Discontinuing Electrolytes in water

Wfpendragon

Chirping
Mar 13, 2016
143
19
66
Wisconsin
Hey all, I've been giving our chicks electrolyte water along with plain water, and just used my last packet. Will it hurt them to not have it for a while until I get more? They are 1 week and 2 weeks old. Also should I wean them off it slowly, like dilute the electrolytes I have now? A few weeks ago when i tried switching from electrolye to only plain water one of my chicks got wry neck and died, I don't know if it was caused by discontinuing the supplements suddenly.
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So after that I just gave them plain water along with the supplemented kind.

Thanks for your advice!
 
I'm a new flock owner and mine are 11 weeks old yesterday. I gave mine electrolytes for the first couple of days at half strength and then stopped. I'm no expert but I read you don't want to overdue it on them. Mine have been totally fine. I'm guessing the one you lost wasn't specifically because you stopped electrolytes since I'm sure many a chicks have been raised without them long before we came on the scene. I'd be more worried about giving them too much than not enough. That's just me though, but I'd think you'd be fine to only give them some periodically instead of all the time.
 
As long as they are thriving, healthy and eating fine they will be fine without additional electrolytes in the water after the first few days...

The wry neck timing incident was likely just a coincidence, unless you are not feeding them a nutritionally balanced chick starter...
 
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After the first few days following hatching, and you see all the chicks doing well, it's okay to stop with the electrolytes. Chicks and chickens may need them in hot, dry weather, but other than that, they're kind of over-kill.
 

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