Using a Space Heater as a Temporary Heat Source & Bald Bumps Near Chicks' Shoulder/Neck

[feathermaid]

I don't use chick starter since my local pet store only offered medicated which my dad was highly against. So I use oatmeal which I blended in a food processor until it became like sand, mix in with a little bit of gritz, and smashed boiled eggs with the shells. As a treat I sprinkle some toasted peanut skins (not shells).

None of the foods you mentioned are good for your chicks--- they're all considered treats for older chickens, except the eggs. Chicks shouldn't even be given treats until they're about a week old or older. The gritz you mentioned... do you mean ground cornmeal? Have you cooked it, and the oatmeal? If fed anything at all besides chick starter, they MUST have chick-sized grit available. Grit is sharp granite-type rocks that all birds need to ingest in order to be able to process their food and should be offered separately, not mixed with feed so they can regulate how much they actually need. Without grit, they will get impacted crop and could die. The eggs shells do not work like grit, and they contain calcium which can damage a growing chicks internal organs (eggshells are fine for adult birds though). Chick starter is specially formulated to be water soluble and easily digestible without grit!

Regular pet stores won't have chick starter. Chickens are livestock so only a farm or feed store will carry what you need. Feeding non-medicated is fine. The medicated just gives them an immunity boost against coccidiosis as @Wyorp Rock already mentioned. A sign that chicks are infected is bloody poop and lethargy. Coccidiosis is a very common cause of death in chicks, but can be treated with a dose of Corid.
Coccidiosis & How to Treat It

 

[feathermaid]

I can't tell what is going on with your chick's bare spot, it doesn't look to be where the crop is located. You can see here in a pic of my chicks (at about 2-3 wks old), the brown chick has an obvious protruding full crop and the yellow chick is just going through various stages of molt.

But yours seems to have something else...

??? @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @chickens really @aart @ChickNanny13

 

[Eggcessive]

Your chicks looks fine, but you need to stop the oats and peanuts and eggs, and get some chick starter or flock raiser feed. The medicated feed is just fine to use, and does not have antibiotics or anything harmful. It contains amprollium, a coccidiostat whcih can help to protect against coccidiosis, a common disease in chicks. I have used it, and I have raised chicks on flock raiser without medication. Oats are harmful, in more that a small amount.

Either get a heat lamp and secure it well, or use the heat pad setup. Raise the lap to lower the temperature. You also need to place an inexpensive thermometer on the floor of your brooder (yes it will get pooped on, but clean it off.) That way you can regulate the temperature from 90 degrees the first week, and go down by 5 degrees each week until they are feathered out around 6 weeks.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a good place to get information on raising baby chicks in the learning center:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/learning-center.11/

A good book on raising chickens can be interesting and helpful. Tractor Supply and other feed stores sell them as well as supplies for chickens.

 

[Jimin]

I don't use chick starter since my local pet store only offered medicated which my dad was highly against. So I use oatmeal which I blended in a food processor until it became like sand, mix in with a little bit of gritz, and smashed boiled eggs with the shells. As a treat I sprinkle some toasted peanut skins (not shells).

I forgot to mention that this was only a temporary chick feed until my local pet store stocks up on unmedicated feed because as of now they're sold out. A lot of people seem to be concerned with what I'm feeding my chicks.

So just in case, I stopped by my university's agriculture department and spoke with some of the professors/agriculture specialists today. They told me that the current temporary feed I'm using is just fine as long as I regulate the ratios and eventually switch to the unmedicated or medicated chick feed within the next week. One professor told me that medicated feed wasn't really necessary more of a precaution since the chicks will eventually have to build a healthy enough immune system.

Regardless, I just pulled the trigger and bought the medicated chick starter on my way home from uni without telling my dad oof. Chickanda forever.

Btw one of the agriculture department's told me that studies have shown hens to lay better quality eggs by listening to certain genres of music. It also helps to reduce stress and anxiety. So I let my chicks listen to classical music and the Grammy nominated, two time billboard music top social artist award winner, critically acclaimed, BTS for 3-4 hours a day and my chicks have been much less noisier compared to when I don't have any music on. I recommend 'Clair De Lune' by Claude Debussy and 'Serendipity' by BTS (my chicks passed out so fast to this song; I was shocked).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I forgot to mention that this was only a temporary chick feed until my local pet store stocks up on unmedicated feed because as of now they're sold out. A lot of people seem to be concerned with what I'm feeding my chicks.

So just in case, I stopped by my university's agriculture department and spoke with some of the professors/agriculture specialists today. They told me that the current temporary feed I'm using is just fine as long as I regulate the ratios and eventually switch to the unmedicated or medicated chick feed within the next week. One professor told me that medicated feed wasn't really necessary more of a precaution since the chicks will eventually have to build a healthy enough immune system.

Regardless, I just pulled the trigger and bought the medicated chick starter on my way home from uni without telling my dad oof. Chickanda forever.

Btw one of the agriculture department's told me that studies have shown hens to lay better quality eggs by listening to certain genres of music. It also helps to reduce stress and anxiety. So I let my chicks listen to classical music and the Grammy nominated, two time billboard music top social artist award winner, critically acclaimed, BTS for 3-4 hours a day and my chicks have been much less noisier compared to when I don't have any music on. I recommend 'Clair De Lune' by Claude Debussy and 'Serendipity' by BTS (my chicks passed out so fast to this song; I was shocked).

Great! I hope you enjoy your babies, I wish you continued success.

 

[Yowza Wowza]

I forgot to mention that this was only a temporary chick feed until my local pet store stocks up on unmedicated feed because as of now they're sold out. A lot of people seem to be concerned with what I'm feeding my chicks.

So just in case, I stopped by my university's agriculture department and spoke with some of the professors/agriculture specialists today. They told me that the current temporary feed I'm using is just fine as long as I regulate the ratios and eventually switch to the unmedicated or medicated chick feed within the next week. One professor told me that medicated feed wasn't really necessary more of a precaution since the chicks will eventually have to build a healthy enough immune system.

Regardless, I just pulled the trigger and bought the medicated chick starter on my way home from uni without telling my dad oof. Chickanda forever.

Btw one of the agriculture department's told me that studies have shown hens to lay better quality eggs by listening to certain genres of music. It also helps to reduce stress and anxiety. So I let my chicks listen to classical music and the Grammy nominated, two time billboard music top social artist award winner, critically acclaimed, BTS for 3-4 hours a day and my chicks have been much less noisier compared to when I don't have any music on. I recommend 'Clair De Lune' by Claude Debussy and 'Serendipity' by BTS (my chicks passed out so fast to this song; I was shocked).

This made me smile so much.

 

[50-45-1]

d the yellow chick is just going through various stages of molt.

The bare spots on the yellow chick and our OP's black chick are just patchy irregular growth of new feathering.
Chicks this young do not go thru molt to my knowlege.
Most chickens have their first molt sometime after their first year.

 

[Folly's place]

Actually, growing chicks are loosing some feathers as they grow, and adding new ones at the same time. Look at the feathers on those month old birds, and at the same birds at six months of age, and it's obvious. It's not a molt, really, just growing bigger over time.
Mary

 

[ChickensAreFantastic]

Hello

I recently got 12 assorted baby chicks (around 3 days old) but couldn't find a heat lamp safe enough for my brooder. I'm using a very large rabbit cage with a deep thick plastic bottom. I covered the ground of the brooder with newspaper and then a layer of pine shavings.

My dad placed the cage in front of our gas heater which the chicks absolutely loved. They snuggled up against the side closest to the heater and roamed around freely after warming up. The gas heater however made the entire house feel like a furnace, so I used my spaced heater instead. I placed it only a few inches away from the side of the cage setting the temperature to be 95 degrees and since I'm paranoid I microwaved 2 socks filled with rice and placed them inside the brooder as well. The chicks loved it. Once they're heated up they just roam walk around and then come back whenever the want to warm up again.

Even though this was just a temporary set up, I was wondering if I should continue doing this since it does save me some money or should I just go out and buy a heat lamp? I'm quite paranoid of the bulb falling and starting a fire but I can't afford one of those chick plate heaters. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Also two of my chicks have balding patches near their shoulders/necks they eat and drink just fine and their behavior seems normal. Should I be concerned?

The two chicks that have balding patches, it might be because of the pecking order or bullying. i have a chick that shares a similar feature. BTW buying a heat lamp is a good idea. I have a heat lamp out in my coop because it's been quite cold out. if you keep checking on it, it should be fine.