carikermoon
Songster
We had some chick drama over the weekend. My youngest found Bop, the white crested black Polish bantam dead on his Sunday morning rounds. Bop was my oldest son's favorite and he was extremely upset. I had checked the chicks the night before and everyone was healthy, active, eating, drinking, chirping.... But it looked to my untrained eye like Bop took a couple of pecks to the head.
After much wailing, I called the local feedstores to ask about their chicks. All had received day old chicks in the last week (making them about the same as ours) and all had typical egg layers plus one "exotic". So we we to the feedstore with Ameraucanas (they get them from Ideal). My oldest picked out a brown one. My youngest begged for one and I tried to talk home into a yellow one (there was only one yellow one left) but he was attached to a dark reddish brown one. And because I am a total idiot we ended up with all three when we went to only pick out ONE replacement. Sigh. After we got home the new brownish chicks slowly figured out to go under Angel, but the biggest, yellow one seemed to have a harder time figuring out to go under the broody hen. Or maybe she was too big to fit--now that we had SIX chicks when I had only planned on four. Yesterday, I noticed that the big yellow Ameraucana was still not under Angel, so I tried to help her. And Angel attacked her! I thought it was a mistake and shifted Angel around in the brooder to get all the chicks reshuffled, but no... Angel attacked the yellow chick three more times and refused to let the chick under her wings.
I have never seen Angel peck another creature. Maybe she thinks we have one too many chicks? Bop and the yellow chick both have fluffy yellow heads whereas everyone else has the darker heads--maybe Angel doesn't like yellow?
Anyway, I put Angel with King in the garage/outside run and pulled out the brooder heater. I am worried about the little bantam EE with all the large chicks but so far she seems to be holding her own. The chicks chirp a lot as though calling for Angel; Angel on the other hand is no longer broody and seems to be enjoying bug hunting--it probably feels good to stretch her legs.
After much wailing, I called the local feedstores to ask about their chicks. All had received day old chicks in the last week (making them about the same as ours) and all had typical egg layers plus one "exotic". So we we to the feedstore with Ameraucanas (they get them from Ideal). My oldest picked out a brown one. My youngest begged for one and I tried to talk home into a yellow one (there was only one yellow one left) but he was attached to a dark reddish brown one. And because I am a total idiot we ended up with all three when we went to only pick out ONE replacement. Sigh. After we got home the new brownish chicks slowly figured out to go under Angel, but the biggest, yellow one seemed to have a harder time figuring out to go under the broody hen. Or maybe she was too big to fit--now that we had SIX chicks when I had only planned on four. Yesterday, I noticed that the big yellow Ameraucana was still not under Angel, so I tried to help her. And Angel attacked her! I thought it was a mistake and shifted Angel around in the brooder to get all the chicks reshuffled, but no... Angel attacked the yellow chick three more times and refused to let the chick under her wings.
I have never seen Angel peck another creature. Maybe she thinks we have one too many chicks? Bop and the yellow chick both have fluffy yellow heads whereas everyone else has the darker heads--maybe Angel doesn't like yellow?
Anyway, I put Angel with King in the garage/outside run and pulled out the brooder heater. I am worried about the little bantam EE with all the large chicks but so far she seems to be holding her own. The chicks chirp a lot as though calling for Angel; Angel on the other hand is no longer broody and seems to be enjoying bug hunting--it probably feels good to stretch her legs.