Preparing for 10 new babies Friday - My game plan...

[Kitsap Cluckers]

I have 10 baby chicks (girls!) coming in from Ideal Friday. I ordered 8 BR & 2 EE, but will be rehoming 6 of the BR immediately.

I've got my little brooder set up, and hopefully it will be large enough for the 4 gals for a week or two. The bottom is lined with newspaper and covered with compressed pine pellets. The bulb I was using only got the temp up to 81, so I'm testing a higher watt bulb to try bumping the temp a bit.

I'm worried that they will be weakened from their trip in this excessive heat, and I was wondering if it would be okay to give them a little raw or boiled egg yolk as a nutritional supplement along with their starter. I also plant to mix a bit of sugar in their water for the first day. No place around here sells vitamin or electrolyte supplements for poultry.

How does my plan sound?

 

[lunkerchicken]

First of all,

from Cape Cod, MA!!!

Your plan sounds great, I have added sugar to the water to to give them a little extra pep early on. Your brooder looks great, so clean!!! It's amazing how quickly that changes

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[txbioteacher]

Just wanted to let you know that I just got 26 happy little ones this morning that shipped from New Mexico (Welp Hatchery). I live in south TX and the temps have been in the triple digits lately. I was worried too, but so far they seem like they made the trip just fine!

I didn't supplement with anything (mostly because I lost my gro gel that I'd ordered

)... But one of the moderators said she didn't use anything special unless they seemed really stressed. They're running sprints in my brooder at present

Yay for new chickie babies!! I'm excited for you!

 

[Kitsap Cluckers]

Everyone arrived yesterday- a day early! They were all alive, but I thought I was going to loose the little chipmunk EE.

She was crammed in the corner of the shipping box and looked very weak. She kept trying to sleep in the brooder but the other strong chicks kept pushing her around. My husband picked her up and she instantly fell asleep in his hands. After about an hour nap, we put her back but she didn't look any better. I got some sugar water into her after quite a struggle, and about an hour later I finally convinced her to drink on her own. After that she drank like she never would again!

The water seemed to perk her up a but, but she still wouldn't eat a thing and the other chicks already had full crops. I moistened some starter and force fed her. After a 2 hour nap she woke up and ate everything she could!

This morning she looks great and is holding her own. The barred rocks were fine from the start, full of energy and very strong. I'm parting with 6 of those later today