Traumatized orphans

[FarnhamSoaps]

Day before yesterday was an AWFUL day. Got home from the doctor only to see my boxer loose in my padduc... thank goodness he'd not harmed my angora goats... but then I heard screaming chicks... went to see if he'd chased them out and they fell in a hole... nope, he'd killed my hen Gabbie...

Well... it was going to rain the next day and I didn't want to loose Gabbie's little ones... ended up loosing 2... so now I have 4 little ones in a kennel in my kitchen.

I'm using a soda can box full of hay for their "nest" and they get bittie food and water every day... they are scratching, pecking (lol... this is funny because when they do the dogs bark) and "going"... I hope I can raise them to the point of taking them back outside.

I live in central NC... so our weather can be 75 one day and 42 the next... how long should I wait to let them out? I "think" they are 3+ weeks now? not absolutely sure. I have 2 free range hens that stay here "most" of the time... and I want these little ones to be so spoiled they WANT to stay home with "mom"....

I seriously need some suggestions on spoiling a chicken. I have dogs, cats and goats... the chickens had mostly been just free range... and me not even able to find their eggs.... but now I have an opportunity to have some more pets

any help/opinions are appreciated!

gini

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

So sorry about the bad luck. Its good luck to the chicks though because you found them. Might keep them in 6 weeks total but depends on weather. I let my 6 weeks out but only when they are safe and it not under 50 degrees and they can always run to the light where it warm. Maybe for an hour in a safe pen outside and in at night when it cools down.

Day before yesterday was an AWFUL day. Got home from the doctor only to see my boxer loose in my padduc... thank goodness he'd not harmed my angora goats... but then I heard screaming chicks... went to see if he'd chased them out and they fell in a hole... nope, he'd killed my hen Gabbie...

Well... it was going to rain the next day and I didn't want to loose Gabbie's little ones... ended up loosing 2... so now I have 4 little ones in a kennel in my kitchen.

I'm using a soda can box full of hay for their "nest" and they get bittie food and water every day... they are scratching, pecking (lol... this is funny because when they do the dogs bark) and "going"... I hope I can raise them to the point of taking them back outside.

I live in central NC... so our weather can be 75 one day and 42 the next... how long should I wait to let them out? I "think" they are 3+ weeks now? not absolutely sure. I have 2 free range hens that stay here "most" of the time... and I want these little ones to be so spoiled they WANT to stay home with "mom"....

I seriously need some suggestions on spoiling a chicken. I have dogs, cats and goats... the chickens had mostly been just free range... and me not even able to find their eggs.... but now I have an opportunity to have some more pets

any help/opinions are appreciated!

gini

 

[FarnhamSoaps]

Thanks!

My little ones are awake and ready for food.... they know the sound of the bread bag now (we eat whole wheat) and I give them a tiny treat to reward them for letting me handle them.

The kennel is large... large enough for a dane... we have boxers so we bought kennels that allowed at least 2 in each... so, I think they will be ok in the house for a while... in spite of my 4 dogs in here (3 boxers and a choodle)... I have the kitchen baby gated off... to keep my over helpful 5 year old (who has Downs and doesn't understand (or doesn't WANT to) that no means no)... my 7 year old will listen if I say... if you do that... no nintendo! LOL...for now that works...

anyway... they chirp a lot... but not that paniky freaking out schreiks they did when I first got them inside. I'm glad I got them... it is 33 outsid right now ... and WINDY. Them being inside will give me a chance to get a dog and goat safe area for them... and hopefully someone can help me with a coop (hubby suffers from mental illness and is deeply depressed [his is the dangerous kind, that makes him prone to suicide... which he's attempted 4 times to date now] and has no interested in doing anything, much less helping me with something... the only up side to that is.. he doesn't tell me I can't keep chickens in the house... )

My oldest is looking forward to them maturing. She won't eat store bought eggs... ONLY the ones that are farm grown (you GO GIRL!) from here or from her teacher.

I do have another question. I saved the shells from the last eggs I got from my hens here... if I powder those up, can I feed them to the chicks? Will it benifit them?

Thanks !!!!!

gini

 

[Barrdwing]

If the chicks are on a chick starter feed, then it should have enough calcium in it that you don't need to feed them powdered eggshell. Usually feeding shell is for older birds that are starting to lay. It's possible to overdose a bird on calcium, so I'd avoid the shell.

Regarding the problem of a chick shelter: Do you have access to a big wooden crate or an old doghouse? I found a 3'X3' wooden shipping crate a few years ago and with a little bit of scrap wood and wire turned it into a shelter for my eight-week-old incubator babies. It has a little attached yard made out of a 10'X4' panel of heavy woven wire with a tarp to block the wind. While not dogproof, it works to keep the chicks contained and safe until they're big enough to roam. I haven't used it in winter weather, and it wouldn't be warm enough at night, but it was a cheap and easy way to make a shelter. I know other BYC'ers have used old doghouses and playhouses to make chicken coops and shelters too.

For dogproofing, you might want to consider the electrified chicken netting from Premier. It's pretty effective stuff: it's kept skunks, cows, and coyotes out of our old rooster's retirement yard. It's a little spendy, but you can move it and a small shelter all over your yard and the chickies will graze the grass down for you.

If there is a salvage yard in your area, or even just Freecycle, check it out. Some of my best chicken yard "furniture" has come from the salvage yard, and it's a lot less pricey. Cheaps for the cheeps, as it were.