Raising Baby Chick-Along

[WVduckchick]

Ah! And after theses few days, definitely nice to have a happy ending story!! So glad you found your little girl!
Thanks for the inspiration to get a bunch of cleaning done today. Knowing someone else was working somehow made my work easier!

Haha, happy to share some of the workload!

what I didn't say was why i had to leave. I had to go to the farm to check on my poor black/split to lav Orpington that has been sitting for 7 weeks! She killed some of the first chicks she hatched, so i took her eggs. For a week! But she kept sitting. And sitting. And stealing eggs. So i gave in and let her have more. One more chance, we'll see what happens. still no chicks yet though.

 

[MageofMist]

Haha, happy to share some of the workload!

what I didn't say was why i had to leave. I had to go to the farm to check on my poor black/split to lav Orpington that has been sitting for 7 weeks! She killed some of the first chicks she hatched, so i took her eggs. For a week! But she kept sitting. And sitting. And stealing eggs. So i gave in and let her have more. One more chance, we'll see what happens. still no chicks yet though.

My silkie hen pecked at her first chicks when they hatched, doubled with humidity issues, so I had to take them and raise them myself, but when her second batch of eggs hatched, I had to take the eggs for humidity issues due to her taking a toilet break after some had pipped.

I decided to put a chick that had hatched near her to see how she'd react, and well... She rolled it under her like an egg, so I gave her the rest and the 2 others who hatched later. Now they are 2 weeks old and she is a wonderful mother, calling them to food, guarding them and yet is trusting of me, probably since I had been doting on her when she was nesting and gave her the chicks when they hatched. She and the chicks are a little TOO calm, I gotta be careful where I put my feet due to the little buggers running around them.

 

[WVduckchick]

My silkie hen pecked at her first chicks when they hatched, doubled with humidity issues, so I had to take them and raise them myself, but when her second batch of eggs hatched, I had to take the eggs for humidity issues due to her taking a toilet break after some had pipped.

I decided to put a chick that had hatched near her to see how she'd react, and well... She rolled it under her like an egg, so I gave her the rest and the 2 others who hatched later. Now they are 2 weeks old and she is a wonderful mother, calling them to food, guarding them and yet is trusting of me, probably since I had been doting on her when she was nesting and gave her the chicks when they hatched. She and the chicks are a little TOO calm, I gotta be careful where I put my feet due to the little buggers running around them.

Thank you for that! I'm glad yours are doing well. I had someone tell me to cull her, she would never make a good mother if she killed the first ones. But i know it's possible. She's not a friendly broody like most of my others, but she's a beauty, and unfortunately i need here genes, so she gets a second shot!

 

[orrpeople]

Spent yesterday not being a chicken mamma. Sometimes you've just got to take a break!

Now I am ready to be back to this!

Notice the little pile of poo she made just before I took her picture. Keeping it real my friends, keeping it real.

 

[JuliaOlivia]

How long do they need a heat lamp? Mine are 7 week old special blacks

 

[NorthTexasWink]

@JuliaOlivia Most folks have chicks weaned off supplemental heat by 4-6 weeks, even when it's 40-50 degrees F out. I don't know where you are, but as long as they are mostly feathered out, dry, draft-free and healthy you should be able to transition them outside without the heat about now. Just let them get used to it in short sessions of a few hours at a time while you make sure to check on them frequently. Let their behavior guide you.

 

[orrpeople]

How long do they need a heat lamp? Mine are 7 week old special blacks

It depends upon their feathering, where you are keeping them, and your weather. If they are indoors and have lost most of their "baby fuzz" they shouldn't need a lamp at all. Although, if you still have a lamp on them and they're not always trying to avoid its warmth, you will need to wean them from it. Usually I start by leaving it off during the day and only turning it on at night. Then after a couple of days, turning it off completely and transitioning them to outside.
If, on the other hand, they are in a cooler environment (garage, outside) and your weather is cooler (below 50 degrees F at night), you will primarily be watching for feathering to occur before you wean them away. Most chicks by 7 weeks are pretty cold tolerant and won't be needing the lamp.

 

[orrpeople]

@JuliaOlivia Most folks have chicks weaned off supplemental heat by 4-6 weeks, even when it's 40-50 degrees F out. I don't know where you are, but as long as they are mostly feathered out, dry, draft-free and healthy you should be able to transition them outside without the heat about now. Just let them get used to it in short sessions of a few hours at a time while you make sure to check on them frequently. Let their behavior guide you.

I think the expression "Jinx, you owe me a coke" applies here (that may be a California thing - but at any rate, great minds think alike, and should we ever meet, you owe me a coke. )

 

[JuliaOlivia]

I am in northern WI and they have most/all of their feathering is grown, they are outside. It only gets down to 60 ish. We are going on vacation tommorrow for a week and a half so think after we get back we will take away trhe heat lamp

 

[NorthTexasWink]

I think the expression "Jinx, you owe me a coke" applies here (that may be a California thing - but at any rate, great minds think alike, and should we ever meet, you owe me a coke. )

Yup, we got that down here too. I hope someday we DO meet. If it's down here in Texas I'll buy you an RC Cola ~ Nectar of the Southern Gods.