PLEASE HELP WITH BABY CHICKS & DUCKS!

[kdawgg]

Thanks to everyone that helped me out! i separated the chicks and ducks and they all are doing a whole lot better! my chicks all came back to life it seems like!! thank y’all!

 

[gimmie birdies]

I put a desert saucer under the quart water-er even if I don't have baby ducks. It really keeps the box/brooder drier.

 

[kdawgg]

I’m not sure if this is your situation but I know from experience that ducklings make an unholy mess with water, soaking everything in their wake. I’ve read that chicks are more susceptible to getting chilled and the complications that arise from it. It might be prudent to have one brooder for chicks and one for ducks. I’m sorry that you lost some chicks, but hopefully it is an easy fix. Good luck.

THANK YOU! i also think that separating them is a good idea!!

 

[kdawgg]

You need to get all the wet chicks in a warm towel out of the dryer. Bundle every wet baby chick into the towel. You can bunch up the towel so all the chicks will be cuddled in the warm towel. I would guess they'll be content.

Ignore the ducks unless you see any that aren't moving much. Toss them in with the chicks warming.

Then take the most lifeless babies one by one and blow dry them on low heat on their tummies and under their wings. This is where most of the blood in chickens flows and you can get a hypothermic chicken warmed up far more quickly.

Then each chick should get a drink of warm sugar water or warm Gator-aid. A few drops each is fine.

Then hope none of the chicks dies because the ducks tried to teach chickens to swim.

THANK YOU! I will take note of this! i hope the chicks get better!

 

[kdawgg]

I have had a lot of luck with brooding in a pet playpen sort of like this: https://www.pawaboo.com/pawaboo-dog...ate-with-carry-bag-large-size-blue-khaki.html

It can be zipped up to prevent escapees, but has tons of ventilation. The material dries easily, is collapsible, is lightweight, and is easy to clean. I got the largest size available and it was like, a hundred bucks. But I've used it two chick seasons in a row. My oldest chicks are almost six weeks old and just now starting to outgrow it.

I use it in conjunction with a brooder lamp like this: https://www.schoolspecialty.com/bri...MIi9aZsvLs4QIVF47ICh3NQQxrEAQYASABEgIbYvD_BwE

It gives plenty of heat and is adjustable in height as the chicks grow older, but is firesafe, most closely stimulates the warmth of a mother, and gives the chicks plenty of room to self-regulate their own temperature by moving in and out from underneath it, rather than having a heat lamp blaring down on them from overhead.

You could set up two pens like this side by side, and they would be easy to maintain.

THANK YOU! Sounds like you have a nice set up! I am definitely going to look into this! i think my biggest problem is having the ducks and chicks together. when i bought them from TSC they had the ducks and chicks together so i didn’t think anything about it!

 

[danceswithronin]

THANK YOU! Sounds like you have a nice set up! I am definitely going to look into this! i think my biggest problem is having the ducks and chicks together. when i bought them from TSC they had the ducks and chicks together so i didn’t think anything about it!

Yeah I think at the age they are now the ducklings are just too big and strong and it causes them to accidentally trample the chicks. They'll do much better once they have their own brooders.

How are the chicks this morning?