CHICK CARE TIPS & POLICIES
CONGRATULATIONS on your decision to raise chicks! Note the Sexing Accuracy rates on the FAQ page (90% for most breeds). Chicks are very entertaining to watch, and of course they simply ooze cuteness. You will see that even as chicks, they will have their own little personalities. That said, chicks can get into all sorts of trouble (think toddlers), and require attention and care. Here are some tips to get your chicks to the next stage, pullets!
Tip: Even though your chicks will be at least 1 week old when you get them, you will want someone to be home with them the majority of the day during the first day or two to monitor them for their transition and temperature. Even after the first two days, you will want someone to check in on the chicks during the day! Chicks can spill and fall into water, get too hot, potentially jump out, and if they are chilly at all, they can crush their friends by piling and smothering them.
TIP: Chicks are Fragile and are extremely sensitive to temperature variations and environment changes, ESPECIALLY some of the specialty breeds we carry. Crested breeds, like Spitzhauben can be VERY sensitive. Treat your chicks carefully.
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PICKUP: When you pick up your chicks plan to have them in the car with you holding them in their travel box – not in a trunk. Please bring a box or we can provide one ($1/box with pine shavings). Have the car a warm ambient temperature, but do NOT BLOW car heat on them. Chicks can heatstroke very easily, which can be fatal. Go straight home and put them in their brooder.
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#1 TIP: Place a thermometer in the bottom (or taped to the side) of the brooder and monitor your chicks closely the first several days. Temperature, especially TOO HOT, or any drafts can be deadly quickly. We can provide a thermometer at cost. Change water frequently and keep bedding clean.
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BROODER: Do NOT USE A PLASTIC STORAGE TUB. These are dangerous for chicks b/c they simply do not have enough space for chicks to escape the heat. Chicks get too hot in these and can easily heat stroke out which is fatal if not caught quickly, especially when you are not home or at night. You need to have a LARGE area so the chicks can get away from the heat - overheating will kill chicks quickly. Chicks can also develop pasty vents if temperature is too hot, which can also be deadly. Keep vents clean. Too hot/storage tubs is the #1 killer of chicks that we have seen. If a chick is very lethargic, its likely too hot. Too much heat can kill a chick in just minutes
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WE VIGOROUSLY DISCOURAGE THE USE OF HEAT PLATES ON CHICKS, please use a heat lamp. Only chicks hatched naturally (under a hen) can use this heating option. Chicks incubator hatched then moved to a brooder for pickup require much more heat initially for the first 2-3 weeks than a heat plate can provide. The chick does not have the ability to generate enough of its own heat and sustain its own temperature. Further, we specialize in rarer breeds that are much more sensitive than other breeds. If you use a heat plate, expect losses.
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Ages: Chicks must be similar ages to be in the same brooder, up to a 2 week age differnce. Any larger of a difference, the chicks must go into a separate brooder to avoid losses. If introducing new chicks that are a similar age, they may need to be separated by a divider for a day or two to prevent trouble!
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BROODER BEDDING & FEED: Pine Shavings only- NEVER USE CEDAR IT IS TOXIC TO BIRDS! Hemp is risky b/c the chicks can eat the hemp which is usually fatal. Hemp is better for adults. FEED: Chicks are vaccinated for Mareks but NOT for coccidiosis. We STRONGLY recommend medicated feed for the first 6 weeks of life.
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ALL ADOPTIONS ARE FINAL NO EXCHANGES/RETURNS ON CHICKS (or any birds). BY ADOPTING CHICKS, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND ACCEPT THESE RESPONSIBILITIES AND POLICIES, INCLUDING DETAILS ON OUR FAQ PAGE