Raising Baby Chick-Along

[WVduckchick]

Yes! I completely agree. You sold me on Nutridrench when I had the little chick with the neurological problem (wry neck or stargazing) and I seriously thought I was going to have to cull it. After administering the Nutri drench, in about an hour it was doing all the normal things little chicks do with no sign that it had been flipping itself over backward, looking like it was having seizures, and perpetually keeping its eyes closed! It was nothing short of miraculous!! Now, she's a beautiful 10 week old Bielefelder out in a grow out pen with her other pals.
I still use the sav-a-chick electrolytes and probiotics in their drinking water for at least the first few days. I'm not positive it has much effect, but it's part of my new chick routine, so I just keep doing it.

Sooo glad to hear that one is growing up happy and healthy!!
I ran out of the other stuff one time, so they didn't get any, and didn't seem to have any issues without. I still keep in on hand now, but I sometimes forget to mix it up the first few days

 

[orrpeople]

Okay guys and gals, I just changed up the brooder for my hyper-nervous Queen Silvias. First of all, tub brooders tend to make my chicks more freakish when I walk into the room - my philosophy is that they don't see me coming until I'm right on top of them, and even I would probably freak out in that setting too. So, things had been pretty tight around here and I had to use my red lamp for them. I got to thinking, "I wonder if putting a heating pad in their tub would help? At first, they were totally not having it - this big new apparatus in their house? No thank you!
So then, I put them all under it - some more than once because they were serious in their objections to it!! Then, the sound came - you know the one - that happy almost whispering purr of contentment. These guys had not once made that sound since I got them. Whew! Don't you love it when you make a choice, and it feels right? Who knows, maybe this will help with their notoriously flighty reputation!!

 

[WVduckchick]

There are several "heating pad cave" designs on this site. I've yet to try it, mainly because my heating pad has the auto-off after a couple of hours. They say there are some on the market that stay turned on, and i honestly haven't looked for any, but everyone that uses them seem to love them.

I use a Brinsea brooder plate, and also have a wire rabbit cage that i prefer to the big totes, but sometimes they were all full! Also raising the brooder to eye level, or at least a few feet off the floor, seems to help.

 

[orrpeople]

There are several "heating pad cave" designs on this site. I've yet to try it, mainly because my heating pad has the auto-off after a couple of hours. They say there are some on the market that stay turned on, and i honestly haven't looked for any, but everyone that uses them seem to love them.

I use a Brinsea brooder plate, and also have a wire rabbit cage that i prefer to the big totes, but sometimes they were all full! Also raising the brooder to eye level, or at least a few feet off the floor, seems to help.

Great point. My first ever brooding experience we used a fairly large cage I had raised doves in with 5th graders. It worked okay, but the base let shavings out - a lot. Now I use it to let the littles take field trips outdoors.
I had to order my heating pads from Amazon - they didn't have the "stay on forever" kind in any of the stores here locally. I think they were in the $20 range. Not too bad. The place I really like to use the heating pad is s when I transition the kids outside. It's a lot less of a worry with fire danger than the bulb!
The heating plate serves the same purpose - gives them a place to run and stay warm, as well as gives them regular day/night cycles (unlike my big red light bulb!!).
I really just end up using whatever I have on hand at the time!

 

[rjohns39]

Outdoor shelters

3rd Generation, 2X4 & 2X2 Construction. This is preferred model

1st Generation, 1X4, 1x2 and 2x2 construction. Taller--but too tall.

2nd Generation. 2X2, 1X2 & 1x4 construction. Again too tall.

 

[JJByrd]

Just got my box of babies from Meyer Hatchery this morning! 10 Standard Buff Brahma hens, 5 roosters, 10 Mille Fleur Bearded Belgium bantams, and the MMMF (which looks to be a Rhode Island Red). 2 Mille Fleur were DOA and 1 other wont make it. I think the bantams were just too small and got squished.

 

[Jessimom]

Just got my box of babies from Meyer Hatchery this morning! 10 Standard Buff Brahma hens, 5 roosters, 10 Mille Fleur Bearded Belgium bantams, and the MMMF (which looks to be a Rhode Island Red). 2 Mille Fleur were DOA and 1 other wont make it. I think the bantams were just too small and got squished.
View attachment 1042337 View attachment 1042338

Sorry on the DOA's. I've only ordered live chicks once, and thankfully they all arrived healthy. But, I've heard horror stories!!! So, congrats on all the live/healthy chicks!!!

 

[Gorman Farm]

Alrighty, chick-alongers - day two question: water (vitamin, probiotic, etc.) supplements? What have you tried? What works best for different chick issues?

I give SAV-A_CHICK in the water for the first day. Other than that just starter crumble. One in a while if they seem to need a boost I hard boil an egg and add a tiny bit of mashed yolk in crumble, leave it for an hour and then remove and put back straight crumble.

 

[SonoranChick]

Alrighty, chick-alongers - day two question: water (vitamin, probiotic, etc.) supplements? What have you tried? What works best for different chick issues?

There are so many different opinions on this topic it was hard to know what was "right" for my hatchlings. I started my girls on probiotic and electrolyte supplements added to their water and have been slowly mixing it with regular water so it is diluted by the end of the week. Next week they will be on just plain water. They don't seem to notice the taste either way. I did this to prevent pasty bottom and dehydration...a few still ended up having to have their little bums cleaned (maybe from the stress of being shipped through the mail, poor babies!) but overall I am pleased and will use the supplements again if needed. All of my chicks seem to be happy, healthy little eating/drinking/pooping machines!

 

[rjohns39]

I use the three products here: https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/vitamins.html Gro-Gel on their feed on day one and then the appropriate booster for each breed. Also on day one i'll have a piece of paper in the brooder with a mix of feed, sand, and baby grit. After a few days, i'll feed chick grit free choice and occasionally give them some brewers yeast. I feed Ducks & Turkeys a 24% non-GMO feed with fertrell nutri-balance in it. For layers, I start them with a 22% and broilers start and stay with 18%. I'm trying to follow Fertrell's guidelines for heritage breeds--but having a hard time finding all the ingredients. I also give them fresh greens, grass and alfalfa along with meal worms as treats. Lots of greens helps keep pasty butt away, I think... At three weeks they go to pasture in one of the protective shelters and plain water. When its HOT I'll add 1 TBS of ACV per gallon to their water and give them a little scratch non-GMO corn.