Baby chick breathing heavy

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickcare.html
I thought I would post this webpage with chick raising tips if you are interested. It helped me a lot.

 

[stoneeater]

I picked up one of those water bottles at the feedstore the other day. Big plastic bottle that screws onto a base and then sits upside down.
Bedding is oak leaves from a water oak. Kept reading about people doing surgery because of straw or hay as bedding and crops being impacted so I figured oak leaves should be safe.
Food ( medicated chick starter) is placed neatly into a little plastic cup that used to hold cat food. Then I carefully put it down. Then the chicks jump on the side flipping it and it's contents everywhere so they can peck it off the floor of their cage and kick it everywhere.
Looks like they'll be living in the bathroom for the next few days. It's the only room left that can be cordoned off from the cats.
BTW, the chick is happily cuddling with her sisters. At least I'm hoping that they're girls. So are my neighbors even though they don't realize it yet.

 

[Miss Lydia]

how are chicks doing this morning?

 

[stoneeater]

Chicks are good. Slept all night in the bathroom under their flannel. Chirping merrily. Came home from work to screaming chirps, food everywhere, poo everywhere, they drank a whole bottle of water in one day(?). Kicked them outside to freerange and hosed down their cage, more food/ water. Now their happy again.

 

[Miss Lydia]

if these chicks are only 3 weeks old your really running a risk of illness by putting them outside unless you live in the tropics.. did yall read the link that Chickens are sweet sent to you?

 

[stoneeater]

Down in Jacksonville. It was high 60's. They were only out there long enough for me to take their cage outside and use a hose on it. It was seriously nasty from just one day.
Just got home from work so I haven't read it yet. Wife was doing lots of facebooking last night.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Jacksonville Fla? thats where I was born and raised if that be the place, but still to cold for baby chicks to be outside.

 

[stoneeater]

Yep. Way out here on the NW side. Airprt temps are about the same as mine. Their inside now. I read the hatchery link. I'm getting there. Now I need to start thinking about coops and stuff.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Read all you can, and also visit the coop thread here on BYC alot of good tips on building a good safe coop. Take good care of them babies and let us know how they are doing..and if you have a roo that will just be for the better of you flock.. more the way nature intended.