Scared silly!

[rosewolf22002]

We just moved my babies that were born april 10th to the transition pen. There was no rain posted when we went to bed.

I woke up at 3 am to rain. It rained until 5:30am. I have a little house with a light and a area that is covered, but the little brats are all out in the rain.

Please tell me they will be ok!?! I picked them up and put them in the little house but one was load and scared them. They were all warm when I picked them up and they are 95% feathered out.

I am heartbroken that they got wet....please advise!

 

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

If you can, I would recommend taking a towel and pat drying them as chickens can catch cold. That being said, I have had young chickens to get rained on and be okay so don't worry too much, just take the proper precautions.

 

[rosewolf22002]

Well they found the heat lamp and are all dry. My kids helped me put a tarp over the run before they went to school. I have held them and they are all warm. Please tell me I am out of the woods!?!

 

[PeepsCA]

Are they shivering at all? If they are warm and dry, active, eating and happy now then you probably saved them in time. Keets typically don't get a cold from getting wet, they get hypothermia and die because they are not fully feathered out and cannot regulate their body temp until they are at least 6 weeks old (if they've been raised on high protein starter feed... it takes them even longer if they have been raised on chick starter (which does not have the appropriate protein and amino acid levels that the keets need for feathering out at the proper rate). The keets may not be smart enough to go in the little house and use the light for shelter and warmth, so you'll want to monitor them and or lock them up each evening for a couple more weeks.

 

[rosewolf22002]

They are doing great!

I have a group of 25 chicks and 12 keets. They are on a mix feed and are getting fed large grasshopper looking things called katydid daily. We won't let them in the yard yet so kids catch about 10 a day and what ever bug gets in the pen. Thank you all for caring!

They are all warm and dry so I think they will be fine. The sun has come out and the temp is 74. They have the heat lamp still on just in case. I will post pics as soon as I can get them off of my phone. I love you all for caring!

 

[PeepsCA]

Whew, good save! Sounds like they'll be just fine. If the keets don't have access to small gravel in their new pen be sure to provide some grit for them so they can grind up/digest those big ol bugs, lol.

 

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

So happy to hear they are okay. You are very welcome. There are a lot of people on this forum with some great advice. I learn something new every day.