Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Duck Drover]

Does anyone have a Little Giant incubator that no longer works? I need a replacement bottom for one of my incubators that was damaged. My other incubators are full and I have a basket full of eggs to hatch! I can try holding eggs until space becomes available but I don't want to lose viability and I will keep getting eggs to hatch. My autumn chicks are laying pullets now so I am getting alot of eggs. I paid $40 new for my incubators so I need something free or cheap and I have not seen anything listed on CL. I know these are cheap incubators but they do the job so that is all I need.

 

[Rainier]

10 new chicks - like you had a broody hen and didn't know it? Or someone (other than you) bought chicks and brought them to your house?

DH brought them home. I was getting some from a guy at work tomorrow but DH decided he wanted some more

One of the little ones I'm worried about. He's not walking very well. We've separated the little ones from the bigger ones because we got a "bully" lol The one that I'm worried about isn't walking well compared to the other chicks the same size. He drinks great when we hand feed him and loved pecking around for food. I'm hoping he just got jossled around a bit and will be better in the morning. In the meantime daughter (she's 17) is on chicksitting duty because I have work tomorrow!

Abetha (The Bully)



Penguin (son's chick)

















Below is the little one we are worried about. He doesn't stand very long. He drinks from the tip of a straw (daughter is hand watering him/her) and he/she was eating fine and standing fine. It almost seems like he/she just gets really tired and he is one of the smallest chicks. The chick above is a little bit bigger than him/her. A couple of minutes ago he ran up to one of the other chicks and was trying to push up under his/her wing. It was really sad, actually. Looked like he was trying to get under a momma

 

[FamFitz]

DH brought them home. I was getting some from a guy at work tomorrow but DH decided he wanted some more
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Below is the little one we are worried about. He doesn't stand very long. He drinks from the tip of a straw (daughter is hand watering him/her) and he/she was eating fine and standing fine. It almost seems like he/she just gets really tired and he is one of the smallest chicks. The chick above is a little bit bigger than him/her. A couple of minutes ago he ran up to one of the other chicks and was trying to push up under his/her wing. It was really sad, actually. Looked like he was trying to get under a momma

I wish my DH would bring home cute baby animals. That job relies solely on me. Good thing more chicks are arriving at my local feed store tomorrow. LoL!

Re: The little one you are worried about. I am beyond brand new at this, but I've heard/read about a few things on hear. Some say that chicks can be weak from the hatching/travel of getting home and need a little boost to help them. I've read of ppl using sugar water, Gatorade, ACV and a whole slew of other things. I've also read about chicks not being able to support themselves cuz their legs are weak and basically when the try to stand they just sprawl out from under them instead. I've read of ppl using hair ties, Band-Aids, string and a number of other items to keep their legs together so that the chicks stay up right and walk better.

You may be a pro at chicks and don't need any input from me (and my advice could be way off), but I figured I'd throw in my 2 cents since it's late and I'm bored. Hope you don't mind! =P

 

[Rainier]

Glad for the input because I haven't had chickens since I was a kid

I think that the little ones were just not able to sleep because the bigger chicks just walk right over them and or stay up late. Since separating them (showing them the water and food) they all snuggled up and fell asleep. They have since spread out a bit but are still sleeping pretty soundly.

The bigger chicks, they are bad boys/girls, and are up partying way too late. They are peeping away, stretching their legs (didn't know chicks did this) and flapping their wings. We will have to have a talk with them about these late hours!!!

I have pedialyte and will be giving the little one that. The other littles are all over the place eating, drinking and pooping! Tripper (daughter named him/her) has pooped several times and I have seen him eat/drink.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

So they are laying in the yard but coop up at night ?
Can you follow them ?

I can't really follow them because If I'm outside they follow me around. They love me, they love getting petted and touched. I don't even have a big yard i just can't find where they are laying them. Although yesterday there was one duck egg in with the chicken eggs

 

[CoopDeDoo]

Quote:
I had a similar one a couple of years ago - we treated her for spraddle leg even though it wasn't a "bad" case of spraddle leg. Gave her the strength to stand up and in no time she was up and running with the rest of them. You should be able to do search on here to see photos of how to do it - it was easy-peasy to brace her legs ( much easier then having to hand feed/water her). Good luck!

 

[Lutefisk]

I can't really follow them because If I'm outside they follow me around.    They love me, they love getting petted and touched.   I don't even have a big yard i just can't find where they are laying them.   Although yesterday there was one duck egg in with the chicken eggs    

have you considered training your service dog to find eggs? I might have to train my GSD to locate eggs since I'm getting Muscovies.

 

[Kaneke]

I'll be making plans for a coop next week so I'm getting as much info as I can now.    We have a horse stall in the barn that we were going to convert to sleeping quarters for the hens, but I think they might get bored in there if they had to spend too much time inside.  Is it possible to teach the chickens to use two different coops?  (one for good weather and one inside for bad weather?)

 

I doubt the chickens will use two different coops depending on weather, especially as much as the weather changes here ! you might be better off to build a coop well above the ground, well secured (sturdy door with a complicated latch, or a sliding door heavy enough that a coon could not raise it) or build your coop inside the barn, either with access to the outside run, or with a run inside the barn --- chickens don't get so bored if you give them something to play with, like a head of cabbage -- and let them out to free-range from the run(s)

we have 16" x 16" x 12' open troughs surrounding our run, nothing has climbed over them nor dug underneath, with 2x4 welded wire stapled to the inside, our only known predator attack was when DS left the run door (sliding glass with a latch) open .. possibly also when he and the dog were away for a weekend ... we did lose one hen when we could not get her into the run after free-ranging one day -- hubby lost count and didn't realize we were one short ...

run has a big silver tarp over it, both to discourage avian predators, and to provide shelter for the frequent precip ...

our hens normally free-range only when we are out in the yard with them -- we have redtails, golden and bald eagles, bobcats (who usually stay within the blackberry thickets), coons and opossoms, coyotes (who are bold, they run down the middle of the street in the middle of the day), and possibly cougars -- also feral dogs and feral cats ...

we built our original coop and run close to the house, so that predators would have to run across expanses of lawn to get to the coop .. our oaks shade the area but the only "predator hiding place" nearby is the Indian plum bush thicket surrounding the oak tree, and it's relatively open now, until it is fully leafed out

also, it's within the electronic fence that confines the dog -- she's a pretty good territorial bark machine! -- German shorthaired pointer -- we also have a part-Siamese ex-tomcat .. and their scent likely deters predators too

 

[poularde]

I have three fully feathered chicks from Del's. Their Americaunas. They are looking for a new home. Please PM me if anyone is interested.

 

[Totalcolour]

No one has any idea of anyone who has Black (Silver) Marans ?
How about white ?
Or Birchen ?

DeltaBluesTess has birchen I think.