Hatching with 2 broodies

[Pooman]

How old is the chick?

I tend to not get very attached to the young ones. They can keel over pretty quickly. I think its best to either let nature take its course or if the situation appears done for, give it a helping hand. Needless suffering isnt what im about. Probabily not what you wanted to hear.

Given that it appears that im breeding chooks, I'm not interested in the ones who arent strong. Imagine if this little guy somehow pulls through, then manages to breed.... Its the same situation over again, except worse they are all useless.

The chicken mother will do this for you though. She will reject it when it falls to far behind, it will get left off the nest, it wont be able,to keep up and it will die. Its the chicken world, where kids learn about life and death. Ones who aren't meant to make it shouldn't.

Sorry for your chick

Edit to add: the best place for the chick is with its mum and siblings, it will be able to see the others eating and drinking (have you seen it eat and drink?) and it will want to copy them.

Double edit. Is there a massive lump on one side of its throat (its crop?) is it blocked, i get worried about some of mine how huge they are initially to the size of the chick

 

[Farmer Viola]

Okay, my last broody ( my oldest silkie, Diva) has a chick that is lethargic! What do I do! It comes walking into my hands without me doing anything and it just falls dramatically and sleeps! It is very skinny! We really love this one as we have named him Uno! Even though he is a rooster, we still want to keep him! What do I do!? Take it away? Take him inside? He is not growing! I gave him save a chick and nothing happened! When the mama does the clucking noise he goes running to her but falls asleep under her... HELP!?

how old is it? I would give scrambled egg, it is high in protein.. since it's lethargic and not growing, maybe it isn't eating enough or is low on the pecking order? save a chick elecryolytes are great, esp if dehydrated and lethargic, save a chick pro-biotics will help with digestive tract health by populating the intestines with good helpful bacteria.

another thing I would do, is give 1-3 drops of concentrated chicken vitamins by touching it to the side of the beak (don't force it down the throat, chick can aspirate). the brands at my feed store are NutriDrench or Poly Vi Sol. both have vitamins and selenium (to aid absorption) in it and have helped many a chook in my house. good luck!!!

 

[16 paws]

ShelbyCoral,

Scramble up an egg and wet some chick starter, mix that together and offer it. Give a little sugar water also. I also agree on the vitamins as well. Good luck and let us know how old the chick is. I would bring it inside and put it under a heat lamp if it is cold where you live.
I had 2 broodys together and after they hatched the chicks one baby got hurt in a fight, I think between the two broodys. The chick had some pretty bad peck marks on its head. I didnt think it was going to make it.
I brought it inside for a day in a cardboard box and put a heat lamp on it and gave it what I stated above. It started doing better and I had no problem returning it to mama about a day later.
Let us know how its going.
Marie

 

[Teila]

Teila, Today is day 19 for MJ, so babies maybe tomorrow or Sunday?? My boys are super excited!!

Wooo hooo MM, I am excited for you all also ... can't wait to see the pictures

well maybe you can help me figure out how to plan coop sleeping arrangements lol!

lols FV, you and I both wish! I have to be honest, I was actually scratching my head when I read your post

I have not had two broodies and simultaneous hatches; I think that would severely do my head in!

With Cilla's first hatch, I left her in the 'community coop' which besides some extra egg donations from Dusty, worked out OK, that is until the chicks hatched, then the fun began and we had to rush out and buy a coop and separate her and the bubbies. On the second hatch, we were prepared and she was separated when given the fertile eggs. Definitely the way to go with my flock.

Obviously, this is just my humble opinion and based on experiences at Bambrook Bantams, but, if it was me, I would try and give them a separate, fenced off area where they can still see the rest of the flock, but also have their own little area where they can explore with mum in peace. I know others have different ideas. It really depends on your set up and your chickenalities

Before the first hatch, we had one coop which everyone slept in. Then, as mentioned, when the chicks hatched, we had two coops but, of course, the chicks hatched in the second coop learnt that that was their bedroom, so now I have two girls sleeping in one coop and three sleeping in the other. So, if I do separate for a broody, someone is going to have to change their sleeping arrangements. Either that or we just add a new coop every time someone becomes broody and have chickens sleeping in multiple apartments!

We are seriously considering a nursery which is solely for hatching purposes and then, when grown up, whoever is staying has to adjust to new sleeping arrangements and the nursery then gets shut down til next time.

Tee hee, here I am talking about "next time"; this from the person who was "not doing any more hatches", again, hopeless! lol

Okay, my last broody ( my oldest silkie, Diva) has a chick that is lethargic! What do I do! It comes walking into my hands without me doing anything and it just falls dramatically and sleeps! It is very skinny! We really love this one as we have named him Uno! Even though he is a rooster, we still want to keep him! What do I do!? Take it away? Take him inside? He is not growing! I gave him save a chick and nothing happened! When the mama does the clucking noise he goes running to her but falls asleep under her... HELP!?

Oh dear SC, I am sorry to hear that your little rooster is not thriving. I really can not add much to the great advice that 16 paws, PM and FV have already given you. I agree with PM and also believe in leaving the chick with his mumma; again, just my humble opinion, but I think the trauma of moving them away into a solitary area is probably less beneficial and adds more stress to their situation. When we were little and sick, who did we want most, our mumma

I so hope that he picks up and please let us know how he goes

 

[ShelbyCoral]

He seems better.

 

[16 paws]

16paws, the deep litter virtually takes care of the manure problem by itself. Maybe every couple of weeks if the coop is busy (i have 16 in the main coop right now) ill have to fork it over underneath the roost. Apart from that, clean, dry, no smell its all good. Aged wood chips, heaps and heaps of them, the more the better equals no poo issues

I also vote the wilderness broody "broody of the year", so hope she brings a bunch of chicks back for you

Hi there,

Yes, I agree, I also use the deep litter method. I havent used aged wood chips though. Where do you get them? Do you have a picture of what they look like? I use straw right now but I am open to other litter if it is better than straw and I can get it here in southern cal.
Thanks
Marie

 

[ShelbyCoral]

Okay, so about two hours I was cleaning the stall that the chickens are temporarily in and my cochin rooster was the only chicken I had outside. He was dust bathing to the left of me. A fox came running past me, grabbed my rooster by his tail and ran past me again to the right. I panicked and ran after them. I was crying and running yelling my cochins name. His name is Artemis and he kept screaming back. I run up my neighbors driveway following the fox and artemis, I start to see a ton of feathers. I hear Artemis scream and flap his wings, he got free. I skid to Artemis as he was limping to me. And I get him in my arms and he was breathing heavy and I thought he was dying. I was laying there crying with him under my head while my arms wrapped him. He was laying on his side. I got up after 10 minutes and rushed him to the barn. I called my mom and told her what had happened and she start to cry to. I looked over Artemis and he was so fluffy that the fox didn't puncture him at all. He is really bruised right now and scared. I'm in the house with him wrapped in a blanket. He has no tail feathers and no wing feathers. I'm so happy I save him and that he is alive. I can't thank God enough for my baby boy.

Anything else I can do for him? He is staying with me tonight. I am going to sleep on the couch with him. He is so scared! He keeps digging his face into the blankets crying and shaking. He is never like this! He is my spoiled rotten rooster. He always loves to be held and loves attention. He never shuts up and is very cocky. Now he is the opposite.

 

[ShelbyCoral]

 

[Teila]

Aaaaw SC how sad that happened to poor little Artemis and how terrible for you to go through that also

I would also be so very upset to see one of my chickens in that kind of danger

I am happy that you saved him though, what a wonderful chicken mumma you are

I am not an expert but I believe that Artemis may be in shock and it would be worth researching BYC or Google how to treat shock in chickens. Obviously, you will need to keep him hydrated. Is he drinking on his own? Maybe some sugar-water to boost his strength and help with the shock?

He is a very lucky little man that the fox did not get a chance to bite him...while very scary for you and him, I think he should be OK and back to his happy little self once he is over the shock.

 

[ShelbyCoral]

Okay, he is sleeping for now. He seems relaxed and safe in my arms and in the blankets.