How's My Chick Doin'?

[TheDarkLord098]

I have a baby chick that I just won froma streeet vendor who sells coloured chicks, and it's only one. I got it on December 19, 2014, and took it home and immediately put it in a cage where it's enough space for it. I fed it corn that time which is really cheap in a small plastic. The food was enough for only 2-3 days and got out of stock. I decided to feed the chick whole grain rice and found here that it needs grits if it you don't feed it chick starter feeds. So, I got out and got some dried leaves and some dried grass. The baby chick was like shocked for the first time to encounter that kind of thing, and after few minutes, it started like eating it. Or maybe not. On the next day, I asked my friend to give me some food he bought which is only P14.00 but a Stik-O jar is full. He gave me almost half of my plastic, and it looks like Purina feed but it's not Purina and it smells somehow pleasant to me. The chick loved it and ate lots, and I also gave the chick freesh water with a pinch of sugar which I saw on the internet. The chick is really active and hyper, and there's a time it sleeps in the house I provided for the chick but it's a bird house xD. I just put in the door whenever I sleep and go out to a trip to make sure it's safe. Then it sleeps peacefully inside the house, and you'll be shocked, it's alone! But I don't think it's sad, everytime one my my family members comes out and the chick sees, the chick chirps softly. That's good to hear it's strong and active and isn't weak. In two days, maybe it will be two weeks old. Anything you suggest? I need help. Oh and my grandfather's neighbour which is my friend had two chicks, the other one almost died because the mother hen stepped on it, my grandfather tooked care of it and cover it with towel. He fed it with sugar and water and using an injection to pour it in it's mouth! Surprisingly, it survived! But it still can't move yet, but it's chirping so loud. It almost died too because it was fed whole grain rice in one day old! XD the breed is chinese bantam, brown native from the hen, and the black native from the other rooster. I hope it could survive, if it lives tomorrow, it'll survive. If it's active and strong again, I'll take care of it and my alone chick would have a companion

 

[Areolyn]

Please, please pleease get some chick starter to feed it. At 6-8 weeks, you can start giving grower. Chickens do not do good indoors, plus they can spread disease to you mishappenly. I'm guessing you will put it outside in the future? Because chasing predators off will not do, you will need some actual protection, such as a coop, that has a roost, and that can be cleaned, and possibly a run. Be prepared for random mishaps, like Coccidiosis and Marek's, bumblefoot, respiratory viruses(which is impossible to 'cure'.)

Honestly, I think if you can't rehome this chick, be ready for a cool experience, but it's not like keeping a dog or cat. Chickens are barnyard animals that need proper care. You should've thought about this when you looked at the street vendor and their prizes. I'm also disappointed that vendors are now using chicks as prizes.
I know I probably sound very rude right now, but for the sake of your chick, please consider the care you have to do for it. Chickens are relatively easy to keep, but along the way not only do they get addicting, but the bills of feed, vet visits if you have a bird or poultry vet near by, and balance of school, work, and just plain old life is hard. I'm saying this as a college student with 17 hours that commutes 30 minutes and doesn't get home till 12:30-2:00. My mother also doesn't do anything with my birds till I get home. I wish the best of luck to you.


EDIT: after re-reading your reply to the other poster, do you have this chick OUTSIDE? It needs to be inside a brooder with a source of heat with water and food, and maybe some burlap or shavings as bedding(not cedar!) The brooder also needs to inside your home, chicks cannot be outside(unless you are in summer weather similar to Texas or some sort)until they are fully feathered.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Lots of people also use plastic or rubber maid totes if you have one of those. A heat lamp/light is also a good source of heat and if put to one side of the "brooder" it allows for the chick to move in and out of the heat as they need. As Areolyn said if you use bedding, make sure it is pine not cedar.

 

[WinterChicks]

Can I get them to fight like in the cockpit?

Oh gosh. ..that's a horrible idea and you shouldn't do that!!!! They may fight a bit and if it gets dangerous you may news to separate them before one gets injured.

 

[Areolyn]

Yes PLEASE don't make them fight! I don't know what the laws are where you live, but its usually illegal. What I meant was they can be normal pets if you put them together, don't make them fight!

 

[Kadu]

You are very kind to keep the chicks alive. =) I'm from Sri Lanka and assuming my culture is a tiny bit like the Philippines, anyone else would not have cared to jump online and find information on how to raise it.

Take information from this forum as suggestions since people in America have much more resources than other countries when it comes to chickens. For example, there is no such thing as "chick starter feed" in Sri Lanka. Only a specific part of the society raises chickens, its mostly poor people. My mom recently told me not tell any of my family members that I have chickens. Well, don't ask me what my response was lol but I understand that she lives in a different part of the world that cares about their heritage and culture. Well, I love my birds so I don't really care about what they think lol

With that said, they're probably both roosters, but think about the beautiful crow you'll hear every morning! Also, they look like leghorns, so leghorn meat is.. you know... mostly bones. =D

If you have land, I would suggest making a fence for them and letting them out.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I have a baby chick that I just won froma streeet vendor who sells coloured chicks, and it's only one. I got it on December 19, 2014, and took it home and immediately put it in a cage where it's enough space for it. I fed it corn that time which is really cheap in a small plastic. The food was enough for only 2-3 days and got out of stock. I decided to feed the chick whole grain rice and found here that it needs grits if it you don't feed it chick starter feeds. So, I got out and got some dried leaves and some dried grass. The baby chick was like shocked for the first time to encounter that kind of thing, and after few minutes, it started like eating it. Or maybe not. On the next day, I asked my friend to give me some food he bought which is only P14.00 but a Stik-O jar is full. He gave me almost half of my plastic, and it looks like Purina feed but it's not Purina and it smells somehow pleasant to me. The chick loved it and ate lots, and I also gave the chick freesh water with a pinch of sugar which I saw on the internet. The chick is really active and hyper, and there's a time it sleeps in the house I provided for the chick but it's a bird house xD. I just put in the door whenever I sleep and go out to a trip to make sure it's safe. Then it sleeps peacefully inside the house, and you'll be shocked, it's alone! But I don't think it's sad, everytime one my my family members comes out and the chick sees, the chick chirps softly. That's good to hear it's strong and active and isn't weak. In two days, maybe it will be two weeks old. Anything you suggest? I need help. Oh and my grandfather's neighbour which is my friend had two chicks, the other one almost died because the mother hen stepped on it, my grandfather tooked care of it and cover it with towel. He fed it with sugar and water and using an injection to pour it in it's mouth! Surprisingly, it survived! But it still can't move yet, but it's chirping so loud. It almost died too because it was fed whole grain rice in one day old! XD the breed is chinese bantam, brown native from the hen, and the black native from the other rooster.

I hope it could survive, if it lives tomorrow, it'll survive. If it's active and strong again, I'll take care of it and my alone chick would have a companion

First of all you should never ever ever get an animal you have not prepared for and are not ready for. The street vendor should not be giving chicks as a prize. For one chicks are social birds and need friends. They need a proper diet of starter crumbles. Proper brooding conditions with heat provided. They eventually need space outside to run and be safe from preditors. I'm sorry but in my opinion it is not a good situation for the chick. He needs to be in an environment condusive to raising chickens with the proper supplies.

 

[TheDarkLord098]

First of all you should never ever ever get an animal you have not prepared for and are not ready for. The street vendor should not be giving chicks as a prize.  For one chicks are social birds and need friends. They need a proper diet of starter crumbles. Proper brooding conditions with heat provided. They eventually need space outside to run and be safe from preditors. I'm sorry but in my opinion it is not a good situation for the chick. He needs to be in an environment condusive to raising chickens with the proper supplies. 

Thanks for your suggestion! Don't worry, I keep it inside a bird house to warm him up. I'm not worried of any predators anymore, cause I scared them all off xD but the problem now is how do I make it warm and fight off the cold weather. It's weird, it just started raining right now, but not heavy.

 

[TheDarkLord098]

Please, please pleease get some chick starter to feed it. At 6-8 weeks, you can start giving grower. Chickens do not do good indoors, plus they can spread disease to you mishappenly. I'm guessing you will put it outside in the future? Because chasing predators off will not do, you will need some actual protection, such as a coop, that has a roost, and that can be cleaned, and possibly a run. Be prepared for random mishaps, like Coccidiosis and Marek's, bumblefoot, respiratory viruses(which is impossible to 'cure'.) 

Honestly, I think if you can't rehome this chick, be ready for a cool experience, but it's not like keeping a dog or cat. Chickens are barnyard animals that need proper care. You should've thought about this when you looked at the street vendor and their prizes. I'm also disappointed that vendors are now using chicks as prizes. 
 I know I probably sound very rude right now, but for the sake of your chick, please consider the care you have to do for it. Chickens are relatively easy to keep, but along the way not only do they get addicting, but the bills of feed, vet visits if you have a bird or poultry vet near by, and balance of school, work, and just plain old life is hard. I'm saying this as a college student with 17 hours that commutes 30 minutes and doesn't get home till 12:30-2:00. My mother also doesn't do anything with my birds till I get home. I wish the best of luck to you.


EDIT: after re-reading your reply to the other poster, do you have this chick OUTSIDE? It needs to be inside a brooder with a source of heat with water and food, and maybe some burlap or shavings as bedding(not cedar!) The brooder also needs to inside your home, chicks cannot be outside(unless you are in summer weather similar to Texas or some sort)until they are fully feathered. 

Lol I am giving it chick starter for the past 3 days, it's doin' good.

 

[TheDarkLord098]

Please, please pleease get some chick starter to feed it. At 6-8 weeks, you can start giving grower. Chickens do not do good indoors, plus they can spread disease to you mishappenly. I'm guessing you will put it outside in the future? Because chasing predators off will not do, you will need some actual protection, such as a coop, that has a roost, and that can be cleaned, and possibly a run. Be prepared for random mishaps, like Coccidiosis and Marek's, bumblefoot, respiratory viruses(which is impossible to 'cure'.) 

Honestly, I think if you can't rehome this chick, be ready for a cool experience, but it's not like keeping a dog or cat. Chickens are barnyard animals that need proper care. You should've thought about this when you looked at the street vendor and their prizes. I'm also disappointed that vendors are now using chicks as prizes. 
 I know I probably sound very rude right now, but for the sake of your chick, please consider the care you have to do for it. Chickens are relatively easy to keep, but along the way not only do they get addicting, but the bills of feed, vet visits if you have a bird or poultry vet near by, and balance of school, work, and just plain old life is hard. I'm saying this as a college student with 17 hours that commutes 30 minutes and doesn't get home till 12:30-2:00. My mother also doesn't do anything with my birds till I get home. I wish the best of luck to you.


EDIT: after re-reading your reply to the other poster, do you have this chick OUTSIDE? It needs to be inside a brooder with a source of heat with water and food, and maybe some burlap or shavings as bedding(not cedar!) The brooder also needs to inside your home, chicks cannot be outside(unless you are in summer weather similar to Texas or some sort)until they are fully feathered. 

actually, it is outside my house. It is in a bird cage, with clean food and water and a wood house where it sleeps. The predators aren't trying to kill it anymore, and I don't have a brooder. Any substitute to keep it warm?