I'm so happy and sad. I'm a first time chicken owner. Yesterday my chicks came in. I had 26 chicks and 6 of them were bantams. If you can don't ship and house bantam chicks with regular chicks. I had two chicks dead in the box. One Bantam and one other. Then I set the brooder up like I was supposed to. Plenty of room for everyone. Two waterers and two feeders. I went to work and when I got back 2 more dying bantams. It was like the big chicks were running them over. I separated the remaining Bantams from the others but one other was already in bad shape and died. All the other chicks are great but now I only have 2 little bantams left. Is this normal? I feel so bad.
It's not fun but it does sometimes happen, and since this is your first time remember to keep the water clean and clean the brooder out pretty often. Good luck with your other chicks, sorry for your loss.
I have raised bantams and large fowl from chicks together ok. The thing is, the bantam chicks are definitely more delicate than the LF chicks. So you might get some dying more is what I have found. You would be wise to put them back in together now if you want them to be one big family- it's your call. This is the best time to integrate them. I don't know what to tell you as it is always a risk that the little bantams might be hurt. If you think you want them separate just be aware that the longer they are separate the harder it will be for them to fit in as one of the flock. I hope this helps. Everyone does things a little differently and I am sorry for your losses. I usually do lose a couple of them every time we get a batch of 25.
I wouldn't blame the LF chicks. I have 21 coturnix quail, 2 OEG bantams and 5 LF chicks brooding together(breaking a rule but the quail are meat birds). The only casualty I've had so far has been defect related. They're 2 weeks old today, been together since hatching.
Yeah banties can be hard. Even on not shipped chicks you can have a hard time. The heat/cold can effect them a lot easier too. I lost several cause the brooder got too cold. Did not effect the LF chicks of the same age either.
Thanks for the advice. I did put the two remaining bantams back with the other chicks and they are all doing fine now. Out of 26 I have 18 left but they are all in good shape.
