South Carolina

[carolinagirl58]

Quote:
That's the same problem I had. We took them out of the plastic bin that we had in the bathtub and put them into the outisde brooder with a heat lamp because they were just too messy! Still not as bad as Poof the ducky. She dumps water EVERYWHERE!

I will be working very hard to get their outdoor pen ready in the next couple of days. Geesh...what a stinking mess! I might make a mini-tractor to go inside the pen for the smaller ones, just to keep them together. that way I can move it every day to clean ground.

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

I use shavings........Pine shavings only.

One thing I have found over the years is that if you put chicks where older chicks/chickens were, and do not clean out the space or brooder, they will get sick and die. I keep my chicks in brooder until about 4+ weeks old if possible. Then I move them to their own tractor or cage outside in a clean area of grass where no larger chicks have been...Once they peck there and grow more around 6-8+ weeks of age I begin integrating them with the other birds.

An old timer told me that it is because the new chicks peck where the older chicks/chickens were, and ingest particles of poop, old feed, etc which passes bacteria etc to the younger ones that do not have the immune system for it. He said that is why the mom hen teaches the little new ones to scratch and peck....it builds up the immune system without him using medicated feed. To put chicks in an environment where bigger birds are or were will almost always cause them to get sick & die. It is nearly impossible to clean a darn stable stall!

The morning after the dog attack, one of my EEs was in the yard - dunno how she survived - she is only 4 weeks old, and growing FAST! Seems they grow and feather better once they are on ground also.

AMY - ALL your chicks are fat & sassy!

 

[itsjustjen]

Quote:
And that is another possiblity. I put the younger ones out in the brooder where the older chicks were after moving the olders into the coop. I cleaned out all the shavings and put new ones down but didn't get everything.

 

[huckleberryfarm]

Good gracious! I think I'm doing everything wrong.

I have the little babies in a big plastic tub in my half bath. I never have issues with the water. What are you all using? They also don't mess with the food too much. I've had one set knock over the water one time but that's been about it.

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
I use a plastic tub too until they get over a week old - then to brooder in basement. Mine don't make a mess in the food - I use a quart feeder & base - i have tried trays for more chicks at once - but they make a mess trying to roost or scratch

Anytime I have several LF they knock over water. My bantams don't

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

BTW there is no 'wrong way' to do things .... just different ways

 

[juliette2009]

Quote:
I use a plastic bin with shelf liner for the first week, then they go into a kiddie swimming pool as a brooder, kept next to me in my computer room. I usually use pine pellets as a bedding, pine shavings are too dusty and have an odor, which can cause respiratory problems in some birds. They stay here until they're feathered out, 7-8 weeks of age. I recently tried them on sand, but the poop seems to stick to their nails and harden like concrete, so I'm going back to pellets for the brooder.

Juliette

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
I use a plastic bin with shelf liner for the first week, then they go into a kiddie swimming pool as a brooder, kept next to me in my computer room. I usually use pine pellets as a bedding, pine shavings are too dusty and have an odor, which can cause respiratory problems in some birds. They stay here until they're feathered out, 7-8 weeks of age. I recently tried them on sand, but the poop seems to stick to their nails and harden like concrete, so I'm going back to pellets for the brooder.

Juliette

oooooooo pellets! Not tried those..will have to see if I can find some.

 

[DickGJ]

What are pine pellets? Are they "nuggets" from the bark? Where do you get your supply of these pellets?

 

[huckleberryfarm]

They have pine pellets at my TSC.