Introducing a single 2 week old chick to four hatchlings

[Corn Thrower]

Mareks and coccidiosis vaccinations are done immediately after hatching.

Ah, I see, we’ll just have to hope for the best then. Thank you!!

 

[thepick4uchicks]

Thank you so much for the detailed response! The chick does seem to be healthy. It is growing fast (size doubled in one week) and feathering out, and showing much less interest in mirrors and feathers and bird sound and a lot more interest in people and people activities. It likes to perch up on my shoulder and gently peck in my hair. It’s very sweet!

I’ve “rescued” baby chicks from the woods before, but only to warm them up for the night before sending them back outside. The older chicks I have seen before chirped for their mother almost constantly, and did not like being held. They were happy to be released in the morning and went looking for mama right away. This little chick loves to be held, and only chirps when I am away. It thinks I am mama. We ended up naming the chick Lucky.

We ended up finding another hatchling yesterday in the street, getting pecked by a hen. I shooed the hen away, and brought the tiny chick inside to be a friend for Lucky. I introduced them slowly, and Lucky is a bit dominant with the new baby but not pecky or mean. They baby copies Lucky’s every move. They snuggle together in the warm cardboard box and Lucky honestly seems much happier and needs less attention throughout the day. Lucky is still on its little lucky streak, it seems!

I’m not sure about the breed! The feral chickens here are a mix of escaped farm
birds and pets, and what they call red junglefowl— truly wild chickens. There are no predators of adult chickens in the wild here, but mongoose, rats and cats eat the babies. We live near farmland so I think we have more escaped farm chickens in the mix here. They come in all colors. We put out cracked corn for them, and they come fertilize my yard and eat bugs. It’s a good deal for me and the kids love them We have names for the chickens who hang out in our yard. The dominant hen, with 3 chicks of her own who stole the nest is called Zuchinni, and the hen that laid the eggs but abandoned the nest (where Lucky was the only hath), we call Pepper. I will try to get a picture of Pepper for you! She is a bit flighty but always shows up for corn. I have no idea who the rooster is.

And thank you for the lovely name suggestion, we do still need a name for the littlest chick I like Origin, I will have to run it by my daughter!

I am so glad that Lucky has been named and is truly still doing well. It looks like you guys have the basis for your new flock. You have two solid Origins for it. I’m glad they are staying healthy. I was going to tell you that I got my 9 chicks from Meyer Hatchery in Ohio and they vaccinated for Merek’s Disease for sure and maybe one other thing but I can’t remember at $.50 per chick the day they were born I believe. I kept their invoice in my safe and have it locked up in the bottom of it right now and put away and hard to get to I’m afraid. However, I was very glad that they could do that so easily for me before they sent them to me and it was a worry off my mind because as I said before getting a vet to see them or vaccinate them is almost null here and whatever medical treatment they get will most likely be from me so I am trying to keep them as healthy as possible and have as many supplies and information on hand that I can and learn as much as I can from others about how to take care of them and different illnesses or medical situations. I have treated sick animals other than chickens quite a bit but birds are another story for me. They are tough on one hand yet so delicate. I just have to watch over them so closely. They really make me nervous in this heat we have in Mississippi. It is so deadly. I don’t do the greatest in it myself and that’s because of meds I take and I really watch my animals because I know what heat stroke is like. Dangerous. I really have enjoyed learning about my birds though. They have fought me some too. They are so gentle on one hand and then on the other they are so tough. They are some birds and hilarious!

 

[thepick4uchicks]

Ah, I see, we’ll just have to hope for the best then. Thank you!!

You can also give them medicated feed for the coccidia if you need too.