BYC Newbie w/Question RE: Reintroducing a Chick to The Flock

[LaRue2]

Hi BYC'ers,

I joined a few weeks ago because I was looking online for clues as to why one of my then 5 or 6 week old chicks (my first chickens ever) had what looked like huge boobs and found lots of very helpful information here. It turns out she, affectionately named "Booby", had an impacted crop. My boyfriend and I successfully performed surgery on her to remove a fist full of hay from her crop; that was 9 days ago and she's doing so well I want to reintroduce her to the flock.

We have 8 other chicks, now 8 weeks old, that are very healthy: 2 Rhode Island Reds, 3 Buff Orpingtons and 3 Cuckoo Marans. Booby is the 4th Cuckoo Maran making for a total of 9 in the original group. Booby has been stunted by the impaction and is tiny for her age; about a third the size of her "sisters".

We also have 5 chicks that are 4 weeks old (4 Ameraucanas and another Buff Orpington - I really wanted blue and/or green eggs and love the sweet nature of the Orpingtons).

I've tried putting Booby with the younger chicks as well as reintroducing her to the original group and she is bottom of the pecking order in both groups even though she is twice the size of the 4 week old chicks. I think she eats hay because she is intimidated by the other birds and don't want her to develop another impaction. Any advice?

Thank you and I'm very glad to be here!

LaRue2

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC!
We are glad you joined.
This video should help you find your way around this site, enjoy!

 

[Pork Pie]

These links may help. Whilst not written for chicks, the principles still apply. I would say that multiple feeding stations and space are key issues to consider.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/reintegrating-a-recovered-hen-to-a-small-flock


http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1015820/reintegration-by-supervised-visits#post_15742910

 

[KaylorFarms]

Hello! Welcome to Backyard Chickens!! Great to have you!

 

[peterlund]

Hi BYC'ers,

I joined a few weeks ago because I was looking online for clues as to why one of my then 5 or 6 week old chicks (my first chickens ever) had what looked like huge boobs and found lots of very helpful information here. It turns out she, affectionately named "Booby", had an impacted crop. My boyfriend and I successfully performed surgery on her to remove a fist full of hay from her crop; that was 9 days ago and she's doing so well I want to reintroduce her to the flock.

We have 8 other chicks, now 8 weeks old, that are very healthy: 2 Rhode Island Reds, 3 Buff Orpingtons and 3 Cuckoo Marans. Booby is the 4th Cuckoo Maran making for a total of 9 in the original group. Booby has been stunted by the impaction and is tiny for her age; about a third the size of her "sisters".

We also have 5 chicks that are 4 weeks old (4 Ameraucanas and another Buff Orpington - I really wanted blue and/or green eggs and love the sweet nature of the Orpingtons).

I've tried putting Booby with the younger chicks as well as reintroducing her to the original group and she is bottom of the pecking order in both groups even though she is twice the size of the 4 week old chicks. I think she eats hay because she is intimidated by the other birds and don't want her to develop another impaction. Any advice?

Thank you and I'm very glad to be here!

LaRue2

You will find plenty of info here, but sometimes it is a bit daunting to get a specific puzzle solved. As for the inpacted crop... if i might offer some advice and a reson for it. The long pieces of hay you must have in your coops and runs is probably the cause of your need to become surgeons. Chickens need to bite or break off appropriate sized pieces, and untethered grass, straw, hay.... whatever, forces them to eat long strands of grass that just wind around in the crop and get sour and as you witnessed causes crop binding. 2 inch pieces of grass are great, or even big sufts of grass with the roots intact. These have either the preffered size or the weight due to soil for chickens to get the proper portion. Good job on the surgery btw. You obviously will be excellent poultry people. Thanks for your introduction.... hope to hear many more of your adventures, but for youe sake i hope they don't involve scalpels.

 

[drumstick diva]

My take is that she was bullied away from feed and maybe water, and eats hay because it was available to her. Chickens can be ruthless in their pecking order.

 

[OldParsonageFarm]

Welcome!!! Glad to meet you Also following lol

 

[LaRue2]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I've removed hay from the pen and am doing supervised visits with the younger chicks, things seem to be going well and I'll figure out a better bedding option for when we can eventually integrate everyone into one flock. Thanks again for the advice and encouragement!

 

[rjohns39]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I've removed hay from the pen and am doing supervised visits with the younger chicks, things seem to be going well and I'll figure out a better bedding option for when we can eventually integrate everyone into one flock. Thanks again for the advice and encouragement!

Use large pine shavings or peat moss.