Nervous chick mama (me), I need advice

[Happily RV After]

My first time raising chicks. My girls are 5 1/2 weeks old, being raised inside. One of them, Phoebe, got a cecal poop dropped on her. I used a warm wet washcloth to wipe as much off as I could and put a diffuser on my blowdryer on warm and dried her as best I could. She was freaking out most of the time as she is my most skittish. She is still damp on her wing and neck/back so I turned the space heater that warms the brooder up a few degrees for the night.
Which is harder on them at this age...the stress of being handled in a way she is not used to or letting her be damp for a while?

 

[rosemarythyme]

If she's just surface damp, she'll be fine - it's no different than a chick running about in the rain. If she's soaked all the way through to the skin (unlikely) then I'd be a little more concerned, however you specified they're indoors so she's not exposed to wind or cold temperatures, so I can't imagine she wouldn't be fine even if left a bit wet.

 

[Happily RV After]

If she's just surface damp, she'll be fine - it's no different than a chick running about in the rain. If she's soaked all the way through to the skin (unlikely) then I'd be a little more concerned, however you specified they're indoors so she's not exposed to wind or cold temperatures, so I can't imagine she wouldn't be fine even if left a bit wet.

Thank you for replying, I will sleep better tonight!

 

[Happily RV After]

If she's just surface damp, she'll be fine - it's no different than a chick running about in the rain. If she's soaked all the way through to the skin (unlikely) then I'd be a little more concerned, however you specified they're indoors so she's not exposed to wind or cold temperatures, so I can't imagine she wouldn't be fine even if left a bit wet.

Again, thank you kind internet stranger!
There is so much information about what these chicks need when they are just hatched and almost nothing about how to care for them at this "in-between" stage.
BTW, Phoebe is just fine this morning, looks much cleaner and is eating, drinking, playing, scratching.

 

[thistlewick]

my 5-7 week old chicks have been outside since they were 1 1/2-3 weeks old (I kept getting chicks each week lol) -- I live in central North Carolina so it's been warm enough. I took them off the brooder plate a couple weeks ago, they weren't using it. I have 13 chicks and if they get cold (which they aren't right now in the summer no way no how) they can huddle up.

I am not sure if that helps you out, but my chicks are fine, hale and hearty being outside on the grass -- and fresh grass, too - we move them every few days. Enrichment and nutrition on top of their starter food.

These little guys are tough birds if allowed the space and freedom. No one likes living in cramped quarters.

Take 100% of what I just said with a grain of salt; because this is my FIRST flock. I've just taken the advice of this forum to heart, and made sure I did the right things and asked a ton of questions (and I still ask!) and so far they are thriving!