plotting rescue

[nhblond]

Hi Everyone!

First off, I am not trying to bash TSC, I shop there all the time. Last night we had to go there for something and when I stopped to visit the brooders with the chicks, I saw that in the Bantam brooder, one of them kept picking at the eyes of all the others, and that two of them were laying down and didn't seem to be doing well. Long story short.... when I brought it to the sales-girl's attention, even though she felt bad and went to tell the other person in charge, she moved the picker in with larger chicks, and about the sickly two she said, "there's nothing I can do.... they will just send us more, a bunch have already died." Omg.... I was horrified! So.... of course I want to go and rescue some of them today. My poor husband! We have a small hobby farm with horses, dogs, cats, a pair of peacocks, some new pheasants, a pair of quail, etc.... and we have 7 chickens. Last year our dogs got out and killed a bunch of our chickens, and we only have 7 left. I really want to get some of the Bantam chicks (we had planned on getting a few more chickens possibly this year anyway), but I am nervous about how they would do in light of them dying in the store....

Any advice?
Of course I already have a brooder set up for the 16 button quail eggs in the incubator..... would have to do some fast footwork to set up another brooder. If I got say 4-5 Bantam chicks, would a 10 gallon fish tank be too small? I could scrub up another tote from down at the barn I guess. Any and all advice in caring for Bantam chicks ASAP, would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[ChickenCrazy09]

Any advice?
Of course I already have a brooder set up for the 16 button quail eggs in the incubator..... would have to do some fast footwork to set up another brooder. If I got say 4-5 Bantam chicks, would a 10 gallon fish tank be too small? I could scrub up another tote from down at the barn I guess. Any and all advice in caring for Bantam chicks ASAP, would be greatly appreciated!!!


a ten gallon would work in a pinch but wouldn't be recommended for long term. I have brooded 3 seperate batches of bantams and they are no different than big breed chickens. 95 degree first week drop by five degrees each week there after and medicated feed(if you choose to). If you have anymore questions feel free to message me. If it were me I would buy them and give them sugar water for a hour or two and then switch them to electrolyte/vitamin for a few days and see what happens.

 

[nhblond]

Okay..... here is the update:

We rescued all 18, (yes I did say 18) of the mixed bantams! I have no idea what kinds they are, but some have feathers on their feet. One might not make it, but the rest are doing great! I am having to do some adjusting to the heat lamp to get it to stay at 95. First it was at 100, now it is at 90. I think since the chain that the light is hanging from is at it's limit, I will put a couple small pieces of plywood under the brooder to raise it up a tiny bit. They are in a big tub that was meant for the quail, I knew the 10 gallon would be too small. And the one that was the picker at the store, is isolated in the same tub. I used a piece of cardboard with a piece of screen taped in the middle of it. He is not happy, but when I tried putting another one in with him, he started picking right away! At least with the addition of the screen piece, he can see them but not peck at anyone. I put some electrolyte powder in their water. Everyone except the one little guy is drinking and eating like crazy! I have dipped his beak in the water a few times and he drinks, but then goes right back to laying down. I doubt he will make it through the night

 

[ChooksChick]

Very good of you to swoop in and save! My TSC calls me to come get any questionable birds- they had someone put a waterer down on top of two birds the other day and I now have one who's head is twisted upside down and a wonky-legged guy...I need a cervical collar for the twisted head guy...

For the most part, our store is doing a great job- I'm very proud of them. They also have me and another gal come in to do classes for free for the public, and that's a great thing, as folks don't go home and kill them...

 

[dkvart1]

nhblonde bless you. Now they have a fighting chance!

 

[columbiacritter]

While I think your intentions are good I hope you realize every feedstore, every store that sells large qtys of chicks has the same issue. Every store has to do the daily dead and dieing chick patrol through their brooders and "dispose" of those that aren't going to survive. It's not a matter of them not taking care of them so much as the sheer qty of chicks they deal with. If you had 500 to 1000 chicks to deal with every day you'd be pulled deaders out too. They die, it happens. They get hurt, it happens. Some, very few, stores have a rehab area where they can try to save weaker chicks but they rarely have the time or experienced employees to do that kind of salvage. The good stores at least have humane euthanasia set ups rather than tossing the dieing ones in the trash to suffer slow deaths. The good stores have covered brooders so the chicks don't get mauled by un supervised children. Sadly, good stores are few and far between and are rarely chain stores.

I highly recommend not buying chicks from the large chain store with ignorant employees. Because you bought all those chicks you felt were being mistreated you just paid them to continue their bad practices. It's the same as if you'd bought a puppy form a puppy mill. You are paying people to do bad things to living creatures. Even meat birds that will not have long lives at least deserve to be well treated and sent out of life without suffering.

I'm sure next time you go to the feed store there will be more chicks that need "rescuing", good luck.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
Ahem...optimist, right?

I think it's fair to say the feed store may have been overwhelmed and that the deed was good, not an enablement that causes irresponsible behavior to be rewarded.

It's like the story of the kid on the beach at low tide, tossing back countless starfish into the sea...and when the question was posed as to why someone would spend all that time when thousands of starfish lay on the sand- when it couldn't possibly matter with that great, unachievable task, overwhelming to consider, seemed impossible...

The kid picked up another starfish and pitched it into the sea, saying, "Well, it matters to this one...and it matters to this one."

If you can't say something to encourage people to be the change they want to see in this world, then certainly don't discourage good deeds. Attention was brought to the deficiencies in the system as well as the purchase. It was a good thing.

 

[nhblond]

Well said Chookschick and thank you! I realize everything that Columbia.. said, but it made a difference to me. If we all thought that we could do something, no matter how small to try and make a difference, just think about how much it could change things over all. I really can't help it, it's in my DNA to try and help wherever I can. I made a choice to not just throw up my hands when I saw those bantams and say, "Oh well, it's the way things are." I will sleep well tonight knowing that I have at least tried to make a difference. I know that I can't save the world, but I will be content with just trying to do my part.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
My husband gave up trying to tell me that pulling the earthworms out of the ditch when it rained was futile...he's gotten accustomed to me and helps now. I've become more pragmatic and will make hard decisions, but I still cry at Hallmark commercials and fear my 'empathy muscle' is too well-developed. Alas, I try to make changes and end up a boat-rocker or loose cannon, but that's because i can't stand idle. I'm nuts.

 

[drumstick diva]

Chookschick, I think its a great idea that you and another woman give free lessons at the TSC. Maybe it even discourages some impulsive purchases when they find out the care chickens need. Plus I'm sure you send interested souls to BYC to further their learning. I see this as a good - good situation with no pitfalls.