wood chips in water and food dish

[CharmedChicks]

My first post - my two and three week old babies keep filling their water dispenser with the wood shavings that I put in their brooder. I push the shavings as far from the water as possible but I have to clean it out twice a day.

I am so loving having the babies. They're so cute with their new feathers and fuzzy heads I'll post photos as soon as I get good ones.

 

[Tala]

Most people solve this problem by elevating the feeder/waterer with bricks or pieces of wood. The height should be about = to the chicks' backs.

Other than that, just change the water every day

 

[littlebowpeeps]

I have the same problem. Even when I raised it up, I still have to clean it out about twice a day. a pain in the tail feathers but what can you do?

 

[Sequin]

My babies have learned how to drink out of a bottle waterer like the parrots might use(found the hanging kind in the bird aisle of petsmart) or hamsters, if you have a way of hanging it on the side of your brooder. Then they graduate to the raised waterer when they get older. I just dipped their beak to the little rolly ball end and they got it figured out pretty quick. Saves me Tons of time and gross factor from having to clean the little chicks waterer.

 

[JewellFarm]

My husband cut wood blocks out of a two x four or something. Mine kept theirs absolutely full and I was changing my maybe four or five times a day. After elevating the food and water, I now change once maybe sometimes twice a day which is a lot better than what I was doing. Hope this helps.

 

[minifarmgurl1]

WOW good idea with the water bottle!! im going to remember that!!

 

[cmom]

I use wire in the bottom of my brooders. I have never had the chicks feet go through the wire and the water and feed stay clean. I have a tray with pine shavings in their brooder for them to scratch around and lay in. I had a brooder before with a solid floor and even though I had their waterer and feeder raised they were constantly getting shavings in their feed and water where I was cleaning them out several times a day so I went to the wire brooders. There are pictures on my BYC Page.

Here is a pic of one of the brooders.

 

[Bagdad Chicken Mom]

Hello all new chicken Moms! My beautiful biddies are 3 weeks old. Their fuzzy physique has been turning into beautiful feathers. They are even doing some flying lol. They are so cute. I just love talking to them. They look forward to seeing me a couple times a day. Have a great weekend. Can't wait to get the chicks into their new best looking chicken coop in Santa Rosa County!

They will be so glad to be in a larger area than a box with light for now.

 

[Bagdad Chicken Mom]

Cmom, Loved all your pictures and all your critters! Nice garden and ponds too.

 

[BluegrassSeramas]

Great ideas. Do all the bird waterers have the red ball?