The babies are here!!!!!

[MollyDora]

I think we are down to our final 9.

last night the last droopy one died and the remaining 9 are super fit!

i'm actually kind of interested to see what Meyers says. I just feel that if this is normal and the whole cause of this many dying is really the cold weather, they just should not ship in those temperatures...

 

[Agafan]

MollyDora, I feel so bad for your losses. That was my greatest fear in getting ours at this time of cold weather too. We chose to have them vacinnated as well and we followed the feeding instructions for adding the vitamins to their water and mixing up that green gel feed so that was the first thing they had after opening their box. Even though they came in the cold and we were concerned I guess that warming pad thingie under their excelsior bedding kept them warm enough. Although hubby said they peeped like crazy on the way home (after tending them for 3 days now I can really tell how they are quiet when happy and peep loudly when distressed) So all 16 arrived fine in their shipping box (hatched Mon del to NC mts on Wed). I dipped each one's beak in both their green starter gel and their water and they all took to it immediately. I tapped on the feeders with my finger like I was pecking and they followed suit too. After treating 13 of 16 for pasty butt yesterday and then generously putting vasoline on their butts, they all are thriving today, running around alot, pooping normally and no more incidence of PB. Thank goodness! I also put ACV in their water (I do use warm water when I chg it each time along with that vitamin powder that came with them). I also mixed some plain Greek yoghurt in their medicated chick feed.. They didn't go for it but I left it in there thinking some if it will get pecked on eventually. Today they are doing all sorts of new chicken behaviors, even flying over their feeders flapping their wings, (they all have tiny wing feathers now!) preening (trying to clean off all that vasoline LOL), and scratching like a big girl does with their feet. So comical to watch. Plus they chase any chick who finds something interesting, its just a pc of pine shavings but they are so curious they think its pure gold!

It's very cold here now 10 degreesF. When they were shipped it was above freezing but still I worried. Hubby has attached the brooder lamp to his camera tripod so it can be raised/lowered according to temp needs and its working out great. We just adjust it to where the chicks are comfortable hanging out in the general vicinity but not running away from it to the far corners nor huddled directly under it. Even though the thermometer registers higher than recommended the chicks happy behavior lets us know we are at the right height.
Do you think all your chicks were warm enough? I'm unfamiliar with the yellow Eco system you used. Did you have yours vaccinated too? Since we both got ours the same day from Myers I am just trying to trouble shoot the differences since we've had such different outcomes. Good luck with those remaining 9. I really hope the worst is over for you. .

[/IMG]

 

[MollyDora]

HI

yes in fact we did have ours vaccinated too. the only difference I'm seing is that we do not feed medicated food, but other then that it's pretty much the same. We also change the water daily (or more often if it's dirty) refill the waterers with warm water and ACV.

We did loose another one yesterday and are down to 8 now....

We did some research and on some websites it says that pine shavings can become a problem if the chicks start pecking at them and injest some, since we are desperate we changed the bedding to straw now.

It's just sad, we are now down to 4 Easter egger, 2 Barred Rocks and 2 black orpingtongs...... At this point I'm almost scared to go in the room.. what started out to be such a heartlifting and fun experience is now just so sad.

 

[Agafan]

MollyDora, how warm is the room they are in? Ours are in our home main bathroom with is quite warm with normal house heat and the heat of pur brooder Lamp. Maybe you might need to supplement with a brooder lamp. Do you think they are too cold?? How do they behave around their heat source? That seems to be our biggest difference other than our Purina medicated chick feed which was highly recommended to us. I am so sorry for you, I feel your disappointment and fear of checking on them I was that way Day 1-2 but then I became much more raced after they all were so normally happy. I can't imagine how you must feel. But the 8 little girls left will fr very so to you for sure. I pray they all survive. Try the heat lamp. Ours is about 105-110degrees directly under the lamp more than recommended but its working well!

 

[MollyDora]

they are in our laundry room which is heated like the rest of the house.

Today seems the first day that they took a break from the heating source, normally they were always under it, when I come in the room they are normally all quietly sleeping under the heatsource...

I just don't know anymore

 

[Agafan]

I've read that if all they do is huddle under the heat source together then they are too cold. If they all are as far away as possible all the time then they are too warm. And if they scatter about coming in /out and all around the heat source it's just right. Kinda like baby bear huh?
Unfortunately we came home from Christmas shopping today to find our first loss. One of our Rhode Island Reds was on her side, stiff and with another chick standing on her dead body

We were gone about 5-6 hrs. what a sad disappointment. They were ALL so active and healthy looking since we got them Wed. ...no obvious weak ones. In fact the RIR seemed to be the most robust of the 4 breeds. Can't fathom what did it. The bathroom was a little cooler because we didn't leave the house heat on but their brooder lamp showed their area at just under 100 degrees. It's generally been just over 100. The recommendation is 95-100. I had to wash one RIR's butt before I left today but she was not wet, I dried her butt. Not even sure if that was the one who died or not. But it really surprised me. I optimistically,(falsely in hindsight), felt that we just might get through their first week without losing any. They were that perfect seeming... Well after fixing their pasty butts that is. But I caught it right away so I don't think that was it. . Guess its just natures mystery. But it did upset me. I just hope I don't lose any more. I'm afraid to leave them to go to church tomorrow even. I had one that laid down like she was dead on Th after cleaning her PB but I touched her and she sprang up and was fine running around like normal . Makes me wonder if this one did that but I wasn't around to nudge her. Is like you want to constantly watch them!
Hubby changed out all the bedding for fresh tonight. They all are acting normal.
I hope your 8 did well today.

 

[MollyDora]

so far so good, we're still on 8 and they seem fine.

You know I think the heat is not the problem, because they do that, they are either all under, all out or they run around in and out...

I'm sorry to hear about your loss and i know how much it sucks!

one question: the picture you posted last, the one chick with the white tips on the wings, what breed is that?

 

[MollyDora]

because we have some just like that (just no fuzzy feet) and we cannot figure out which one that's supposed to be.

We thought it's the last black australorp, but now that it's growing white tipped wings we're not sure anymore... weird


nevermind, I just googled it and I guess that's what they look like as babies... oh the joy of being a rookie!

 

[Agafan]

so far so good, we're still on 8 and they seem fine.

You know I think the heat is not the problem, because they do that, they are either all under, all out or they run around in and out...

I'm sorry to hear about your loss and i know how much it sucks!

one question: the picture you posted last, the one chick with the white tips on the wings, what breed is that?

She's a Black Langshan.
Sadly I lost a little blue Laced Red Wyndotte chick on Sunday (she was 6 days old) ..2 days after losing the other little RIR chick. But the remaining 14 have thrived and grown really fast this week. Today everyone is 12 days old They all seem great so I'm optimistic.
Do you still have your 8? Hope all is well.

 

[MollyDora]

Hi

yes we still have our 8. they also grew a lot!

we will just wait till February and then get some more from Cackle Hatchery as they are about 30 minutes away from where we live, that way we can just spare them the stress of being mailed and hopefully have less losses!