The anticipation may kill me

[CJreef]

I gave her a drop of nutridrench a few hours ago. She’s eating and drinking just fine now.

The Austra white had the nipple waterer all to herself for most of the afternoon. The rest gathered around the rock filled standard chick waterer. A few are figuring it out tho, so she has to share. It was pretty funny to watch her dash to the end of the kennel and hog the water.

You just answered my question about the waterer. I replied to one of your posts on the first page and that's where it posted. So, here is the other question: how high do you have the legs on your Premier plate and are they higher in the front than the back? Thank you.

 

[Missbc]

How high did you set yours and do you have the legs higher in the front than the back? I also have a nipple waterer and I wonder if I should also have a regular trough with marbles to prevent them from getting wet and drowning.

Good eyes! I set it pretty low, because they want their backs to touch at times. The back legs are only a notch or two less than the front at this point. If I put them underneath the plate, they have to duck to get in. They’re spending a few minutes under and then dashing out to eat or drink or run then they head back under (I can see the activity being recorded on the cloud cam and during the longer episodes they all go out and during the shorter ones it’s just a couple.) They are in my sort-of-heated garage under the house.

I set up both- the nipple waterer and the round base with a jar and round pebbles. More of them are using the nipple waterer today. I’m glad I have both- they’ll have both out in the run when they go out, and I know my old chickens won’t use the nipple ones so the littles won’t have to fight for water.

 

[Missbc]

And if I remember from yesterday, I think I set it just within the first wide rings. So lots of small rings then a break with big rings. The back is set so that only part of the big ring shows and the front is set that most of the big ring shows, of that makes sense.

 

[Kelsykin]

Good eyes! I set it pretty low, because they want their backs to touch at times.

I set my heat plates to be on an angle as well. I usually have one side all the way down and the other up a few notches so I do not have to adjust as often while they are growing.

 

[CJreef]

Good eyes! I set it pretty low, because they want their backs to touch at times. The back legs are only a notch or two less than the front at this point. If I put them underneath the plate, they have to duck to get in. They’re spending a few minutes under and then dashing out to eat or drink or run then they head back under (I can see the activity being recorded on the cloud cam and during the longer episodes they all go out and during the shorter ones it’s just a couple.) They are in my sort-of-heated garage under the house.

I set up both- the nipple waterer and the round base with a jar and round pebbles. More of them are using the nipple waterer today. I’m glad I have both- they’ll have both out in the run when they go out, and I know my old chickens won’t use the nipple ones so the littles won’t have to fight for water.

Thanks, Missbc.

 

[Missbc]

Screen shot may help you see where the supports are set.

 

[CJreef]

And if I remember from yesterday, I think I set it just within the first wide rings. So lots of small rings then a break with big rings. The back is set so that only part of the big ring shows and the front is set that most of the big ring shows, of that makes sense.

Yes, that makes perfect sense. On my legs that comes to 2.75" in the back and 3" in the front.

 

[CJreef]

Yes, that makes perfect sense. On my legs that comes to 2.75" in the back and 3" in the front.

Went back to your first picture and it looks a bit higher in the front, perhaps 4"?

 

[Missbc]

Yep! I took that picture when I first put them in; it was clear soon enough that it was set too high. They were unhappy and so I lowered it to the height as described above.

Probably depends on the height of your chicks too!

 

[CJreef]

Just came back from the PO, the chicks came in one day early which is great. They are all frisky, eating and drinking. They won't stop peeping though. I hope I have the plate low enough. I'll post pictures as soon as I can. Here is one of my set up before I added the second waterer.
I got my chicks from Cackle Hatchery. They sent me 2 extra hens so now I have 7 hens and one rooster which they marked with a black spot on his head. They are all very active and healthy looking, no pasty butts.
Cackle's instructions called for very warm water then warm water for two more days, but, the water cooled down very fast. I hope the chicks don't get chilled. I have no idea how I could keep the water between 90 and 105 degrees. Any ideas?