My chicken hen hatched an IB peachick on Aug 5th.
I've been feeding 24% protein turkey starter, and watering with electrolytes or probiotics.
Mom (chicken) and baby (pea) are segregated from the other chickens using a 10x10x6 chainlink dog kennel with a-frame tarp top. Mom and baby have a small chicken house to go into at night, inside the pen.
Your members' posts and threads have informed me this is likely a male IB. Wing primaries and secondaries are barred. I think I'm starting to see orangish primaries but it could be my imagination. Hard to get a good look, 'cause he sticks close to his "mommy" whenever I walk near.
What I've learned:
1. The head crest feathers first start peeking out at 2.5 weeks.
2. The little guy's body is just barely fitting through the chain links at 3.5 weeks. I expect he'll be too big to get through at 4 weeks of age, just guessing.
NOTE: Before anyone freaks out at my running with scissors attitude on raising this baby pea inside a chainlink pen he can crawl through, note that outside this 10x10 pen is a 280 foot perimeter Premier1 electric mesh portable poultry netting fence to ward off skunks, raccoons, possums, and other vermin critters. Mama is restrained inside the 10x10 pen and baby, while squeezing thru the links on occasion, won't stray far from his mama.
When should I administer deworming medicine? Or should I even worry about that? What sort of things should I know now to anticipate the next stages of growth? I envision "Buddy", that's the IB chick's name, will free-range. Given he was born here, shouldn't he stay here when mama "weans" him?
When will Buddy be out of the woods regarding blackhead? 3 months? Buddy and mama walk on the bare ground, the dirt. Mommy helps him find bugs.
Anything else advice-wise I should know. Any criticisms are welcome. I'm learning and I want to give Buddy the best start I can.
I've been feeding 24% protein turkey starter, and watering with electrolytes or probiotics.
Mom (chicken) and baby (pea) are segregated from the other chickens using a 10x10x6 chainlink dog kennel with a-frame tarp top. Mom and baby have a small chicken house to go into at night, inside the pen.
Your members' posts and threads have informed me this is likely a male IB. Wing primaries and secondaries are barred. I think I'm starting to see orangish primaries but it could be my imagination. Hard to get a good look, 'cause he sticks close to his "mommy" whenever I walk near.
What I've learned:
1. The head crest feathers first start peeking out at 2.5 weeks.
2. The little guy's body is just barely fitting through the chain links at 3.5 weeks. I expect he'll be too big to get through at 4 weeks of age, just guessing.
NOTE: Before anyone freaks out at my running with scissors attitude on raising this baby pea inside a chainlink pen he can crawl through, note that outside this 10x10 pen is a 280 foot perimeter Premier1 electric mesh portable poultry netting fence to ward off skunks, raccoons, possums, and other vermin critters. Mama is restrained inside the 10x10 pen and baby, while squeezing thru the links on occasion, won't stray far from his mama.
When should I administer deworming medicine? Or should I even worry about that? What sort of things should I know now to anticipate the next stages of growth? I envision "Buddy", that's the IB chick's name, will free-range. Given he was born here, shouldn't he stay here when mama "weans" him?
When will Buddy be out of the woods regarding blackhead? 3 months? Buddy and mama walk on the bare ground, the dirt. Mommy helps him find bugs.
Anything else advice-wise I should know. Any criticisms are welcome. I'm learning and I want to give Buddy the best start I can.
