Lillith37
Specially interested in chickens
Hi everyone,
I’m new here but have spent a lot of time reading through various posts and have found peoples’ experience and advice helpful.
My hen Lillith recently hatched six Rhode Island Red chicks. They are about five days old. She hatched them in the coop which is a repurposed tin shed with a wire mesh door. I have four other hens (soon to be five with my friend’s mum rehoming her last hen to me) and two juvenile chickens from Lillith’s first brood. Lillith has been free ranging with the chicks for the past couple of days but throughout the day she takes them back into the shed for a rest. There is various terrain outside; grass, tanbark, dirt.
Today I noticed one of the chicks was limping/favouring one leg and preferring to sit and rest wherever possible. Upon further inspection, it has a minor scrape and redness/swelling on its left ankle joint. I can manipulate the leg without trouble and the chick doesn’t seem to be splaying it out to the side. The chick is eating and drinking well, pooping like normal, preening and stretching.
I tried wrapping its leg with vetwrap but the chick rolled onto its side and wouldn’t get up again so I removed the bandage. I’ve been keeping it inside in a box for the past hour or two and it already seems better on its leg and is screaming for Lillith and the others and trying to get out of the box.
I’m wondering whether I should keep the chick inside with one or two of its siblings for a couple of days? Lillith doesn’t seem overly distressed by its absence. Unfortunately I don’t have a separate brooder and the others need free access to the shed to lay their eggs, which means if I put the chick back with Lillith it will have to free range and stress its leg. I’m worried that Lillith may stress if I remove more chicks, or may not accept them back (although she is a very doting and committed mother). The chick inside can also hear the others outside at times and I’m worried this will also cause stress.
I live in the southeast of Australia where it is currently summer and in the 20-30s every day so it’s fairly warm inside. I was thinking I could put the injured chick and companion chicks back under Lillith at night and remove them again in the morning.
I have a chicken specific liquid vitamin I can put in the water. The chicks get starter crumbles and eggs for their main food in the morning and evening, mealworms for treats, plus whatever they forage throughout the day. They have access to grit.
Any thoughts or advice on this issue and my approach would be much appreciated.
I’m new here but have spent a lot of time reading through various posts and have found peoples’ experience and advice helpful.
My hen Lillith recently hatched six Rhode Island Red chicks. They are about five days old. She hatched them in the coop which is a repurposed tin shed with a wire mesh door. I have four other hens (soon to be five with my friend’s mum rehoming her last hen to me) and two juvenile chickens from Lillith’s first brood. Lillith has been free ranging with the chicks for the past couple of days but throughout the day she takes them back into the shed for a rest. There is various terrain outside; grass, tanbark, dirt.
Today I noticed one of the chicks was limping/favouring one leg and preferring to sit and rest wherever possible. Upon further inspection, it has a minor scrape and redness/swelling on its left ankle joint. I can manipulate the leg without trouble and the chick doesn’t seem to be splaying it out to the side. The chick is eating and drinking well, pooping like normal, preening and stretching.
I tried wrapping its leg with vetwrap but the chick rolled onto its side and wouldn’t get up again so I removed the bandage. I’ve been keeping it inside in a box for the past hour or two and it already seems better on its leg and is screaming for Lillith and the others and trying to get out of the box.
I’m wondering whether I should keep the chick inside with one or two of its siblings for a couple of days? Lillith doesn’t seem overly distressed by its absence. Unfortunately I don’t have a separate brooder and the others need free access to the shed to lay their eggs, which means if I put the chick back with Lillith it will have to free range and stress its leg. I’m worried that Lillith may stress if I remove more chicks, or may not accept them back (although she is a very doting and committed mother). The chick inside can also hear the others outside at times and I’m worried this will also cause stress.
I live in the southeast of Australia where it is currently summer and in the 20-30s every day so it’s fairly warm inside. I was thinking I could put the injured chick and companion chicks back under Lillith at night and remove them again in the morning.
I have a chicken specific liquid vitamin I can put in the water. The chicks get starter crumbles and eggs for their main food in the morning and evening, mealworms for treats, plus whatever they forage throughout the day. They have access to grit.
Any thoughts or advice on this issue and my approach would be much appreciated.
