Adding new chick to the household

[alessadry]

I have a nice flock of 16 chicken that are 7 weeks old and happily outside free range. My friend popped up this morning and pleaded me to take this baby chick they gave for free at school to her son. The peepster was shaking and chirping from the cold and my heart just melt. The other option was to give the chick to a neighbor that loves chicken meat and of course I would not let this happen! So here we are again, back with the brooder light on and feeding chick food once again,, deja vu! I have two concerns:

1) health wise, do I have to worry? All my chickens are vaccinated against Marek's I doubt this new one was. This chick will stay indoors only until it grows up enough to join the others..
2) This is a broiler chick.. can she be fed later on the same feed for layer hens?

 

[kemclaughlin]

So I have no answer for you on this issue, but why would a school give an animal to a child? That is crazy!! I would me so mad.

I would take the chick in too...

 

[pixiedouglas]

I'm sure someone else will chime in soon, but I think broiler/meat birds have shorter life spans and can develop leg problems since they put weight on so fast. Just a couple things to maybe keep in mind. I'd guess you can probably feed the same, but I don't think they lay well if at all? Hopefully someone else will come along with more information soon. You're very kind to take the little guy in.

 

[alessadry]

Hmmm...that sounds terrible . poor things forced to put weight so fast!!!! I hope mine has no leg problems, should I perhaps give not too much food? that's just sad...I have seen documentaries of broiler chicks that could not walk because they were forced to put on so much meat!

 

[Emmalion]

I know a lot of schools are doing the whole hatching thing this time of year. Could be how he ended up with the chick but the school failed if it did not ask the family before sending it home with the child. Which it should of never been sent home with a child to begin with but thats a whole different thread.... anywho it sound weird to be getting a meat bird from a school hatching. But stranger things have happened.

I am sure chick starter will be just fine seeing you are not going to be raising it for meat. But please remember that it will sit and stuff its little poofy self all day and night so you might have to regulate the feed and take it away at night.

But thats about the extent of knowledge I have on them. Sorry I hope it helped

 

[alessadry]

That's interesting.. so am I correct in assuming that these meat birds are genetically altered to eat excessively? Like they have not much control? she is eating, and eating, and eating.. or is it that they do not have legs sturdy enough? what is wrong with these birds? I see pictures of enormous meat birds with legs incapable of holding the excess weight.. and therefore they appear distorted.. I do not recall ever seeing any meat birds like that in Europe, and my dad that raised meat birds in Italy said they have never seen anything like that..yeas, his poultry weren't the greatest meat producers, but they were healthy and capable of walking well... what are they doing to these chicks genetically?

 

[WalkerH]

I know people suggest feeding for 12 hours on and 12 hours off food. As for my meaties I do 6 hours on 6 hours off and so on and so forth. Staggering their food intact helps slow down the growth so they don't become too large for their legs and organs too quickly. I know staggering the food will help it live longer, although it probably won't last as long as layer hens. I do know that my friend has a Cornish Rock X that is 18 months old though.