First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[AmandaMBG]

Not comparing across breeds. The same age chick he is pictured with is a female Australorp. Also he stopped growing before the leg problems which I am pretty sure was caused from a leg injury due to trampling from his hatch mates. They were double his size before I removed him and a few more normal runts from the main group. I'm really more curious wether anyone has had a chick as drastically stunted before and if so did they catch up ever or stay on the smaller side. I mean he doesn't look like he has it in him to get up to 8 lbs.

It could just be that when he had his leg issues, there was an associated vitamin deficiency, and that period of time caused him to be weakened and not grow as vigorous, so now he is just catching up. Also right now I have a mixed breed flock and my Australorp is on the slower side to grow and develop feathers. You really can't compare across breeds. Each chicken breed has its own rate of development.

 

[Yooper]

with 16 babies, the onlyone we could name is Fuzzy, for the growth of plumage around her face.

 

[Blooie]

Had (presumably) a raccoon get past my defenses last night. Pulled the head and wings off of one of my white silkies (I really, really hope the head was first). One of my light brahmas has a large wound on her back that I flushed with saline, doused in vetricyn spray, and bandaged up. She's inside in a cage by herself with a bowl of Nutri-drench/aspirin water. Really hope she makes it since the brahmas have all been really sweet.

On the advice of a wildlife rehabber, I doused some blankets in ammonia and put them around the temporary coop/dog kennel. I also piled up some of my 4x4 posts along the ourside to hopefully protect anyone sleeping near the perimeter. And then I removed all the bedding from the perimeter and put in an extra roost to discourage perimeter sleeping.

I'm so sorry! I think raccoons are my biggest fear, yet I've still never seen one around here. I ain't stoopid, I know they are everywhere - I once watched an entire family of them come up through a storm drain - in downtown Denver. Smack in the middle of the high-rises. Insidious little boogers, and you just never know when they will strike.

 

[kekstrom]

It has begun.... I have started the process of transitioning my second batch of chicks (6 of them) outside into the coop with the older first batch of chicks (4 of them).

First, I have been putting them outside during the daytime in their little safe run that is INSIDE the coop's run. So that the two groups get to see each other. I have been doing that for a week now.

Next, I started to go out and be with them for about an hour of free range time, where I open up the little safe run and allow the two groups to mingle. There have been pecks, but nothing more aggressive than a peck here or there.

I hope to continue to do the mixing time together for another week or two, and then depending on how that goes, I'll move on to the next step, which is then putting them into the coop for the night so that the two groups wake up together.

I essentially have little 'panic' areas for them, places where they can crawl under or inside of that the older chicks can't reach them... and they haven't had to use them yet for escape reasons, only just for frolicking and relaxing. Seems like my older chicks don't quite realize how much older they truly are and they are sort of 'chicken' towards the itty chicks. And the pecks have only been from my Barred Rock chick who I am thinking might already be top of the pecking order, or she is vying for top position right now. They'll even share the smaller chicks feeders and waterers together with no squabbling. So that is promising!

We are about to get hit with 90 degree weather during the day, and 60's at night, so I am hoping this batch will be outside sooner than the first was. My priority is on the introduction time now so that they have as peaceful of a transition as possible.

 

[Serenashome]

Not comparing across breeds. The same age chick he is pictured with is a female Australorp. Also he stopped growing before the leg problems which I am pretty sure was caused from a leg injury due to trampling from his hatch mates. They were double his size before I removed him and a few more normal runts from the main group. I'm really more curious wether anyone has had a chick as drastically stunted before and if so did they catch up ever or stay on the smaller side. I mean he doesn't look like he has it in him to get up to 8 lbs.

I am curious about this as well. We have a runt chicken named Midge. She was smaller than the others from day one. Has the exact same diet and environment since day one. She has never had an injury but, she is about 2/3rds the size of her sisters and all were born on the same day and are all buff orpingtons.

She may be smaller but she is by far the scrappiest and most intelligent of any of them. She's just small.

 

[AmandaMBG]

Ya that sounds like a pretty typical runt. I had a couple like that as well. Both golden polish I got were runts (about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of my buff polish and a Marrans who is about 1/2 the size of my other two. I think runts are normal just like in cats and dogs. This guy wasn't smaller from day one though. He was the same size then almost stopped growing. Between 1 week and a month he only grew to the size of a 2 week old chick maybe. Then from there he has been slowly (but a little faster) growing larger. He is only around 1/8 to 1/6 the weight of his flock mates. It's an extreme case and really weird.

I am curious about this as well. We have a runt chicken named Midge. She was smaller than the others from day one. Has the exact same diet and environment since day one. She has never had an injury but, she is about 2/3rds the size of her sisters and all were born on the same day and are all buff orpingtons. 

She may be smaller but she is by far the scrappiest and most intelligent of any of them. She's just small.

 

[Jensownzoo]

I'm so sorry!  I think raccoons are my biggest fear, yet I've still never seen one around here.  I ain't stoopid, I know they are everywhere - I once watched an entire family of them come up through a storm drain - in downtown Denver.  Smack in the middle of the high-rises.  Insidious little boogers, and you just never know when they will strike.  

She's hanging in there. Is still producing poops, so at least she's eating. Found another Silkie that had been injured...she's smaller and typically keeps to herself anyway so I missed it yesterday. No wound...think maybe she's either got a dislocation or severe sprain. They're keeping each other company now.

 

[Amary123]

Hello all! New chick patent here too! We have a total of 8, 3 that are around 9 weeks old and we just got 5 babies yesterday 4 days old today!!

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Did you introduce your 9 weeks to your new chicks? If you did how did it go and how did you do it? I'm on the fence on whether I should introduce my 9 weeks to my 3 weeks.

 

[kekstrom]

Did you introduce your 9 weeks to your new chicks? If you did how did it go and how did you do it? I'm on the fence on whether I should introduce my 9 weeks to my 3 weeks.

If you read up about 5 or so posts, you can read how I am introducing my younger chicks to my older chicks. Currently my older chicks are 11 weeks, and my younger are 4 weeks and 3 weeks old. Its been going great so far!

 

[kekstrom]

Okay, I took updated pics of all of our girls today, even the big chicks... so get ready for picture overload (sorry!)

Sophia, EE, 3 weeks old:


Betty, BA, 3 weeks old:


Izzie, CM, 3 weeks old:


Blanche, LB, 4 weeks old:


Dorothy, EE, 4 weeks old:


Mrs. McGillicuddy, GSL, 4 weeks old:


Rose, EE, 11 weeks old:


Lucy, BO, 11 weeks old:


Lacey, SLW, 11 weeks old:


Ethel, BR, 11 weeks old:


And here are all 4 of the big chicks together.... I can't believe how big they are and how beautiful they have become!


This was them when they were all just days old. Fluffy butts to gorgeous ladies.