Vitamin Help........ Please

[Shiningfeather]

I know I have read on here about vitamins to give baby chicks in water, but I have looked for the thread for over an hour with no luck. I have some baby chicks that just are not growing very much and others that are only a week older and three times bigger. I have fed them the same and am not sure why the ones are so much smaller. I have had to seperate tham cause the bigger ones were starting to pick on the small ones and were stepping on them. I need to know what type and where can I buy them.....like at local feed store or where?

 

[ozark hen]

I have had real good luck with my last two hatches by adding a stopper full of Polyvisol to their water for their first two-three weeks. chicks are really filled out nicely and seemed to grow faster..so my dh claimed. With the cold temps and all I wanted them to have the best chance. Of course, I put a little sugar in their water for the first three days as I was moving them into different sized brooder tubs.

 

[chickenmum]

You could try Tractor Supply Co. and PBS if it is a chain store or you live around here.

 

[AHappychick]

polyvisol can be found in the grocery or any drugstore it is an infant vitamin jusy make sure you dont get one with added iron. oh and its a dark colored liquid small bottle

 

[Shiningfeather]

Thanks so much. I think its great all the help you can get on here. Everyone is so nice.

 

[redhen]

what if all you can find is the one with iron?...can you still use it? for a short amont of time?

 

[RendonRoo]

No to iron. Most feed stores will carry the vitamins and electrolyte that you mix into the water. Sure you didn't get some bantys? Good Luck

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Might the crumbles be a little too big for some of the smaller chicks? You could try putting some in the blender or a food processor and see if they have an easier time eating it.

Do the smaller ones look healthy and act normally? Is it possible that you have some banties and some standard size chicken breeds? Or some faster growing meat chicks mixed in with standard breeds?

It wouldn't hurt to give them a few extra vitamins temporarily. I was just trying to think of other things that might account for the size difference, that have happened to other people. Sometimes, when you pick them out in person, you don't always get what you think you're getting.

 

[Shiningfeather]

The ones that are growing so much faster are EE's. Here is a pic of the smaller ones. Gold star sexlink, white leghorn, SLW, not sure what the rest are as I went brain dead during shopping experiance when I was picking them out on chickie farm. They were all just to cute......learned to take paper and pen and write it down next time

I have put crumbles in food processor to make a little smaller but that has not seemed to help. They are starting to get wing feathers now and a couple have very small tails starting. They are just tiny little babies.

PS You can see some of the EE's with them since I took these pics before I had to move them out . I can get newer pics tomorrow when I am off work.

 

[ozark hen]

After seeing your pics...now this is only my own personal experience...I have all the same breed to start with...one group is 9 days older than then the other group and there is a big difference in height at that age. I feed the same. Could that possibly be the reason? I wouldn't have thought nine days would make that big of a difference but when they are together I can see it.