Seeking advice about Sebright chicks...

[georgina]

Hello everyone!

My name's George, I've just joined the site and I'm relitively new to chickens, I own a pair of d'Anver's and I have two Silver Sebright chicks. I've kept pigeons and aviary birds before though so birds aren't totally foreign to me!

I just found the site whilst using google to try and solve a worry I have about my two Sebright chicks....

I picked them up on saturday, they're about three weeks old and I'm keeping them in a decent sized plastic box with a heat mat (designed for tarantulas) and lined with fluffy teatowels. They have water and chick crumbs available at all times. My worry is their poop is really runny. Basically, I just wondered if that's normal or not and if it's caused by something I'm doing wrong?! The chicks seem happy and active otherwise.

I'm sure loads of people have posted about this on here but there are so many topics, I can't seem to find anything!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[Woods_Woman]

I dont know the answer being relatively new myself, but I did want to say

 

[possumqueen]

You might take the heat mat out and give them overhead heat that they can get away from if they want. If they stay warm ALL the time without an opportunity to move away from the heat when they feel like it, then they might drink a lot of water, and then the poops would be runny.

With all your other bird experience you'll be just fine. And BYC people will have plenty of questions that YOU can answer, too! Again, I say, Welcome!

 

[chixie]

welocme to byc... I agree with taking away the heat map and using an overhead light instead...

 

[georgina]

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

I did wonder if they may be drinking a lot of water but, to be honest, I never seem to see them drinking although they're always in the food bowl!

The heat mat is very small, it only takes up about a quarter of the box so they can get off it. It's not all that toasty either so the heat just stays directly in the place above the mat. I also have a little perch above half of it so they can either sit right on it and toast their butts or just over it. I don't actually have a lamp so I can't switch it for one. The mat seems to work ok, they're not fluffed up, nor are they panting. They have quite well developed wing feathers now so I guess they don't need all that much heat (the heating's on so the room is pretty warm too).

Sooooo, I can't change to a lamp, should I remove the mat completely and see how they get on? Or change the chickcrubs I'm using? Or just let them get on with it? This is all much more confusing than I thought it would be! LOL

This is them by the way... Peeps and Pearl!...

 

[possumqueen]

SWEET!!

They look healthy, and MOST IMPORTANT, the box AND chicks look CLEAN! You get an A!

Just a couple of suggestions: find a feeder that they can't stand in. It will save you a lot of feed.

And check out the stickies at the beginning of the Raising Baby Chicks index. They're crammed full of good information, and something might catch your eye to tell you what you need to do.

And flip through the rest of the Raising Baby Chicks index. There's a lot of expertise on this web site!

 

[georgina]

Awwwhh! Thankyou! Just that has put my mind at rest, I'm such a worrier!

I've been cleaning the box three or four times a day as they seem to poop so much, they're little feet get quite manky. They also got a 'butt bath' the other day!

I do have two food pots they can't stand in but they take up most of the box. I'll have to get a bigger box soon so I shall have to keep putting fresh food and water in often for now. Good job chick crumbs aren't expensive! LOL!

I have had a look around the rest of the chick section, I've already picked up quite a few tips! A friend from work who also has some bantams also loaned me a video which I've just watched, I didn't realise I could give them green food when they're this young so I'll be off to the shop in the morning for a bit of broccoli.

** I forgot to add - their poop's are fine today!! YEY!! (Doesn't stop them from walking it everywhere though! LOL!).

 

[georgina]

Hello again everyone! I'm here to pick your brains again!

Peeps and Pearl are doing well. Pearl had a bit off a wobbly legs issue but I made a splint type thing with a hairband and a bit of tape and she's walking fine again now, just has a bent toe from standing on the side of her foot.

They're getting a lot bigger now, I've taken the heat mat away and they now live in a guinea pig cage. I think they're almost fully feathered although they seem tiny. They seem about half the size of my d'anvers.

I was just stopping by to find out when and how I can put them outside. THEY STINK! They're in my room and frankly, I've had enough of cleaning them out every two hours!

I realise it's pretty cold out right now but I'd really like to try and get them out pretty soon. They'd have much more space too. I've put them out in a big rabbit run for a couple of hours the last few days - the sun was out and it was really rather pleasent in the garden.

They were fine, although a little bemused by the increased space!

Any advice would be great! Thanks.

Peeps and Pearl.

*** Ohhh, I forgot to ask - I'm nearly out of growers pellets and I can't get to the pet store until after new year - would it be ok to feed them layers pellets or chopped corn just until I can get something more apropriate?

 

[georgina]

Hello?? Anyone??

 

[georgina]

Ok, you lot are making me a bit paranoid now!

I shall just carry on talking to myself....