fast asleep!!

My chicks go directly onto pine shavings, also, and I haven't lost any chicks so it's possibly just a coincidence.