Last night I moved our 12 10-week-old chicks to the coop and run with our two 6 or so year old hens. They are divided and can't get to each other, but they can see and interact through the hardware cloth.
In addition to three questions, I am just in need of some moral support. The chicks have been living in a coop in the backyard and have been free ranging. I've been able to interact with them by just stepping outside and could sit on patio furniture and feed them treats. Now they're beyond the backyard in a small orchard. Is it weird to feel sad about this? I have teen human daughters, so maybe I'm just anticipating their moving out (?), but I've never felt so sad about integrating chicks with the flock.
We also have Marek's in our flock. While the chicks have been vaccinated (and I've read articles here and elsewhere on the effectiveness/wisdom of the vaccine), we're also entering the period in their lives when they're most susceptible and I'm already feeling stressed about that. We got our last batch of chicks from an unethical local hatchery that knowingly sold Mareks-infected birds, so know all too well how heartbreaking it is to watch chicks die in quick succession from his horrible virus. So not only am I feeling guilty about raising chicks in a Mareks-infected flock, it's awful to go down to the coop and look to see if they're exhibiting any symptoms. Anyone out there with Mareks in their flock who can offer some advice/moral support?
To make matters worse, I noticed a roundworm in the feces of one of our hens yesterday
. Our chickens have never had worms before (or not that we knew of), but I will say that having a new sand covered coop and run makes worm detection pretty easy. I started them on Safeguard yesterday after reading many threads on deworming here. One of our chickens has started an early molt, so I'm not sure if I should be deworming them, but it seems to be better to get rid of the worms than worry about weird-growing feathers. Advice?
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment on my post. I know everyone has busy lives, so I appreciate any advice you can give.
In addition to three questions, I am just in need of some moral support. The chicks have been living in a coop in the backyard and have been free ranging. I've been able to interact with them by just stepping outside and could sit on patio furniture and feed them treats. Now they're beyond the backyard in a small orchard. Is it weird to feel sad about this? I have teen human daughters, so maybe I'm just anticipating their moving out (?), but I've never felt so sad about integrating chicks with the flock.
We also have Marek's in our flock. While the chicks have been vaccinated (and I've read articles here and elsewhere on the effectiveness/wisdom of the vaccine), we're also entering the period in their lives when they're most susceptible and I'm already feeling stressed about that. We got our last batch of chicks from an unethical local hatchery that knowingly sold Mareks-infected birds, so know all too well how heartbreaking it is to watch chicks die in quick succession from his horrible virus. So not only am I feeling guilty about raising chicks in a Mareks-infected flock, it's awful to go down to the coop and look to see if they're exhibiting any symptoms. Anyone out there with Mareks in their flock who can offer some advice/moral support?
To make matters worse, I noticed a roundworm in the feces of one of our hens yesterday
. Our chickens have never had worms before (or not that we knew of), but I will say that having a new sand covered coop and run makes worm detection pretty easy. I started them on Safeguard yesterday after reading many threads on deworming here. One of our chickens has started an early molt, so I'm not sure if I should be deworming them, but it seems to be better to get rid of the worms than worry about weird-growing feathers. Advice?Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment on my post. I know everyone has busy lives, so I appreciate any advice you can give.
This morning I found another one. We just put sand in our coop and run, so they are pretty easy to see (we use a cat littler scoop to clean/sift through it). If you suspect your nuggets have worms, you can get a vet (any vet... not necessarily avian) to do a fecal float test confirm. The ones I found look exactly like roundworms, so that's what I'm treating for. There's tons of information on deworming on BYC. Some of it's confusing, so I hope I'm doing the right thing/giving the right dose LOL. 
I just hope this stress doesn't activate Mareks. Who ever said chickens were healthy and easy to raise? LOL
