2018 Newbie Chat!

[Anna Ranieri]

Such cute new babies! Manchineel my Blue Ameraucana Cockerel flogged me this morning. I had to kick him pretty hard to get him off of me. Looks like he’ll be heading to freezer camp soon.

Awwww what a shame, was hoping he'd be good for your girls and you.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

So I had to avert a crisis this morning!!
I have the 7 chicks in the garage in a rabbit hutch.
I have food, water and a heat plate for them.
There’s a bit of a learning curve for store chicks to learn that they need to go underneath to warm themselves.
They seemed to catch on quickly yesterday but I wasn’t sure if they knew where the food and water was.
I dipped their beaks, etc.
I checked them last night before going to bed and all was well.

This morning it was absolute chaos!
I heard loud distressed cheeping and looked in the hutch to see them piled up between the wall and the lid of the heat plate.
My tiniest chick, a porcelain D’Uccle, was in a different area on its back with its head buried underneath the shavings and it was shaking and trembling all over!!!
I quickly grabbed that chick and felt how cold it was.
Omg omg omg!!!
I held it next to my body and heard very faint peeping.
I picked up the others and put them underneath the heat plate and they all seemed to be okay.
I’m still holding the tiny chick next to my skin.
But I still hear extremely loud distress calls...
I lift the heat plate and count...
Six
Only six chicks
Where’s the seventh? The biggest Orpington chick is missing.
I started looking around everywhere and I finally find her underneath the hutch on the concrete garage floor!!
So I picked up that one and her feet were so cold!
I held her too.
She warmed up and I put her back with the others but the D’Uccle was in bad shape.
I took it into the house and mixed some Nutri Drench up and continued to hold it next to me.
It was so weak!
It slowly began to warm but I wanted to help it revive faster.
I got a syringe and pulled some Nutri Drench into it and squirted some in the babies mouth.
It acted like it was swallowing but then it seemed like it was choking
Omg I made it worse!
I tipped the chick upside down trying to make sure it wasn’t aspirating.
It started peeping weakly again so I figured I better stop and just keep it warm.
I had no idea they’d fall through the little rabbit hutch bars!
I feel so bad and stupid.
I had Pippin in the hutch with Cleo for over a month and Cleo never fell through but I guess that’s because she kept close to her mama.

I moved all the chicks to a very large plastic tote with their heat plate, etc.
The tiny D’Uccle has recovered and even was eating and drinking like a champ and they’re all able to find the food and water on their own.

Awwwww hun, how terrifying! Thank goodness you and your husband's quick action and quick thinking you have been able to save them!

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Got my little ladies outside they loved it, they are 2 weeks old. They both ate an earth worm, and some flowers. I got them in there coop outside now with a heating lamp inside of it. I live in the desert it is 80 degrees out.

They are struggling with the horizontal water nipples, to be fair i just go them yesterday. My son cant stop staring at them and holding them View attachment 1689593

Little darlings! They are beautiful

 

[Anna Ranieri]

I have to say that the image of that tiny chick shaking like that, flat on its back with its legs sticking straight out and it’s head buried under the shavings was haunting!
It will stay with me for a very long time.
I really think it was literally dying right then. To see the way it was dying was very upsetting.
What if I had slept another 30 minutes?
Makes me shudder...
I was going to give the chick to my friend since it was the only D’Uccle left in the bin but I just can’t now.
I have bonded with it.
She asked me to buy it for her since she couldn’t buy a single chick and didn’t want any of the others.

They’re all doing great now.
I put a saucer of crumble mixed with warm water in there and they just chowed down on it.
They know where the food and water are now.
Here’s my little fighter:
View attachment 1690243

And my super fluffy Orpington who fell down underneath the hutch (that’s one of the buff Cochins on the left)
View attachment 1690249

And my little red 5 toed Cochin:
View attachment 1690250

Awwww hun - try focus on you and your husband able to save them.
So glad all is good now, they are beautiful and sooooo cute!

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Oh! I almost forgot! Pearl did an actual 100% sure of it squat yesterday! It was much more pronounced than what Diamond did the other week. I will be totally amazed if Pearl lays first. Her comb had been yellow longer than any of the others. It still seems lighter than the others but maybe there can be variation in individual chickens? I always thought she would be the last one to lay. She's top of the pecking order, maybe she's making the others wait, haha!

Any time now! So excited, can't wait

 

[Anna Ranieri]

The other day all 11 girls laid an egg. I love the variation in colors and shapes from each girl!
View attachment 1691732

Love the colours too - your pic reminds me of an Easter basket, so pretty

 

[emrya]

So I am up to 8 chicks from 2-5 weeks old. Two Legbars, three marans (blue and black) and three tolbunt polish. I have cobbled together a brooder from two large cardboard boxes that fit on the workbench since my husband doesn't like the pool from last year which takes up a lot of floor space.

Downside is I can't get my hand in to get them used to it without causing a panic. May be constructing a wire brooder to fit the workbench this weekend.

 

[CannedMonster]

Thank you so much for the support and encouragement, I'm sorry for taking so long to reply but I'm sure you can understand it has been very hard for me and my family.
Ducks are doing great, they travelled very well. The vet had told us they needed to have eaten before they travelled but as we left at 4 AM they hadn't eaten much although they had food in their duck house they had been sleeping. I put food, water, fresh veg and a few treats in the travel cage with them and although scared still ate and drank well throughout the journey and we only had to make a couple of quick stops to refill their water and with roads so clear we got to the sanctuary in just a little over four and a half hours.
All four had to have one wing clipped just to make sure they don't fly out of their pen, Runners aren't supposed to fly but both mine can. They will soon start their spring moult so might have to have them clipped again in a couple of weeks but won't need to anymore after that as they will have established this is their new home.
It was difficult and distressing to begin with as the drakes being frightened kept coming over to me for comfort and reassurance so I just kept talking soothingly to them which calmed them then in as little as 20 or so minutes they went off with their girls to explore. I was amazed at how quickly they settled in and in no time they all looked as though they had lived there all their lives.
We had some giggles over how they took over the place, they had decided they are boss of the place and let all the other ducks and chickens know that.
The Chuckery had another drake at the time which worried me but the owner kindly put him in the duck house to give our birds time to adjust and now they are the head ducks already!
I was worried about the fact that new birds come in and go out constantly and apart from a goose and the owners personal chickens, our ducks are the only permanent residence, which I worry how they will cope with such quick changes of birds around them but so far they are doing well. The ducks that were there at the time have now gone and there are four new ducks brought in yesterday - two drakes and two ducks but the owners posted us pictures and I can see they are still doing very well.
These people are amazing, the work they do is fantastic. We have an animal protection organisation over here called the RSPCA, they are responsible for the welfare of all animals in the UK and a lot of the birds and animals the sanctuary take in have been seized by the RSPCA for various reasons, some stories we were told are quite harrowing and I really don't understand why or how people can be so cruel but once in the care of The Chuckery, they are nursed, tendered to then found good homes which are vetted and have to meet approval before they can take any of the birds and animals up for rehoming.
On the whole, at not being able to keep our ducks ourselves we are happy for them being in such a lovely place being looked after by two very dedicated and caring people.
The owners told us they view themselves as having fostered our ducks and if our circumstances ever change no matter how many years we can have them back at any time, even though it is highly doubtful we will ever have them again.
Visiting is permitted and there are no restrictions so my daughter and I are planning to visit them next year and hope to visit them yearly.
The Chuckery is a lovely place, the owners are lovely and care so deeply for all the animals under their care, plus the duck area is far more exciting for the ducks than what we had here ( is about the same size as our garden so has plenty of room, even when more ducks are bought in). Although very hard for us, knowing how well they are being looked after as well as how quickly they settled in, how homely the place is and the way our ducks went around as though they own the place was what I needed to be able to get in the van and leave. We miss them tremendously and I keep texting the owners asking how they are, asking loads of questions and telling them my worries but they don't mind, they are very patient and understanding.
Lastly, I asked what happens if for any reason they give up The Chuckery to which they have assured me they will contact me even if it's years from now and give me the option to take them back or rehome them myself.
So glad we took them there. Will post a short video later so you can see them on their first day there.
Thank you again with all my heart for your care and support

Sounds like they have a wonderful forever home.
Regarding the other birds coming and going: just remember that your ducks will still stay with the same ones they grew up with so they’ll be okay.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Thank you so much for the support and encouragement, I'm sorry for taking so long to reply but I'm sure you can understand it has been very hard for me and my family.
Ducks are doing great, they travelled very well. The vet had told us they needed to have eaten before they travelled but as we left at 4 AM they hadn't eaten much although they had food in their duck house they had been sleeping. I put food, water, fresh veg and a few treats in the travel cage with them and although scared still ate and drank well throughout the journey and we only had to make a couple of quick stops to refill their water and with roads so clear we got to the sanctuary in just a little over four and a half hours.
All four had to have one wing clipped just to make sure they don't fly out of their pen, Runners aren't supposed to fly but both mine can. They will soon start their spring moult so might have to have them clipped again in a couple of weeks but won't need to anymore after that as they will have established this is their new home.
It was difficult and distressing to begin with as the drakes being frightened kept coming over to me for comfort and reassurance so I just kept talking soothingly to them which calmed them then in as little as 20 or so minutes they went off with their girls to explore. I was amazed at how quickly they settled in and in no time they all looked as though they had lived there all their lives.
We had some giggles over how they took over the place, they had decided they are boss of the place and let all the other ducks and chickens know that.
The Chuckery had another drake at the time which worried me but the owner kindly put him in the duck house to give our birds time to adjust and now they are the head ducks already!
I was worried about the fact that new birds come in and go out constantly and apart from a goose and the owners personal chickens, our ducks are the only permanent residence, which I worry how they will cope with such quick changes of birds around them but so far they are doing well. The ducks that were there at the time have now gone and there are four new ducks brought in yesterday - two drakes and two ducks but the owners posted us pictures and I can see they are still doing very well.
These people are amazing, the work they do is fantastic. We have an animal protection organisation over here called the RSPCA, they are responsible for the welfare of all animals in the UK and a lot of the birds and animals the sanctuary take in have been seized by the RSPCA for various reasons, some stories we were told are quite harrowing and I really don't understand why or how people can be so cruel but once in the care of The Chuckery, they are nursed, tendered to then found good homes which are vetted and have to meet approval before they can take any of the birds and animals up for rehoming.
On the whole, at not being able to keep our ducks ourselves we are happy for them being in such a lovely place being looked after by two very dedicated and caring people.
The owners told us they view themselves as having fostered our ducks and if our circumstances ever change no matter how many years we can have them back at any time, even though it is highly doubtful we will ever have them again.
Visiting is permitted and there are no restrictions so my daughter and I are planning to visit them next year and hope to visit them yearly.
The Chuckery is a lovely place, the owners are lovely and care so deeply for all the animals under their care, plus the duck area is far more exciting for the ducks than what we had here ( is about the same size as our garden so has plenty of room, even when more ducks are bought in). Although very hard for us, knowing how well they are being looked after as well as how quickly they settled in, how homely the place is and the way our ducks went around as though they own the place was what I needed to be able to get in the van and leave. We miss them tremendously and I keep texting the owners asking how they are, asking loads of questions and telling them my worries but they don't mind, they are very patient and understanding.
Lastly, I asked what happens if for any reason they give up The Chuckery to which they have assured me they will contact me even if it's years from now and give me the option to take them back or rehome them myself.
So glad we took them there. Will post a short video later so you can see them on their first day there.
Thank you again with all my heart for your care and support

So glad the move and settling in went so well! It must have been a relief knowing they're in such good hands. Although sad too.

I hope and pray you can keep the chickens.

It is so sad that people can keep animals in horrible conditions. But wonderful that there are people who rescue them and give them happiness and love.

 

[CannedMonster]

I think my smaller Orpington chick has coccidiosis
She’s not moving around as much as the others and she has some diarrhea on her butt.
She stays under the heat plate.
When I get home tonight I’m going to treat everyone with some Corid.