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vancouver island's rainbow heritage chickens
Baby Chick Care Suggestions
☽ Have your brooder box ready at least 12-24 hours before bringing your chicks home. It should be indoors, in a quiet place free of drafts and undisturbed by other animals in the home. Your brooder box should have good ventilation, but be fully covered to prevent anyone from getting out (or in). Chicks should only be kept with those within the same age group up up to a week or so difference, as larger chicks may trample or pick on smaller chicks - as well as hog vital resources.
☽ A soft bedding such as pine shavings is a great choice. Avoid sand, cedar shavings, or sawdust. Chicks require a good layer of bedding (about an inch or two deep) as grip to prevent them slipping around, which can cause splaying of the legs. Keep your brooder clean and don't allow it to become and remain dirty, dusty or wet. This can cause illness such as pneumonia in chicks.
☽ Chicks require supplemental heat until they are fully feathered at around 6 weeks old. Be sure your heat lamp or heat plate is positioned thoughtfully to avoid being a fire hazard. A heated brooder plate is strongly suggested over a lamp. The heat source should be positioned as such so that all of the brooder is warm, but there is space for chicks to move around and cool off if they become too hot. If using a heat lamp, we suggest not having it placed above the water as this can promote algae and mold growth which can make chicks sick.
☽ Baby chicks require fresh water at all times. A special baby chick waterer should be used, as little chicks are at risk of accidentally drowning. As they get bigger, the waterer can be placed on a small platform to avoid the water getting dirty. We always suggest adding vitamin and electrolyte mix to the water for extra support, at least for the first few weeks. It is vital to use a *chick specific formula* and follow the dosage suggestions. Some chicken electrolyte and vitamin mixes are marketed for mature birds, so be sure provide appropriate dosing for young chicks as providing too high of a concentration of vitamin mixture to the water can seriously harm chicks. Be sure to clean your chick waterer thoroughly and check for any pink mold or build-up.
☽ Chicks should eat chick starter crumble, and can be switched to grower feed between 6-20 weeks of age. We recommend medicated chick starter for extra immune support, to set your chicks up strong from the beginning. Just like with water, they should always have free access to food, at all times.
☽ Be sure to handle your baby chicks regularly if you would like them to become social and form a bond with you, however, overdoing it can cause stress which can be dangerous for chicks. Chicks will become fearful and skittish if they are not handled, so spending at least 10-15 minutes a day interacting with them gently will promote a calmer temperament. It’s crucial to practice bio-security (even at home) such as washing hands and wearing clean clothes when handling your baby chicks as their immune systems haven't developed yet. Pathogens from outdoors can come inside via clothing or on hands, and can quickly infect very young chicks.
☽ After at least 6 weeks of loving care (or until they are fully feathered), your chicks will be ready to go outside into the chicken coop! Turn off the heat lamp in the brooder for a few days before going outside, to help them adjust without the shock. Be sure that you choose a mild sunny day for the first day outside. Chicks should be integrated into the outdoor coop gradually and with care, especially if there is an existing flock. If there is a significant size difference between your juvenile chicks and existing flock, or if there is any bullying, allow the chicks a separate area to continue to grow out until around 12 or more weeks old before fully integrating, when they are getting to be closer in size to the rest of the flock. Chickens are naturally calmer at dusk, so it is wise to make introductions when existing chickens have already begun to settle in for the evening and are in a restful state.
Baby Chick Troubleshooting
☽ Baby chicks are very fragile little creatures. They are highly sensitive and susceptible to stress, and can take a downturn rapidly if their conditions aren't just right. It is important to be informed on potential issues that can arise, what they mean, and how to approach them as a keeper.
☽ We take the health of our flocks seriously. Our hatchery practices very strict bio-security, meaning that when you purchase chicks from us, you can feel rest assured that there is no chance that they have been exposed to communicable diseases. Our incubation room is sterile and breed specific, and our chick brooder area is completely isolated from adult flocks, outdoor areas, and farm visitors. We have a "closed" flock, and our adult flocks are in a gated area in large, fully roofed runs with no exposure to wildlife or farm visitors. We will never sell an unwell chick, and cannot guarantee the conditions of chicks once they leave our property as their care and potential exposures once they have left the farm are outside of our control.
☽ Troubleshooting - Listless or lethargic chick, panting, or pasty "poopy" bum: Baby chicks are highly susceptible to stress. This can be from transport, temperature changes, loud noises, too much disturbance, or a variety of other factors. It is crucial to keep your chick area as stable, quiet, and calm as possible - especially for the first few weeks of life. Their basic needs should be very accessible for them, without changes. Some breeds are naturally more sensitive than others. Be sure that your brooder is ready for your chicks with the correct temperature emitting from the heat plate before they arrive in a quiet area, and allow them to remain undisturbed as they settle in. Keep car transport home as minimal as possible without extra stops or handling along the way, and be sure the heat is on in the car. We recommend using *chick-specific* vitamin and/or electrolyte mix in chick's water as a proactive health measure and to help revive them if needed. Chicks who are getting a pasty bum should always be monitored and cleaned with a warm wet cloth as soon as possible to prevent it from creating a blockage, which can be deadly for chicks. If chicks are panting (open mouth breathing), it is a sign they are very stressed or may be too hot.
☽ Troubleshooting - wry neck or "stargazing": It may appear as though the chick is arching it's neck backwards or laying on its back. This occurs when a chick has a vitamin deficiency - typically vitamin B12 or Vitamin D. Some chicks are naturally more sensitive than others and more prone to vitamin deficiency. It can also be caused by exposure to toxins that have made their way to your brooder from outside (if proper bio-security isn't being practiced), or the chick's head becoming injured from being stepped on by other chicks in the brooder or during the drive home. It's pivotal to ensure that this chick has its own separate area and monitored, as they can easily become trampled and injured by the other chicks while they are in this state. Chicks should be given vitamin and electrolyte mix in water to help treat and prevent this phenomenon, but it is vital to use a *chick specific* formula and follow the dosage suggestions. Some chicken electrolyte and vitamin mixes are marketed for mature birds, so be sure to provide appropriate dosing for young chicks as providing too high of a concentration of vitamin mixture to the water can seriously harm chicks.
☽ Troubleshooting - sneezes: More often that not, a few sneezes are normal and nothing to be concerned about - especially as chicks are settling into a new environment with different bedding and different air quality (such as potential airborne dust, dander, or cleaning products that they are not used to). Like people and most other animals, chicks and chickens sneeze to clear their respiratory passages. Chicks are chickens may also sneeze from weather changes or exposure to irritants. All chickens and chicks are prone to respiratory irritation, and it is very important to ensure that you are using the correct bedding type in your brooder (we suggest clean pine shavings) and to avoid potentially dangerous brooder bedding, such as cedar, sand, or sawdust. The brooder must have adequate ventilation, and be regularly cleaned to prevent buildup of dust or even mold from developing in your chick's living space. Chicks haven't developed their immune systems yet. It's very important to practice basic bio-security, even at home or on the car ride home from picking up your chicks, to ensure that chicks are not exposed to contaminants from the outdoors or from other chickens that can be dangerous to them - from your clothes, hands, or too close of proximity to other birds.
☽ Troubleshooting - chicks all huddled in a clump: This usually means your chicks are too cold. It's important to consider the amount of heat that your lamp or brooder plate emits with the ratio of the size of the brooder. The heat source should be positioned so that the entire brooder is warm, but there is space for chicks to move away from the heat should they become too hot. Your brooder should be indoors, or at least in a barn or garage - fully ventilated but free from drafts. Chicks that are too cold can quickly suffer from hypothermia, and even if they become warmed up again, it can cause organ failure. When chicks are too cold and are piled on top one another, smaller chicks or those on the bottom of the pile can easily become suffocated or crushed as they're very delicate.
☽ Troubleshooting - sleepy chicks: Chicks are babies, and like all other babies they can get very sleepy! Healthy baby chicks are not active 24/7, and they will transition between sleeping and activity all throughout the day and night. It is totally normal and nothing to be alarmed of when you find your chicks laying sleeping on their tummies, or in a cuddle puddle with other chicks! Chicks will rapidly switch from wakefulness to nap time very suddenly and within a matter of seconds. It just means they are babies, and they are comfortable and settling in! Try not to disturb them.
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