Gro-gel Helps Newborn Chicks

Gro-gel is a super hydrating gel for newborn chicks. In addition to hydration, it is filled with nutrients and good bacteria. The Gro-gel we purchase comes in a powder and we add water to the amount we need and mix it until it is gel-like. Then, we place a heaping spoonful onto a small paper plate.

At MacFarlane Pheasant Farm, Inc. we are currently using Gro-gel in two places on the farm. It is used with White Pheasant chicks in the Hen Barn and with Hungarian Partridges. In both areas, we use Geo-gel for about 24 hours beginning on the second or third day of a chick’s life. We have found that waiting a couple days to let chicks, in both departments, recover from the hard work of peeping out of the eggs and being transported and handled, results in the best outcome.

The Gro-gel is set out with a little feed on a small paper plate in both situations. The use of Gro-gel is easier to monitor with Hungarian Partridges and White Pheasants because the chicks are kept in a more restricted area and watched very carefully to assure that the Gro-gel is positively affecting the health of the chicks.

Heidi at h.welch@pheasant.com and Trudy at  t.deremer@pheasant.com both have experience with Gro-gel and would be good contacts for folks interested in learning more about the benefits of this product.