sugar water, nutridrench or both upon arrival in summer?

[NorthwoodsChick]

Hi all..yep, me again.

30 Cx arrive tomorrow from Ohio. I’m concerned about heat stress.

I have nutridrench that I can either add to initial water (plus drop bolus any chick in need at unpacking), and Quick Chik (from McMurrays) with other electrolytes and vitamins to put in water for the first few days.
Is there any need to add glucose to waterers the first day or will that contribute to diarrhrea? Neither of the above contain glucose.
thx

 

[FunClucks]

Hi all..yep, me again.

30 Cx arrive tomorrow from Ohio. I’m concerned about heat stress.

I have nutridrench that I can either add to initial water (plus drop bolus any chick in need at unpacking), and Quick Chik (from McMurrays) with other electrolytes and vitamins to put in water for the first few days.
Is there any need to add glucose to waterers the first day or will that contribute to diarrhrea? Neither of the above contain glucose.
thx

If I were you, I'd give individual bolus of Nutridrench to any chick who needs it (via syringe). It's basically molasses and vitamins/water, so there is a sweetness to it that encourages them to eat it, I think. Then put the Quick Chik (electrolytes and vitamins) in the water for the first few days. you can put a container of clear water in there also, or follow the instructions on the Quik Chick. For instance, I have Hydro Hen, which is electrolytes and probiotics, and it says feed for 12 hours, then 12 hours plain water, then you can feed again.

I don't think there's any need to feed glucose. Best to let them eat the chick food. One thing I would do though is give them some probiotics. you can put that in their water. It will help their digestion. Their poos are so watery generally, I fed probiotics periodically just to make sure everything was working properly.

I found when feeding Nutridrench to a 4 wk old egger, you don't have to put it very far into their mouth. I would dribble a drop just below their tongue, and then let them swallow it. Even holding the chick a bit sideways, and dropping the nutridrench on the side of their closed beak where it dribbled in a bit was enough for them to swallow it. So kind of see what works best for the size/age of chick you get.

I had a 4 wk old egger brooding in a warm/hot garage who had been stepped on and had an injured leg and could barely walk, and therefore hadn't been able to drink for an unknown period of time (probably a day - she was fine that morning, I found her in the evening), and I alternated Nutridrench and water in syringes until she wouldn't take either any more. But she was happy to drink both. I actually didn't put electrolytes in her water, because she was acclimated to the garage temperatures, and it's cooler in the evening. I figured once she was drinking and eating on her own, she'd be okay, and the Nutridrench helped that happen.

Not quite the same as shipping stress on day old/3-day old chicks, but a decent example of a stressed, hot, dehydrated chick and how I was able to successfully help.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

If I were you, I'd give individual bolus of Nutridrench to any chick who needs it (via syringe). It's basically molasses and vitamins/water, so there is a sweetness to it that encourages them to eat it, I think. Then put the Quick Chik (electrolytes and vitamins) in the water for the first few days. you can put a container of clear water in there also, or follow the instructions on the Quik Chick. For instance, I have Hydro Hen, which is electrolytes and probiotics, and it says feed for 12 hours, then 12 hours plain water, then you can feed again.

I don't think there's any need to feed glucose. Best to let them eat the chick food. One thing I would do though is give them some probiotics. you can put that in their water. It will help their digestion. Their poos are so watery generally, I fed probiotics periodically just to make sure everything was working properly.

I found when feeding Nutridrench to a 4 wk old egger, you don't have to put it very far into their mouth. I would dribble a drop just below their tongue, and then let them swallow it. Even holding the chick a bit sideways, and dropping the nutridrench on the side of their closed beak where it dribbled in a bit was enough for them to swallow it. So kind of see what works best for the size/age of chick you get.

I had a 4 wk old egger brooding in a warm/hot garage who had been stepped on and had an injured leg and could barely walk, and therefore hadn't been able to drink for an unknown period of time (probably a day - she was fine that morning, I found her in the evening), and I alternated Nutridrench and water in syringes until she wouldn't take either any more. But she was happy to drink both. I actually didn't put electrolytes in her water, because she was acclimated to the garage temperatures, and it's cooler in the evening. I figured once she was drinking and eating on her own, she'd be okay, and the Nutridrench helped that happen.

Not quite the same as shipping stress on day old/3-day old chicks, but a decent example of a stressed, hot, dehydrated chick and how I was able to successfully help.

Thank you @FunClucks. Great advice. I have some probiotic I can add to the quick chik, and will have plain water also.

You’re quickly becoming my go-to resource for meat birds—I very much appreciate your help

 

[MROO]

The advice already given is sound, especially for the summer heat. The only thing I would add is to avoid putting liquids directly into a bird's mouth - it's too easy for them to drown by having it go down the wrong way.
The safest and by far the easiest way I've found to give liquids, even plain water, is to lay it alongside the beak with an eyedropper. The chick will reflexively swallow the droplets without your having to force the jaw or risk drowning a baby with too much. too quickly, in the wrong pipe.
Good Luck!

EDIT to change "frown" to "drown!"

 

[FunClucks]

Thank you @FunClucks. Great advice. I have some probiotic I can add to the quick chik, and will have plain water also.

You’re quickly becoming my go-to resource for meat birds—I very much appreciate your help

You're welcome for any and all help - glad you've found my advice useful. But I'll be the first to say, I'm still pretty new at chickening and meat birds. There are a lot of really helpful and knowledgeable folks on here that know more than me, and I've greatly appreciated everything I've learned from them. It's wonderful to have such a supportive place to help us when we're trying new things, come across unforeseen challenges, or have a question that would be best answered by folks who've done it before.