- Sep 2, 2007
- 399
- 13
- 166
I got into chickens doing a few things wrong, but hoped for the best. I think I am going to be paying for it now.
We finished the coop and had an order placed for chicks. We had a stray little lost chicken land on our laps. We impulsively kept her. Now we were worried about mixing chicks with an older bantam hen of unknown history.
We then got to pick up our chicks, but only half of the eggs hatched. The farmer offered a chick about a week old and a pullet about 6 weeks old. I figured, they all came from the same farm, and I was feeling trusting. We took them home. I changed and sterilized the coop with dilute bleach and put the pullet in. I changed the cage the pullet had been in, and put the bantam in there (without sterilizing it).
Today I saw the pullet in the coop. She staggered and fell on her side. I lifted her onto a perch. She fell like a sandbag to the floor, rolling her head around over her back, obviously very dizzy. After a minute she could stand and eat.
So. I'm going to talk to the farmer and take the pullet back. I'll have to bleach the coop again, and what to do with that lovely little bantam. She's got such a great personality, but I am worried she's now exposed to whatever the pullet has. How frustrating. I guess I know what I have to do, I just felt the need to post and share it. Anyone been through anything like this? Any suggestions on mixing chicks with an older hen (the bantam)? Maybe introduce a male to her (when I can tell the difference) since I wasn't thinking of keeping the males. If he stays healthy then add the females, and if he gets sick find a new home for the bantam?
sigh
We finished the coop and had an order placed for chicks. We had a stray little lost chicken land on our laps. We impulsively kept her. Now we were worried about mixing chicks with an older bantam hen of unknown history.
We then got to pick up our chicks, but only half of the eggs hatched. The farmer offered a chick about a week old and a pullet about 6 weeks old. I figured, they all came from the same farm, and I was feeling trusting. We took them home. I changed and sterilized the coop with dilute bleach and put the pullet in. I changed the cage the pullet had been in, and put the bantam in there (without sterilizing it).
Today I saw the pullet in the coop. She staggered and fell on her side. I lifted her onto a perch. She fell like a sandbag to the floor, rolling her head around over her back, obviously very dizzy. After a minute she could stand and eat.
So. I'm going to talk to the farmer and take the pullet back. I'll have to bleach the coop again, and what to do with that lovely little bantam. She's got such a great personality, but I am worried she's now exposed to whatever the pullet has. How frustrating. I guess I know what I have to do, I just felt the need to post and share it. Anyone been through anything like this? Any suggestions on mixing chicks with an older hen (the bantam)? Maybe introduce a male to her (when I can tell the difference) since I wasn't thinking of keeping the males. If he stays healthy then add the females, and if he gets sick find a new home for the bantam?
sigh
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