I need some help!

[dena]

My neighbors left last weekend and without talking to ME handed my 7 yr old 20.00 to take care of their chickens. Yep.....Well, they've got chicks. The door to their little coop won't stay closed and the chicks got out and were being picked off by dogs, hawks, the adult chickens. So now what? There's 6 left and they are in a bird cage in my kitchen. I can't get to the coop because they left their two dogs tied up down there, one got loose and they're NOT friendly. I can't call animal control because there isn't one out here in the country. I don't know when these people are coming back. THEY JUST LEFT. Can I just keep the chicks in my bathtub? They're awful cramped in the little cage but I can't bear the thought of putting them back down there just to die. I'm kind of at a loss here. Please some advice! Thank you for reading my post.
Dena

 

[chickbea]

You can indeed keep them in the tub, but put down an old towel first, because it will be too slippery for them. Did they leave you some food for the chicks? Chicks need to eat different food than adults.
Who is feeding the dogs? Good heavens! What a mess!

 

[morelcabin]

wow, are you sure these people plan on coming back? Something sounds really fishy...I would never leave a 7 year old in charge of my birds and esp if I had two dogs nearby that weren't friendly...there must be some kind of animal humane society you can call who eill come out...

 

[dena]

Good Heavens what a mess indeed. My husband says they had a family emergency. I just wish they had told me what was going on! I've only met the woman once. They just moved in. The dogs are pit bulls and i have to admit I am afraid of them. These chics aren't like the cute little yellow ones. They are turning red but they are still small. Do you know if they can eat the corn looking stuff now? Thank you again so much. Off to the tub they go then. Wonder how long I'll have to keep them. Unbelievable.

 

[dlhunicorn]

<---- that is how I would feel in your shoes!
How old are the chicks (and did they have a mamma hen to look after them?) I ask because chicks who do not have a mamma hen to keep them warm until their ability to regulate their temperature will need a heating source to keep them warm. Depending on how the natural temps are and their ages , the schedule (temperature) for chicks are 95 degrees the first week then reduce by five degrees each week after (I think until 75 degrees) >>> are you able to determine their ages? If not , then if you see them huddling together with their feathers fluffed it means they are cold and you should hang a heat source (lightbulb)above them or another heat source (lightbulb is usually the easiest)
They will need medicated chick starter to eat... you can get this at TSC or a feed store.