Week Old Chicks Bouncing Around Brooder

A female Welsummer chick.

The chicks are now just over a week old and have grown very rapidly.

The seven youngsters are finding their wings and every so often burst into flight in the brooder box. Of course they don't get very far in a box no more than about 3 square feet, but they give it a really good shot and can often be found perched on top of their drinker/feeder.

A couple of days ago I was quite taken aback to notice that the seven chicks had apparently emptied their 1.5 litre drinker in the space of half a day. They had barely touched a drop before that, so emptying the drinker so rapidly would have indicated an alarming increase in thirst. The following day the same thing happened, so I sat and watched the chicks to see if I could work out what was happening.

Despite being only a week old, the chicks have already developed a few mischievous little habits. It appears one of their favourite habits is to dig around in the wood chip and throw it around in much the same manner as a rabbit throws its burrow dirt.

Some of that wood chip is ending up in the drinker and acting as a wick, which is causing the water to be sucked dry very quickly. The wood chips around the drinker were becoming very wet as a result, which is not good from a hygiene point of view. Hot and moist conditions in the brooder are the ideal breeding ground for bacteria, which would soon leave young chicks susceptible to illness and/or death. Good housekeeping is essential to ensure the wood chips stay as clean, dry and fresh as possible.

To alleviate this water problem I have balanced the drinker on an upturned plate, in the hope that the chicks will find it harder to throw the wood chip that little bit higher. I have also rearranged the brooder box to make it more difficult for them to flick their legs up in the direction of the drinker.

Fingers crossed that will solve the mystery of the rapidly draining drinker.

Here's a short video of the week old chicks: