Michigan

[Mom 2em All]

Hello all-

Doing a little chicken experimenting this morning. As I have told, I have two chicks hatched in my incubator after Mama Broody abandoned her eggs with only days to hatch. Hatched four, two died for unknown reasons.

The two I have had in the house are about five days behind the ones outside with Mama Hen. Dad was turken, and Mom was either: white silkie,brown frizzle, white/black sizzle,or black silkie/cochin cross. Or a combo of all.
Some are brown and white skinned, one is brown and dark-skinned. Some are white and black with white skin, some are grey/blue or white with dark skin. Some have extra toes, some do not.
All of them are the same size except one of the ones inside the house. She is a dwarf. Today, I carried them outside with the Mama Hen- and her babies. The bigger one from inside the house has been picking on its brooder-mate and almost double in its size. Mama Hen took them as hers right away, even though she managed to look a little confused. The bigger of the babies from the house fit right in- I have been watching it for about fortyfive minutes and everything is going very well. I brought little one back in.

I think that it being dwarfed also has dwarfed lungs. She breathes hard, all the time. Does everything a chick should do- eats, sleeps, scratches, drinks, peeps, poops etc. Just smaller than the others and breathes hard. This will be house-chicken until Spring/summer/ forever. I just wonder if its lungs are undeveloped or not growing along with the chick.

Things to ponder and all views are welcome. Right now I gave her a stuffed snowman to be her buddy. The snowman wont pick on her as her clutch-mate (ostrich) did.

Pictures show the size difference of the two that hatched in the house:

 

[chicken grandma]

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I would not mix the ducks with my chickens. Just my opinion. If you brought in girl ducks, would you need more females than male so the males don't have to fight for partners?

 

[chicken grandma]

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Mom - what if you tried to treat the little one with a pennicillan base antibiotic like Duraband in the water for 7 days? Or if you can amoxicillan by dropper would be better yet. What if the little one has an infection in the lungs that you can cure? Then she can start to thrive? God bless you for your kind care of these little chicks.

 

[Mom 2em All]

I could treat it if I can figure out a dose. I have injectable Baytril that I can give oral- and I may have some amoxicillin that I can give orally.
Im not sure what dosage I would use- she weighs about nothing.

I just checked on the big chick- hard to tell which one it is now, its scratching in the dirt right along with all its stepsiblings out there with Mama. This is good.

Little One- as she shall now be named is sound asleep in the feed container, lying sprawled out, in the cage here by the computer- looking very much like a dead chick. lol. Scared me.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Nova, I had a pullet go broody just 3 weeks after laying her first egg. Go ahead and let your girl hatch some babies

Keyt, so sorry about the chick

RBahmer, I hope Baby Blue will improve. Congrats on the Maran hatching.
Opa, congrats on the catch

Mom2, I hope the little one will improve.

 

[Mom 2em All]

I just thought of another question regarding genetics..perhaps some of you can answer...(OLIVE HILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! )

Do you suppose the extra toe thing is a sex- thing? Like...the ones with extra toes are girls (

)..creating showgirls means- Silkie male, Turken female..but what happens when its Silkie female, and Turken male....besides a bunch of mutts?

I was thinking if by some chance that it was a sex-link trait, and knowing my luck..the two that I have with extra toes would be female, and the other five would be male.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

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I sure will. Check out my siggy and you can see what else I plan on hatching

 

[Olive Hill]

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But, unfortunately, no. The extra toe is the silkie genetics coming through. Silkies have five toes regardless of sex. Sorry. But hey, maybe you'll end up with more females than males.

 

[M.sue]

Hello everyone. I got home real late from the barn last night. A friend's horse was having troubles and my DD, the barn owner and I stayed with it, walked it and kept an eye on it till she was able to get there. We were afraid she was gonna colic but thank goodness for meds, knowing what to do and some patience the situation turned itself around!! Yay little pony! So here I sit just trying to play catch up on the thread......too many post as usual so I jut did a fast scan.

How exciting to see all the new chicks......go Hatching Mommas!!

Finger crossed for Baby Blue.....I love the name!!

I don't think the lack of ice has ever stopped an avid fisherman.....Nice catch Opa!

Chickmate......LOVEEEEE those colorful nesting boxes!!

 

[NovaAman]

ok, so I took Leila out of the nest box, no eggs in there. I put her in the nest box in the dog coop closed the door. I went to fin the chick feeder for her and when I came back, she was next to the door, so I opened it up, she came out. Oh well. Went to go look for eggs, to bring in then house and got to witness "live action, Yeyeyeyeyeeyeye" from Vanna and Skeeter. Skeeter was on Asters egg, vanna was on Skeeter. Skeeter was trying to get vanna off of her. I moved vanna, she continued to stand over skeeter, and POP, egg drops. Vanna still just stand there, Skeeter is looking at the egg, up at Vanna, back at the egg, then she wiggled round a bit, and stole Vanna's egg! So there she sat, on hers, Aster's and Vanna's. So' she wasn't getting off. I went back to the house, and Leila is back in the other nest box that other hens love to use because there is only room for one at a time... Watched for skeeter to come out of the coop, and I ran back out, grabbed the 3 eggs that were there, brought them back to the dog coop, put them in the nest, took Leila out of the box and sat her in the coop with the eggs, she kinda looked at them like, "Huh?" so, I moved her on top of them and she settled right on them. Lol. Now as soon as I get Buffy's, skatters, Veena's and Vonna's I will see how many potential fit under her. Lol. They should be done in a few more hours. So, she will have 7 eggs, but no silkie eggs... Unless she lays one.

So, I got a chick waterer in with her and a chick feeder for her... Or should I take her out? Also, should I supplement her heat now or when she hatches if she hatches. Also, should I keep her on layer feed along with some extra protein treats? I know I know... Duh me. But I am a brooder mama newbie....