when to put chicks on the wire?

[Firemenlovechicks]

Hey all! Got my new babies today from McMurray! (sorry, computer troubles and unable to upload pics right now) All seem to be very happy and healthy!

I have them in a commercial style brooder with a wire floor and slide out tray underneath...... right now I have paper towels down but I need to know when it is safe to remove the paper towels and let them stay on just the wire? I don't want to cause them any leg problems......

I have roughly 35 cornish X, plus a couple of golden polish, aracaunas, buff and white orpingtons, barred rocks, blue cochins, and a suprise free chick or five!

Anyways, I am new to this so I am just trying to make sure I don't hurt the babies!

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[Gonzo]

I'd give it a couple of weeks. Give their feet time to get some size to them.

 

[Illia]

Yeah, I'd say wait a couple weeks, perhaps a month. I'd love to see your surprise chick(s) - Oh, and sorry to say but your Araucanas are not real Araucanas, but crossbred chickens called Easter Eggers.

 

[Firemenlovechicks]

Quote:
Yeah, I know about the aracaunas...... couldn't find any pure bred when I was ordering..... I knew I was getting mutts when the catalog said "not for show" "only for colored eggs" and the breed was listed as "aracauna / ameracauna"

LOL

o well...... we will have pretty eggs...... maybe...... lol

thanks for the replies!

Jeff

 

[Ridgerunner]

I put mine on wire immediately and none developed leg or foot problems. Not to say that others haven't had different experiences, just relating mine.

One concern about raising chicks on wire is that they need to eat some of their poop to help develop resistance to coocidiosis. You may already know all this but I'll go on about it a bit anyway. Cocci is caused by a protazoa thet reproduces in the chicks intestines, the eggs are passed in the poop and develop for a day or two in the damp poop, the chick then eats the developed eggs, and the protazoa then grows in the chicks intestines. If the brooder has wet poop in it, the protazoa can reproduce in the wet poop outside the intestines. The chick has to go through about two weeks of this cycle to develop the resistance they need. If one has it they all need to get the immunity because they will get it later.

It is a bit more complicated than this. There are seven different kinds of protazoa that can cause cocci and immunity to one does not give immunity to the others. I know of no way of knowing if any of yours has any of the protazoa unless you have had an outbreak. If you keep the brooder dry there is a good chance you will never know if they do have it because a dry brooder breaks that cycle of the protazoa egg developing in the damp poop.

The different strains of protazoa cause cocci of different strength. With most, if you keep the brooder pretty dry to keep the cocci protazoa from multiplying in the wet poop, the chicks can handle some cocci fine and develop that immunity. The medicated feed restricts the protazoa from multiplying in the chicks intestines. It does not stop the reproduction, just slows it down so the number of protazoa does not overwhelm the chick but they can still develop that immunity.

With mine, I took sand from outside and gave it to to my chicks as grit, hoping to introduce any cocci in the ground to the chicks so they can get that immunity. I let the poop build up a little on the wooden supports for my wire bottomed brooder but kept most of it pretty dry. I watched them carefully for signs of cocci and did not see any. I don't know if they developed any immunity or not. When I brood my next batch of chicks, I will take some dirt/sand from their run and give it to the chicks in the brooder.

I said I'd go on a bit. That's enough though. Good luck with your chicks!!!

 

[tdgill]