Devil chicks?

[EggSighted4Life]

They have some dirt. And I've hand-fed the mealworms...so they've had maybe 3? between the both of them. I did give them a bit of cucumber to peck at for interest.

I also have come into an interesting scenerio.

Is it possible they think the baby is part of their flock? I took them out for an afternoon play time and plunked the baby down. She's 8mo and not yet mobile. They get close, but not too close. The RIR didn't even try to run once. Baby would get excited and flap her arms, and both would make crazy circles and flap around. The louder she "talked" the louder they cheeped. When I had to put them away the baby let me know I'd made a mistake and lost her mind....and so did the PR.

They are getting drinks and playing now. Baby needs a nap....but the RIR is fired up again, ready to run.

So...do they think the baby is part of their flock? If so will getting 2 more solve that...or are they bonded to her?

Other times RIR's escaped or had wanderlust, baby was no where to be seen (napping/bed)

No, your giving the flock association to much credit. It's just a chick. Getting more chicks may or may not help that one. In my experience it helped my upset chick to calm down and enjoy the group. But wanderlust is a whole other thing, IMO.... though it might not be so worried about getting out anymore if it has a few friends to console it instead of maybe only the sleepy or distracted one.

(I'm just making up things the single chick might be doing instead of what that one wants it to)

In all groups one may be the big adventurer. I have a large flock 40-50. One of my birds (EE) insists on inspecting every inch of my acre and some of my neighbors to. And like I said, monkey see monkey do. Someone has to lead the way to adventure. If your weather is decent (sunny and not windy) you could take them to the real outside for a few minutes. Earlier in their life is best.

But that wanderer girl has curtailed her adventures to my own property shortly after she started laying. I didn't clip wings to keep them on this side of my 4 foot fence, because it wasn't a real concern for me. When they do go over it is usually where there is a solid gate to land on instead of my stock yard type fencing.

Beings they are flock animals.... more chicks is better .... I guess is my final thought. Won't be long before it isn't really safe to have the babe like that. Chickens LOVE to peck shiny things like eyeballs. And it really isn't something you can train out. They peck at lint and whatever else they can get their lips on.... when they are little no big deal. But it hurts when they get bigger. A couple of my girls are gentile though.

One thing that won't help you or the chicks is if the toddler rules the roost!

So don't give into her lost little mind, I'm sure she'll find in her sweet little dreams.

Like with anything else though.... what work for one person at one place might not work for another in another location. And ultimately you have to do what you think will work for YOU!

Now go get some chicks and don't listen to what people say about chicken math!

Just kidding really though.

 

[azygous]

Nooooo

the hatchery has a 98% rate of being correct. Please tell me I can't be that unlucky.

Oh, honey! You should have seen me summer before last when I was dealing with a tiny order from My Pet Chicken. I painstakingly researched breeds that can be auto sexed upon hatch. That means the boys look entirely different from the girls. I ordered six pullets. Two turned out to be cockerels. MPC offered me pullet replacements for the two "mistakes", and I ordered one extra pullet since I needed three chicks to meet the minimum for shipping. Guess what! They screwed up again! One was a cockerel!

MPC refused right up to the point when I reported the youngster was crowing and mating his brooder mates to believe they had made a mistake again. But when I provided close ups of his saddle and hackle feathers, they conceded and refunded my money. But that summer, I had to deal with three cockerels and all the related stress. I was very unhappy with MPC. Still am.

So, yes they make mistakes, and their ability to sex chicks and be accurate is only as good as the aptitude and training of the staff they hire. If you think that chicks where the males and females look entirely different would insure no mistakes, think again.

 

[seashoreduck]

Oh, honey! You should have seen me summer before last when I was dealing with a tiny order from My Pet Chicken. I painstakingly researched breeds that can be auto sexed upon hatch. That means the boys look entirely different from the girls. I ordered six pullets. Two turned out to be cockerels. MPC offered me pullet replacements for the two "mistakes", and I ordered one extra pullet since I needed three chicks to meet the minimum for shipping. Guess what! They screwed up again! One was a cockerel!

MPC refused right up to the point when I reported the youngster was crowing and mating his brooder mates to believe they had made a mistake again. But when I provided close ups of his saddle and hackle feathers, they conceded and refunded my money. But that summer, I had to deal with three cockerels and all the related stress. I was very unhappy with MPC. Still am.

So, yes they make mistakes, and their ability to sex chicks and be accurate is only as good as the aptitude and training of the staff they hire. If you think that chicks where the males and females look entirely different would insure no mistakes, think again.

Hmmm.

I am not sure now. The guy at the feed store....I've worked with him for years. I got my first ducks with him back in 2013 before I knew anything about anything. I got my dog food there, he runs a tight shop. He doesn't take crud, and he knows if something happens it's on him, and since it's a small business he works hard not to 'eff it up. Since we literally have a gossip page in our town newspaper (they call it something cute like 'smiles and frowns') Business owners do all they can to stay on the good side of that. If he was handing out cockeralls like that, given our town gossip, it would be well known. If anything, he seems to be calling the right shots because he's growing his poultry business.

Maybe I'm too trusting

 

[azygous]

I'm so sorry for upsetting you. Try to enjoy your baby chicks, even the little twerp who wants to roam. In a few weeks you should know what you have. By age six weeks, cockerels have a noticeably redder, larger comb than pullets.

If you are feeling really unsure about this chick, you should have no problem exchanging it for another one. That way you might have a better chance of it turning out to be a pullet, and it will solve the problems you've been having with its roaming inclinations.

When upset and anxious about something, action is the best medicine.

 

[seashoreduck]

So I too

I'm so sorry for upsetting you. Try to enjoy your baby chicks, even the little twerp who wants to roam. In a few weeks you should know what you have. By age six weeks, cockerels have a noticeably redder, larger comb than pullets.

If you are feeling really unsure about this chick, you should have no problem exchanging it for another one. That way you might have a better chance of it turning out to be a pullet, and it will solve the problems you've been having with its roaming inclinations.

When upset and anxious about something, action is the best medicine.

I was unsure about it.

Then I was playing with them before bed. RIR chased killed two lady bugs....which was funny enough. Then, I let the dog in and there's a freaking tick on it's paw (white fur). I told the dog to lay down and held her paw still. I called the chicks over and RIR goes right to work and gobbles the tick down. Which is why I had (and loved) the ducks....I'm allergic to ticks.


Little Chick....what am I going to do with you.

The little devil is winning my heart. Nothing wins my heart like things that kills ticks.


This play time there was no roaming what-so-ever. RIR and PR both stayed close. One thing is for sure, RIR hates the cage but is getting used to it. Although, I'm slightly suspicious of what's going on with the RIR because she's got some teeeeeny feathers on the tips of her wings and isn't just fluff like the PR, despite the PR being slightly bigger.

*lesigh*

She's (or he) is less devilish, listening to me call them over and eats ticks....

....no freaking idea what to do.

 

[azygous]

I'm in complete sympathy. You've already bonded with this chick. May as well accept it. Try to detach from the uncertainty of the situation and let things sort themselves out. Don't try to force yourself to decide anything. It will all work itself out.

 

[seashoreduck]

finally sleepy after a morning play session.

 

[seashoreduck]

They are now totally chill. Hubby asked if they were ok. The RIR can't get through the bars now and so I was able to remove the fortress around their cage. They like to come out to play but are being a bit resistant to being handled, I'm going to work on that a bit with them tomorrow.