our first chick ever

[riddleluvsrotties]

i keep trying to post pictures, but i'm pretty computer dumb. i've had quite a few chickens over the years, but this is our very first hatchling. the going judgment in the household seems to be "bring the chick inside for a few weeks, because the rooster stepped on it." the hens are still sitting on four more eggs, and the chick is pretty much prone in the extra brooder box. It can't hide under mommy, and it doesn't seem to know how to get out of the way of the giant Silkie feet... any suggestions on wheather taking the chick inside is a good idea or bad?

 

[anderson8505]

I dunno for sure about your question, but welcome to BYC, and you have to have 10 posts to upload a pic. Simplest way to do that is to respond to threads.

 

[GardenGal]

Silkies are good natured birds, right? I'm no expert, but I'd take it in. If nothing else for the fun of having a house chicken!

 

[riddleluvsrotties]

oh every Silkie i've ever had has been a down right lap bird. no joke, they hop in our laps for some lovin. lol, i really like the idea of bringing the chick in for at least a few weeks, but this is our first one and i didn't know if it would be a bad idea. the hens are as protective as they can be, but with four more eggs still unhatched... the little booger seems a little exposed. he/she is so alert and curious, and not afraid of anything. it's taken us just over a year to get the cornish-silkie hens to trust us. (one of the two cross breeds is mommy) our three buff silkies fell in love with us in under twenty four hours. they're really somethin.

but; it's cool to bring one in? really? that'll be sooo cool! thanks a bunch!

 

[Redberry]

Congratulations! Got our first one today too - so exciting isn't it? We are all glued to the cage - watching and cooing.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Congrats on your chickie

I always let my broodies raise their chicks with the flock, it saves me from having to integrate later. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[riddleluvsrotties]

thanks so much. yes, it's like the little fluffy thing has us hypnotized. i woke up this morning to complaints that we had a rooster in a constant state of crowing. i stepped out to check in on them, the chick is fine, but the other eggs are missing. at this point we're planning on bringing the chick inside at least until we figure this out. and i'll be going on an egg hunt, i'm really hoping the eggs are just well hidden under all those feathers. with not one shard of shell to be found, the only happy ending i see is that they're just well hidden. wish me luck.

an update, i succesfully located the four un-hatched eggs. plus a fifth. no joke. we've decided instead of seperating the chick from the hens, we're going to separate the hens. clever plan? the roost only has one ramp and two doors, so we're going to put chick and a hen in the side that the silkies can't get to, with food and water. putting the other hen and five eggs in the side with the ramp. we're going to swap out the hens so that neither hen gets over worked. i don't like the idea of taking the chick away from his mommies. just seems mean.

 

[riddleluvsrotties]

i put some cut-to-fit window screen in the roost. now one hen has three eggs, and the other has two eggs and a chick. the hens have good strong wings, but our silkie roosters aren't much for short flights. so the chick in the section with no ramp, and the roosters can't step on him. (they don't mean to, they're just really big feet) momma hen can get in and out of her rampless nest just fine, and she seems okay with the way things are set up. i'm really hoping some more eggs hatch. if they keep laying them the way they have been, we'll have to invest in a bigger night-time pen. right now we've only got an eight-by-ten, but with just five birds and a 1/2 acre to roam during the day, they seem fine.