all but one baby gone!

[ccusker]

I hatched out my first 6 chicks on Valentine's day this year. We just moved them outside 2 weeks ago...Friday afternoon I came home and 5 out of the 6 were gone. There's no trace of feathers/blood/anything...is it possible that a predator could've gotten that many??? They were extremely friendly - I almost wonder if someone snatched them? We have 3 older hens who were out there too - they are all fine. Now the big girls ignore the lone baby - he often wanders on his own

I am so sad and only have 1 baby left! I brought him inside for now - and hubby bought me some tsc chicks to keep him company. They snuggle in the brooder, but he pecks at the babies - is that normal? ALso, one of the new chicks died today - not sure why...just laying in brooder dead...Are they ok together?

We are currently designing a new coop/chicken area - any suggestions on how to deter predators? At what age should we move the chicks outside? Will having a rooster help?

Thanks for any advice - I can't bear to lose more chickens! I will try to upload a pix of our survivor!

 

[CluckyJay]

I wouldn't keep a large chick like that in with new, little babies. They like to kill each other sometimes.

Its a very lovely bird though!

I'm sorry about your chicks.

 

[happytxchick]

What a cutie! Sorry you lost his flock-mates! In my flock, the birds of the same age all stay together in little groups. You might try to find a couple other chicks his same age.

It is normal for him to be picked on by the older chickens, and for him to do the same to the TSC chicks you bought. Maybe he pecked the dead one too hard, or maybe it just wasn't destined to make it.

I have lost a group of chickens in the past like you describe -- to trace left behind. We now have our coops surrounded by a large fenced in area and haven't lost a chicken since (several months).

Good luck in working out your new plan!

 

[happytxchick]

Oh, and when the chicks are fully feathered they can make it outside just fine. I would let this little guy free range in our large fenced in area now, if he was mine.