What are the most important things to do for new baby chicks?

[Amy in Florida]

Hi,

I want to get some advice from you expert chick mom and dads. I'm waiting for my chicks and want to do everything right for them. This is my first season to raise chickens. I lost 2 out of my last batch I got from a breeder and don't want to go through that again. I don't know if they had problems when I purchased them, if they picked up something from the container I used or from the chicks we had that were a few weeks older or what happened. The symptoms were like cocci, but I don't know for sure.

Here is what I've done for this new batch:

I have a new clear plastic brooder, vitamins/electrolytes to put in the water, a new waterer and feeder, Carefresh bedding and paper towels to cover it with the 1st few days, a digital thermometer, and a heat lamp. We are also using MannaPro Medicated Chick Starter. I'm thinking of crushing that up a little more for the little ones to eat. There are suppose to be 6 bantams and 2 standards.

I would love to have any words of wisdom from any and all of you. I've been reading and reading to educate myself, but I'm feeling so inadequate from the last batch. We had 5 and I lost 2. That was not good odds.

Thanks!!

Amy

 

[chickenlittle32]

Please be careful using vitamins/electrolytes. I have lost quite a few bc I ended up using too much of it.

 

[Amy in Florida]

That is very good to know! So, I should go light on that, not heavy. Thank you so much!

Amy

 

[cochinbantam-lover]

Sounds like you have it all covered pretty well! About the vitamins and electrolytes, what I used is the Quik Chik and it says you can use it for the first 3 weeks. I don't know what you are using but with the Quik Chik it is recommended and I believe it is vitamins and electrolytes. You add one teas to one gal water and one package lasts quite awhile. Good luck with your new chicks.

 

[annek]

Quote:
Be careful in the plastic totes. I would punch a hole or two in it. I have seen a few posts about chicks drowning when something happened to their water and it leaked in the tub. Mine leaked but I used a cage with newspaper and chips on top so it just got things wet. Also put rocks/marbles in the waterer to prevent drowning.

Does the Medicated Chick Starter have Amporilium (sp)? Some are now coming out with antibiotics, I would avoid those.

Set up your heat lamp now and be sure to check the temp before thy get here. I found mine was way too hot in the house and had to go to a lower watt bulb 100W as opposed to the 250W heat lamp they gave me.

I don't know what carefresh is but I assume you know not to use cedar.

Good luck and have fun with your new babies, I hope they do great for you!!!

 

[Son of Yard Full O' Rocks]

well it sounds like to me you are doing the right thing.

 

[twzlrwho]

I will say I hope you have a better time with the Carefresh than I. It is the dustiest stuff EVER! My whole brooder room looked like I hung cobb webbs for halloween. I personally will never use this again. I know if it throws that much dust it wouldn't be good for them to breathe. Well, I would think so anyway. Maybe someone else has used it and had a better experience but I would like to know their trick to keep dust down.

Good Luck!

 

[redstars]

Make shure they always have clean water, also some marbles in the waterer is a good Idea so no one drowns. Good luck!

 

[Amy in Florida]

Thanks so much everybody! They got here this morning and so far, so good.

Any other advice from anyone?

Thanks!

 

[cochinbantam-lover]

Yes.....Have fun with your babies!!!!