Raising healthy chicks, advice needed please.

[sharonp53]

Update. New photos, enjoying their new home. Thank you for all the great advice.

At three and a half weeks my babies are doing really well. They are eating well, feathers are well ahead of some I have seen, they are heavy, healthy, squabbling, pushing, shoving, flying, knocking over food and water. So, how to keep up with the good start I have given them?

I have them on medicated chick starter and would like to move them to a fabulous chick starter I am using for my guinea fowl keets. It is made locally from local organic ingredients and bio char. My guineas are doing so well on it. But I would like to know if I need to continue with cocci prevention?

I also want to start supplementing them with vitamins and was wondering about shell grit for calcium. Other things include, worming....when and with what?

Finally, housing...it is summer here, and very, very hot. So far my babies are in a cage in my store room since it is cool in there. They have been on towels since they were born and I am exhausted with keeping it all clean, especially the past week, when because of their rummaging around nothing stays in place. I have had them on towels over rubber matting and that has worked well. I have removed them everyday and washed everything, so they have been kept clean and no smells, which has made it possible to keep them in. But I can't keep doing it, especially as we are running out of water on the farm, so I want to put them on wood shavings with lemongrass pellets to keep everything fresh. Is that okay?

Next, at what stage will they cope with the heat outside and what is the best interim housing for them until they are big enough to join the main flock?

Sorry for so many questions, but I really want to raise the healthiest chicks I can. This is a photo taken over a week ago they now have most of their feathers.

 

[Peckadoodle]

You have done a fabulous job! I would start taking those babies outside during the coolest part of the day for a few days to get them use to the warm temp. If possible, you could provide shade in their outdoor pen. They will seek out the shade.
Since you are anxious to start feeding with your grower food, my first question is how big are the pellets? IF YOUR GROWER FOOD DOES NOT CONTAIN BENTONITE, how about mixing the remaining medicated starter with the new food for a while? Best of both worlds. Then, feed your grower food and watch for signs of cocci.
In your warm climate you can easily grow lemon grass. It grows fast and scents the coop and nest boxes so nicely. I have bunches of it in the "chickens' garden".

 

[Stayc]

At three and a half weeks my babies are doing really well. They are eating well, feathers are well ahead of some I have seen, they are heavy, healthy, squabbling, pushing, shoving, flying, knocking over food and water. So, how to keep up with the good start I have given them?

I have them on medicated chick starter and would like to move them to a fabulous chick starter I am using for my guinea fowl keets. It is made locally from local organic ingredients and bio char. My guineas are doing so well on it. But I would like to know if I need to continue with cocci prevention?

I also want to start supplementing them with vitamins and was wondering about shell grit for calcium. Other things include, worming....when and with what?

Finally, housing...it is summer here, and very, very hot. So far my babies are in a cage in my store room since it is cool in there. They have been on towels since they were born and I am exhausted with keeping it all clean, especially the past week, when because of their rummaging around nothing stays in place. I have had them on towels over rubber matting and that has worked well. I have removed them everyday and washed everything, so they have been kept clean and no smells, which has made it possible to keep them in. But I can't keep doing it, especially as we are running out of water on the farm, so I want to put them on wood shavings with lemongrass pellets to keep everything fresh. Is that okay?

Next, at what stage will they cope with the heat outside and what is the best interim housing for them until they are big enough to join the main flock?

Sorry for so many questions, but I really want to raise the healthiest chicks I can. This is a photo taken over a week ago they now have most of their feathers.View attachment 1216534

Omg gorgeous babies!!

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

The wood shavings are fine. I have not used medicated feed before, and my chickens have never gotten sick.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have never used medicated feed, never had issues with cocci. Hopefully, you've given them outdoor excursions so they can get exposed to your local cocci. What is the protein % of the feed you want to put them on?

The sooner you get them acclimated to your summer time temperatures, the better. How hot does it get? Do they have plenty shade? Any option to give them a fan?

@azygous is the queen of early integration. Many of us have found that it's easier to integrate new birds into a flock while they are quite young.

 

[Folly's place]

If your chicks are already exposed to your soil, that's great. The amprolium is designed to help the chicks build up immunity GRADUALLY to coccidia in their environment, so stopping it and then having them outside is the wrong approach. They may need it those first few weeks out in the dirt!
I'm also blessed (so far!) in being able to avoid amprolium medicated chick starter with no problems. Some places aren't so lucky, and their chicks will get sick/ die without it.
Mary

 

[sharonp53]

You have done a fabulous job! I would start taking those babies outside during the coolest part of the day for a few days to get them use to the warm temp. If possible, you could provide shade in their outdoor pen. They will seek out the shade.
Since you are anxious to start feeding with your grower food, my first question is how big are the pellets? IF YOUR GROWER FOOD DOES NOT CONTAIN BENTONITE, how about mixing the remaining medicated starter with the new food for

I have never used medicated feed, never had issues with cocci. Hopefully, you've given them outdoor excursions so they can get exposed to your local cocci. What is the protein % of the feed you want to put them on?

The sooner you get them acclimated to your summer time temperatures, the better. How hot does it get? Do they have plenty shade? Any option to give them a fan?

@azygous is the queen of early integration. Many of us have found that it's easier to integrate new birds into a flock while they are quite young.

So far they have not been out. Temps are over 35c and nowhere is totally shaded. So this is a concern since they have had no exposure.

My plan is to get them out late in the afternoon. But I do need my husband to make a different type of run, one That is low and I can open the top and step in, or they will be too hard to catch. Hopefully right after Christmas. I have a yard hen who has never fully recovered from a bad respiratory condition. She is no longer sick, but her lungs are really badly scarred, so she will be wondering around.

We are still setting up here (only moved eight weeks ago) and my next batch of chicks is due to hatch in a few days. My plan is eventually to integrate the two hatches into a small flock of similar size to the existing one. Then introduce them at about 20 weeks for the older ones and 16 weeks for the younger ones?

 

[sharonp53]

If your chicks are already exposed to your soil, that's great. The amprolium is designed to help the chicks build up immunity GRADUALLY to coccidia in their environment, so stopping it and then having them outside is the wrong approach. They may need it those first few weeks out in the dirt!
I'm also blessed (so far!) in being able to avoid amprolium medicated chick starter with no problems. Some places aren't so lucky, and their chicks will get sick/ die without it.
Mary

Thank you. Great advice and I will take that on-board and impliment it as soon as their outdoor run is ready.

 

[lazy gardener]

Big concern for me would be if your ailing hen is contagious. Earlier introductions are easier than later ones IMO. I like to get new chicks integrated between 6 and 9 weeks. Many folks do so even earlier. You have to be set up for this, and have a safe place where the chicks can go but not be followed by the adults.

 

[Folly's place]

x2! Do you know what your sick hen had? Is she a carrier of something that's going to be a problem for your new birds?
Mary