ugh I so messed up!

[hearthnsoul]

Well I just got impatient waiting for an egg. My chicks won't be laying til maybe september october. So I saw an ad on craigslist and said I will take 4. They were delivered to my husband who paid for them and never asked some very important questions,..what gives with the broken beaks? how come they look hen pecked? So now I have four new chickens, who by the way don't really look six month old either, they look bedraggled. How the heck could all four chicks be such a wreck. Oh and by the by, did I quarantine them,..no. I know stupid,..I told my husband to put them in the run and he just put then in the corral with the chicks and ducks because he said he was working on the duck pond in the run. How much trouble am I in for I wonder... On the other hand those poor chickens what they heck happened to them....

 

[SweetWater]

You'll just have to watch them really closely. It's probably already too late if they have something, your existing flock has probably already been exposed. Can you separate the new ones from your existing flock? If the new hens are in such bad shape, they don't really need the extra stress of being the new kids on the block. Also if they were pecking/hurting each other, you don't want them to turn on your babies. If you can separate them into their own area together, they will be much easier to look after and they should heal alot better. You can also get a good idea of their temperament.
You said they appear to have broken beaks, I'm thinking that maybe they were debeaked. But with out pictures it's just a guess.


It's very possible who ever sold them to your DH had their birds overcrowded and in less than ideal conditions. Who knows if they were kept in a clean environment, or fed a proper diet, or have ever been wormed. I mean for them to sell birds in that condition, I would guess they don't care much about their birds, except how much money they can get for them.

Only time will tell how bad it will get, you could get lucky and they turn out just fine and don't get your current flock sick, but be prepared for anything. Maybe you could get them some poly-vi-sol no iron (found in the baby section or the vitamin section of most stores), just to give them a boost. And lots of TLC.

My chickens are between 10 and 14 weeks old, and I haven't delt with birds in the condition you are describing, so I'm hoping others will respond to give more accurate advice.
I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Judy]

I don't know that I'd separate them at this point unless there are some bad pecking behaviors going on. They aren't likely to do much pecking with those beaks, but they could get pecked too roughly (meaning, it could get bloody.)

If the behaviors are OK, personally I'd be inclined to leave them together and spend some time watching what goes on. It's also possible your old flock will interfere with their getting enough to eat, and you may have to separate to get their nutrition built up. If they are working out the pecking order OK and you separate, then they will have to go through integration all over again.

Good luck.

 

[hearthnsoul]

I spent 2 hours before work in the goats corral with the lot (yes yes the goats like the chicken pen and the chicks and ducks like the goat corral) The new chickens are not the aggressors, my babies are. In a normal way they go through establishing a new pecking order. Funny thing is the ducks are in on the act too. It's like these four hens have peck me on their backs. So the new Hens are smart enough to stay for the most part out of the way of the pack. Every once and a while they new ones would wander over and get chased back to what the babies think is an acceptable spot. Three of the new hens stay together and one seems to be a loner. They don't seem ill, they are eating and drinking,..one thing different was the three that stay together,..well they stayed in the coop alot later on than my guys,..my lot came out, ducks, chicks and goats,..then the one loner followed behind. An hour later out came one of the three, when I left for work at 8:30 the last two were still inside the coop. I know the girl who had them was very young and she had 25 hens and 3 pekins. I think she must have had them overcrowded.
I am not going to bother separating at this point and hope for the best. It would really get my undies in a bunch if this ends badly for any of them. Oh the new girls have found their alpha role with the chipmunks though , the ducks and chicks chase the hens, the goats dominate the lot of them but the hens give the chipmunks whatfor, you know if nothing it's never boring,..who needs cable!

 

[fordmommy]

I have eight chickens. Four I got from one guy and the others I got from a lady. The two groups get along pretty good now. Still sleep on seperate perches in two seperate groups. Each chicken is a different breed. There seems to be a Barred Rock hen that would rather be by herself than with the others. I don't know why. Maybe that cliche is too good for her.

I wouldn't worry at this point. I have only had mine for a month. I think, if they're not fighting...okay.

 

[hearthnsoul]

It sure is interesting to watch it all. Tonight I came home just after dark to find my ducks over in the run ,..all my chicks up on the rafters of coop plus one of the new hens, one new hen on bail of hay,..I shooed in the ducks shut up the coop and recounted then grabbed a flashlight. One hen I found on top of the chicken run,..had to grab a ladder and club up there,..I was so proud of myself getting her down (I hate heights, not crazy about the dark when my husbands working late) and into the coop and the second one,..how odd, she was sitting in the middle of the wire paneled fencing. It was heck getting her loose up her grip on it, she held on for dear life half in the corral half out. I eventually got her out. So one new hen will go up to the rafters but stays separate from the lot,..one of the other goes into the coop without prompting but the last two, two nights in a row not so willing to get into the coop. They are precious, just scared

 

[cmom]

It will be awhile for them to adjust. This is all new to them but they will work it out eventually. Just watch carefully. I gave mine some vitamins with electrolytes in their water to help them somewhat. They look beautiful now. I watch Chicken TV too.

 

[baldie]

Are they henpecked or overmated?? Do you have any pics.

 

[hearthnsoul]

Quote:
not sure,...I have to get batteries for camera,..i will post photos if the girls will pose tommorow. By the way I named them,..Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha. They are starting to figure their way arond the other chicks and ducks a bit better,..they surely have the goats managed better than the chicks and ducks,..I am so proud of them