Post by critter015 on Mar 24, 2017 16:15:58 GMT -5
The chicks are SO cute! I started with 15 RIRs and could mostly tell them apart, but that was before I had kids and while I was also not working, so I spent a ton of time out there with them. Subsequent batches all looked the same to me except my current batch are all different breeds or different colors of the same breed so I can tell them apart. My favorite is a black naked neck that just seems to have a ton of personality. When I go to feed the goats she'll fly and land on the hay I am carrying and try to scratch around in it. The eggs in my incubator are mostly crosses that should add some different colors of eggs to my cartons, but I set one of her's too just for fun, I hope that one hatches into a pullet!
See the two stripes ones look similar but definitely not the same! Wonder what they are.
I have had chicks for 4 years and never know what they are until they feather out. Until then we lovingly refer to them as the grey ones, the yellow ones, or the chipmunk ones (with the dark stripes like yours).
See the two stripes ones look similar but definitely not the same! Wonder what they are.
I have had chicks for 4 years and never know what they are until they feather out. Until then we lovingly refer to them as the grey ones, the yellow ones, or the chipmunk ones (with the dark stripes like yours).
Well it's official because I was just sitting here drinking and I'm like, oh, everyone is asleep (humans and chicks), and I was like, hmm, maybe I should go wake up David Bowie for a little cuddle.
Post by critter015 on Mar 25, 2017 12:22:56 GMT -5
Here is a pic of out chicks from last summer that are laying now. The two EE's are the one's getting a drink directly to the left of the waterer. There are also two Welsummers in there that look similar to the EEs. One of them is our rooster.
Post by critter015 on Mar 25, 2017 12:56:14 GMT -5
Speckled sussex are really pretty! A guy we bought some RIR layers had some that were full grown and I couldn't believe how beautiful they were! You'll have to post an update of how your girls turn out.
I just made a new type of feeder from a bottle and a large cap in hopes that it would reduce the amount of food strewn about the brooder. So far, it looks unsuccessful. Ah well.
I also removed the waterer in hopes that they will use the nipple waterer I have set up. Because they can't poop in the nipple waterer. I've shown each one a million times how to peck the thing for water. But I'm sure they weren't bothering because they had another option.
Basically chicks are in my house and there's so much poop. Good thing I already deal with the poop of two small-ish humans.
Post by critter015 on Mar 25, 2017 18:23:52 GMT -5
I tried a ton of different feeders and I feel like I had the least waste just putting a small amount in a pie plate on top of an elevated piece of wood so that they couldn't mix their shavings in it, and it was wide enough that when they scratched in the feed it still stayed in the pie plate. The very worst is the miniature hanging one that holds about 1 lb of feed. They can rake half of it out of that in an afternoon. Feeders and waterers are just annoying when they are small.
Guys this morning one of the buff chickies (yellow) was laying on the bottom of the brooder and her wings looked weird and when she got up she was walking funny! She has been napping more than the others the past few days.
So I took her out and gave her some vitamin solution and cuddled her wrapped in a towel against me. Fed her some water by syringe. Chirp chirp!
She went back in after a bit and ate some food and then napped. And now she seems to be okay! I hope...
You guys the yellow one is fine but David Bowie started acting funny this morning and now he's walking funny. I've given them all the vitamin drench at this point, and cuddled David Bowie a good but, but from my internet research I feel like he could have something that requires splinting? Eff.
Post by critter015 on Mar 26, 2017 22:21:36 GMT -5
Oh no! We had one that we hatched that had a slipped tendon and I failed at splinting it and we ended up having to put it out of its misery. I hope things are better in the morning!
This afternoon we found two crickets in the garage so I tossed them into the brooder and the chicks went nuts over them. One chick caught a cricket and the rest chased it madly around while they all cheeped up a storm! It was hilarious. We told DH about it so he picked up some more crickets at PetsMart. He tossed a handful of them in and most of them hid under the shavings, so now every once in awhile I hear the chicks start cheeping crazily and I know they found another cricket. We gave our last chicks meal worms and they went nuts over them too.
That is awesome! Do they love it? I think it is a genius idea, and I'm sad I didn't learn about it before investing so much in light fixtures and different sizes of bulbs and dimmers and things. At least now we're just reusing stuff we already have.
The thread about it did help me learn to use what I have more efficiently, I only heat a small corner of the brooder and use the smallest bulb that will maintain a comfortable temperature there and after they are a week or so old that is always a reptile bulb that doesn't put off much light so they learn day from night.
That is awesome! Do they love it? I think it is a genius idea, and I'm sad I didn't learn about it before investing so much in light fixtures and different sizes of bulbs and dimmers and things. At least now we're just reusing stuff we already have.
The thread about it did help me learn to use what I have more efficiently, I only heat a small corner of the brooder and use the smallest bulb that will maintain a comfortable temperature there and after they are a week or so old that is always a reptile bulb that doesn't put off much light so they learn day from night.
They do love it! From the first day they were home (purportedly at 2 days old) they've STTN under the MHP, and during the day they're just in and out, napping and warming up.
I'm using a heating pad I already had and I sewed a cover from PUL - old diaper making supplies (I gave up on making diapers, and just make the occasional wet bag now), so it's been low-cost.
I like how you say "the thread." Lol. That damn million page thread is well known!
I love that you made a PUL cover for it! My heating pad is one with the automatic shutoff, though I did consider asking my husband to rewire it so I could use it!
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