Please Put Rocks In Larger Waterers !

We just got 27 babies this morning, and my wife and I were both very tired even before the 6:30am call to pick the birds up at the Post Office. We've been on overload, workwise, and when you get tired, well, you can make mistakes too easily.


We had a large Rubbermaid tote (105 gallon) that we figured we'd use for a couple of days, then we'd move the birds into a large dog pen.


Our first mistake was that we didn't realize how much room 27 babies need before we brought them home -- even when they are newborns. They might have all fit in that Rubbermaid tote, but it didn't give them a whole lot of room to romp and play. They were stumbling all over themselves.


My wife said something about she was going to split them into two Rubbermaid totes tomorrow morning when we could go out and get another 250 watt heat lamp. All we had tonight was a 250 watt red lamp bulb on the brooder they were all piled into, and a 150 watt Reptile infraret heat lamp, bought for a different purpose. She figured that if we split them into two totes tonight, we'd have to have another 250 watt heat lamp for the other tote, since the reptile infrared heater would not be good enough to keep newborn chicks warm.


So we put them in the back bedroom -- 27 birds in one 105 gallon Rubbermaid tote, with 1 long feeder bar and two Mason jars that fit into those red waterers.


We were so tired, we weren't thinking right.


We KNOW that you should put rocks in the rim of a waterer when that waterer is for baby chicks. This is done to keep the babies from drowning, and we knew tht.


But we were tired, and it did not occur to us that we were supposed to put rocks in the waterer in order to keep the babies from drowning.


So we didn't put any rocks in the waterer.


About 10pm, we started hearing alot of loud chirping coming out of the bedroom where the babies are at. We went in there to check, and one chick had already drowned, and several others were soaking wet and shaking from the cold.


We pulled the wet ones out of the original Rubbermaid tote brooder, and put them in another box directly under the 250 watt red light, and then pulled out a space heater to heat the room air immediately surrounding the original Rubber maid tote, which we had just stolen the 250 watt bulb from.


Eventually we got the wet ones warm and dry, but it was not easy, and they look weakened for the privilege.


We have solved the overcrowding by separating them into two Rubbermaid totes, though one has an inadequate 150 watt infrared heating element to warm the birds, instead of the 250 watt red bulb that they really need. I will be at a nearby hardware store at 7 am when it opens to buy another 250 watt heating lamp for the second Rubbermaid tote.


And now, all the waterers have rocks in them so that nobody else will drown.


But one of our baby chicks has died under our watch, only two days after hatching. And that death was preventable.


Please do NOT do what we did -- if your waterer has a wide mouth, PLEASE put rocks in it to keep the kids safe from drowning.


I hope this message is coherent, because I am falling asleep as I type it. I have fallen asleep at least four or five times since I began typing out this message.


I'm dead tired, but I just have to get on here and remind you that baby chicks need for you to protect them if you use larger waterers. You can put rocks in the mouths of the waterers. The chicks will have plenty of room to drink, but will not fall in


Don't do what we did tonight -- forget the rocks, and then loose a precious little baby to a preventable drowning.