Saved 3 Dyed Chicks - Now What?????!!!!!!!!!

[Duck-Madx]

This Morning, At The Pet store, i was surpirsed to see 'an easter special' sign, beneath it in a basket was 3 dyed chicks. I didnt know what to think, instead i looked round the rest of the shop for bird seed for the birds on the bird table

I came back, and i saw this 4 year old girl, picking up the chicks in a very harmful way. I know the girl, since she doesnt live that far away from me.
She was begging her mum to let her have them as a special easter present.
She was poking them, and i couldnt help but feel sorry for them.
Then I heard her mother say, 'ok they would buy them', but from what i knew they already had two dogs, and puppies! They'd been known in the past for keeping many pets, and i knew that if they bought those chicks, the chicks would be soon un-loved as they grew older.

So, when they walked around the shop one last time, in a rush i brought them.
I Know, at the momment i have no brooder, or coop for the future, and so they are beside me at the momment in a shoe box.
I have no idea how to care for these little cuties, and how to keep them satisfied until i get a brooder etc, which i plan to do tommorow. But for the night they must go somewhere, and what to feed them, when i have nothing at the momment specialised for chickens!!!

Urgent Help!!!!

Note:
I have tried to take pictures, but camera batteries are re-charging at the momment.

 

[chickiepooh]

Oh my, I wish I lived close by. I would help you out! Didn't they have any starter mash or something for sale? Today being Easter you won't find may feed stores open I am sure. I feed my girls a mash occationally of ground oatmeal, cream of wheat and grits. A little water and a microwave and my chickens love it. I really think any kind of ground or cracked grains will work until you get some starter mash. Good Luck!
Happy Easter!

 

[wynedot55]

the 1st thing you do is keep them warm.an give them some water.now gotta think of something they can eat.if you have some corn meal give them some of that.maybe some1 will be more help than i am.

 

[DuckLady]

Where do you live? Maybe you can find a member near you to give you some feed to hold over til tomorrow.

 

[Freebie]

If you don't have a heat lamp to keep them warm, does anyone know if a heating pad would work? I am not sure how to keep it protected is all. I am sure it would keep them warm enough though

 

[Duck-Madx]

There's an Easter Fest, open in the local shops where we were, so many shops where actually open, so thats why we decided to pop along.
The Pet shop didnt sell anything to start you off on the chickens, so was a problem.
Chickiepooh, ill try your idea in a second, anything to keep their little stomach's satisfied, hehe.


What about warmth and stuff?
I can't keep them in a shoe box for the rest of the day, can i?

 

[Chickens-246]

You could set the shoebox on top of your computer for a little warmth. Or set the box next to a house lamp and adjust the distance.

 

[4H kids and mom]

In a pinch for the night to keep them warm, if you have a desk lamp you could put the highest wattage bulb you have in it and point it over HALF of the box. Leave the other half of the box as a cool zone in case they get too warm. Here's a list of things you will need to get tomorrow:

*Brooder Lamp
*Heat bulb (red is best)
*Bigger box, or plastic storage tote or similar (they grow FAST!)
*Thermometer that goes over 100 (although you will need to regulate it around 95 for the first week)
*Bedding (pine shavings covered with paper towel for the first few days will work well)
*waterer
*feeder
*bag of Chick Starter or Starter/Grower. (Do NOT buy Layer or Layer/Grower or Finisher)

That should get you by for some time. You can buy all or most of this at a Tractor Supply store, feed store, or something similar to a Farm & Fleet store. Look in your phone book for places that sell things for sheep, cattle, horses, etc. They will also have things needed for chickens. Chicks this young have only three basic needs to remain healthy and happy.

WARMTH
FOOD
WATER

Meet those, and you'll be on your way. If you post where your located, a member here might be close enough to help you out until you can get to a store. If I were close enough, I'd have a chick waterer and feeder for you as I just upgraded my chicks to bigger ones as they grew.

Keep in mind that the chicks just about double in size every 2 weeks! My 5 weekers are half the size of a normal chicken now!

They will need more than a shoe box very soon! Good Luck!

 

[Southern Chickens]

It doesn't take much to make one. Here is a few pictures of the one I made out of a plastic tub. This one housed 35 chicks for two weeks. For just a few chicks you could keep thim in it longer. Get a thermometer so you can tell the temp in there and I have a clip on lamp for heat. Not the way it looks in the pictues.

 

[Chickens-246]

Depending on what type of house thermostat you have, to could put that into the box to get a temperature reading. For an old analog type the temperature part comes right off. My electronic one the whole thing removes.

I just did a temperature reading on top of my computer and it's 85° and climbing. My software says it's 98° inside. Seems like to good quickie heat source.