Two questions about my chicks

[Raubkatze]

First off, I am so glad I found this forums.

My first question is about the heat plate. My chicks are now three weeks old. My heat plate says the top temperature on it is 110 degrees. I have tried two different times with two different thermometers to get readings on what the chicks are feeling under it, and got radically different results, so I have just been closely monitoring how the chicks seem to be feeling. I have only been raising it as they grow so that they can still all fit under it with their backs touching the bottom. Is this the correct way to do it? Or should I actually be raising it in a way to wean them off of needing heat?

Second question is, at three weeks old are they old enough for me to start offering them mealworms? What about fruits and vegetables? Will I need to add chick grit to their brooder?

 

[Debbie292d]

Most will recommend 6-weeks is best. I cheat though and start around four weeks old with scrambled eggs as that's easier on their digestion and they go nuts over those.

They need grit anytime you're feeding them anything other than their chick crumbles.

At three weeks, they should be at around 75-80F degrees, so I wouldn't worry about the plate as long as they can fit under it. If it's too hot, they won't sleep under it. We have a black ceramic bulb for our brooders' heat lamps, and half the time, I forget to raise it. The chicks move away from it as they grow.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is this the correct way to do it?

Sounds good to me. How are the chicks acting? To me, that is the most important question. If they are acting OK them you are doing it correctly.

Or should I actually be raising it in a way to wean them off of needing heat?

You do not need to wean them off of the heat. They will do that themselves.

Second question is, at three weeks old are they old enough for me to start offering them mealworms? What about fruits and vegetables? Will I need to add chick grit to their brooder?

One of the first things a broody hen does is take her chicks where they can peck at the ground and get grit. After that they can eat whatever they get without worrying about grit. So basically, they are old enough for mealworms, fruit, and vegetables at a couple of days old.

I let my broody hens take care of their chicks. I put a small amount of grit in the brooder for my brooder raised chicks on Day 2 or 3 and then about twice a week thereafter. As long as all they are eating does not need to be ground up they do not need grit but I don't see any harm in getting grit to them early.

 

[Raubkatze]

@Ridgerunner to answer your first question, they are alert and fiesty. They take naps under the heater and spend time out of it, eating, drinking, and playing on their perches.

 

[Ridgerunner]

@Ridgerunner to answer your first question, they are alert and fiesty. They take naps under the heater and spend time out of it, eating, drinking, and playing on their perches.

Perfect!!!

 

[dearmeghann]

I was so paranoid about the brooder plate and whether or not they were warm enough. A friend said something that blew my overactive mind. She said, "Just watch them and observe. They know what they need." And it's so true! I have one side raised up and have an inch or two between the plate and the wall, so no one gets smashed. And every so often, I raise all the feet one small notch. No one is stress-crying. No one is huddled. Some like to perch on top during the day to keep their feet warm, and others want to take their mid-day naps under the brooder plate.

I have a camera inside the pen, so I don't miss anything lol! They chirp really loudly when we turn off the light and close the guest room up. For the first few days, I would check on them, thinking they were cold. And then they'd cry loudly when I left the room again. I finally realized they just wanted us to hold them and perch on us. lol! The camera let me see how at ease they really are.