Sugar, Vitamins, Poop - How do you water your new chicks?

[dako'ng itlog]

I am expecting a batch of chicks tomorrow and am fairly new at brooding. I have a few questions about the chicks water.

1. My two 3 week old chicks poop a lot in their water. Can they get sick from drinking their "poopy" water? How often do you usually change it?
2. Do you always give sugar water to new chicks or only when they look like they are struggling? How much sugar do you put in the water?
3. I have heard it is good to put childrens vitamins in their water. What kind of vitamins do you use? I assume the vitamins are a liquid. How much do you put in the water?
4. With the sugar or vitamin water do you just put in a small amount at a time so you don't have to throw it away because of the poop problem?

My 10 mix of chicks should arrive from Efowl.com hopefully tomorrow. I am so excited and a little worried with all of the dead mail chicks I have been hearing about. I appreciate any help with my questions.

 

[gritsar]

dako'ng itlog :

1. My two 3 week old chicks poop a lot in their water. Can they get sick from drinking their "poopy" water? How often do you usually change it?
I change the water a couple times a day at first. Raise your waterer up on something to help keep it clean. They should have to reach up just a tad to get a drink of water.
2. Do you always give sugar water to new chicks or only when they look like they are struggling? How much sugar do you put in the water? I didn't add sugar to my waterers for new chicks. I simply dipped each chick's beak in the water as I removed them from their shipping box. Sugar water is a good thing to keep in mind for weak chicks though. I'm sorry, I don't know the ratio of sugar to water, but a search using the keywords 'sugar water' should turn up an answer for you.
3. I have heard it is good to put childrens vitamins in their water. What kind of vitamins do you use? I assume the vitamins are a liquid. How much do you put in the water? You use poly-vi-sol children's vitamins WITHOUT IRON. Again, I don't know the dosage, sorry. I stick with clean fresh water, without additives.
4. With the sugar or vitamin water do you just put in a small amount at a time so you don't have to throw it away because of the poop problem? You're only using a small amount at a time anyhow.

My 10 mix of chicks should arrive from Efowl.com hopefully tomorrow. I am so excited and a little worried with all of the dead mail chicks I have been hearing about. I appreciate any help with my questions.​

 

[felidaet]

Last year was my first with chicks. I put the chick waterer on block of wood (2"x4"). This helped keep them out of it but it still got dirty. I changed the water twice a day. Occasionally I changed it 3 times if it got too dirty. I just used regular water out of the faucet (city water). I did not add anything to it. I did not have any sickly chicks. I got them all from feed stores and made sure to pick out all strong chicks. Make sure to put marbles (or clean rocks about the size of marbles) in the watering dish for the first few days. They can fall asleep while drinking and drown during the first few days.

I plan to do this exact same thing again this year.

 

[Fay at Frizzled Feathers]

I change my chicks water a few times a day or as it needs to be changed.

I give warm sugar water (1 Tlbs. sugar per quart) to all shipped chicks i receive for the first 24 hours , i also raise the water off of the brooder floor just a lil

 

[Miss Dottie]

Hi! I use quail waterers for my chicks because they are smaller. They can't get into the water and less chance of drowning and getting the water dirty. It still gets a little dirty but I clean them out as needed throughout the day. I always use warm water and add sugar. I mix 1 tablespoon of sugar per quart of water. Good luck with your chicks!

 

[mstricer]

I also use warm sugar water, I dont give them any food or water for first 24 hrs. (I pick up my chicks) I let them settle in first day they seem to sleep alot that day just warming up. Today though they are up and moving the growing begins.

 

[Mr.Bojangles]

Only childrens vitamins and coccidiostat in luke warm water, which is changed in the mornings and at night....Normally a chick is dehydrated from shipping and needs to drink its fill first.... After they have spent 3 hours in the brooder, I start them on chick scratch and cracked corn.... Then chick starter in a feeder after 24 hours..... ( if they get scours , I use a medicated chick feed )Also I put the water and feeder right at the edge of the light from the heat lamp so they will have to travel from the bedding area to the feeding area.....The bedding area gets wood chips not the entire brooder floor.... Very important keep the amount of poop off the floor and out of the feeders as coccidiosis is picked up from the feces....I use a shop vac to suck feces off the floor around the waters and feeders.....After 3-4 days I add dirt to the bare floor further from the feeder for them to scratch in...I have had very good luck using this method!

 

[Egg_newton]

I use nipple waterers. (check out link in my sig) Got the nipples from qcsupply and used a one gallon ridgid plastic bottle. Milk jugs are too flimsy. Keeps the water very clean.

I purchased chicks from the feed store. They were less than a week old and took to it right away. I also give them broiler booster from McMurray Hatchery for the first week. You can probably find it other places. It is a multi-vitamin powder you mix in their water. I've used it with ones I had shipped, ones I've hatched, and ones from the feed store. It seems to work great.

 

[Gonzo]

Whatever method you settle on, besure to offer the water at a warm temp, it helps keep their body temps stable. also, you can add a bit of sugar, and Apple cider vinagar. And lastly, keep a bottle of poly~vi~sol without iron handy incase you have one thats weak, or struggling. Good Luck~

 

[Evangelina]

how much apple cider vinegar do you use?