San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

[Clarice19]

So I have a question about 1-2 week old chicks. How long should they be under the heat lamp? When should they be weened off the chick feed? What are some ways to help with pasty butt? Also one of my Chicks is pecking the other one and going under then through its legs, is that normal? are they playing?

Clarice19

 

[perchie.girl]

So I have a question about 1-2 week old chicks. How long should they be under the heat lamp? When should they be weened off the chick feed? What are some ways to help with pasty butt? Also one of my Chicks is pecking the other one and going under then through its legs, is that normal? are they playing?

Clarice19

Feathers are a clue. Um er mostly feathered.... They will also want to be out from under that heat lamp because they will be too hot.

deb

 

[UrbanMamaHen]

So I have a question about 1-2 week old chicks. How long should they be under the heat lamp? When should they be weened off the chick feed? What are some ways to help with pasty butt? Also one of my Chicks is pecking the other one and going under then through its legs, is that normal? are they playing?

Clarice19

Your brooder should have cool areas that the chicks can move to if it gets too hot under the heat lamp. Instead of a heat lamp, I use a lower wattage bulb, 60-100 watts when they are two weeks old. The chicks will chirp loudly if they are cold. Pasty butts could be due to the brooder being too warm. I've had success cleaning the vent with a wet Q-tip (gently) and apply a thin film of Neosporin.

Chicks will peck at each other, establishing pecking order. I haven't seen them going through each other's legs though as they normally are the same size, and I don't think that could be done easily.

 

[Phage]

Going through the legs may be a natural instinct to crawl as in under a mothers feathers, maybe for warmth/safety.

 

[UrbanMamaHen]

Sounds logical

 

[Clarice19]

Ok that makes sense

 

[Chubby Cheekers]

Does anyone have Dorking fertile eggs or know where to get some?

 

[crazy huhn]

Does anyone have a rabbit I can borrow for an Easter classroom project (possibly adoption)?

 

[Clarice19]

If you a want to adopt you can always check the Humane Society. They also have animals available for adoption.

 

[room onthebroom]

I fill the sink with warm water and put the eggs into the water. If they lay on the bottom they are fresh, if they stand on their pointy end they are good for hard boiling and if they float I throw them at someone's house (just kidding). After I determine which ones are edible I feed them to my dogs or the pigs.