What do I do? Really stuck, please help!

[Hatcher1997]

have a bit of a dilemma I need some help with please!

I got given what I thought were two Muscovy ducks however one hatched and turned out to be a chicken. The other one which is a Muscovy is still incubating. Set up the brooder, everything going well except it’s constant crying and frantic looking around as if it was lonely, I’m running on 2 hours sleep the last two days due to the relentless squealing crying. I then took advice and got another chick, one day older from another farm. The original chick hated it and kept pecking it’s eyes whilst the other would stand and freeze and not defend itself. It started on its feet and would do it whilst it was trying to sleep and also steal its food. I separated them in the same brooder but with a cardboard cutout between them, the brinsea glow on one side and a red bulb on the other. I was up from 12am until 5am trying to get them to stop crying, had to eventually switch them over and turn the bulb off and use a hot water bottle for the other and it preferred that and fell asleep. I’ve woken up today and tried to put them back together to no Advil, it just won’t take to the chick. So I’ve put them in two separate boxes, one is calm the other is frantically crying. One has had a throthy poo just now, but the one after that was hard? So not sure what to make of it, and the second chick I’ve heard a few sneezes from? Both eating and drinking fine. I’m just lost with what to do now. Thank you

 

[Hatcher1997]

Exactly what my dad says, actually! He always says something along the lines of , their just chickens, your being dramatic, etc. Im so sorry.

Yeah exactly like okay I’ll just let one attack the other until it’s eyes bleed and I’ll just sit here crying listening to the extreme crying for 5/6 hours

 

[Hatcher1997]

Im so sorry. Owning my chicks was stressful, to. Crying all the time, wanting snuggles. No sleep, and lots of noise.

Sorry to hear what your going through, I don’t know much about ducks so i can’t help.

Thank you, it’s upsetting because I have people like my dad saying I’m being over the top, give them food water and get on with it, but it’s not that easy when one is literally bullying the other and then I have so much conflicting advice on heat etc, I don’t even know how to tell if one is unwell. I noticed a frothy poo, searched it up, it’s apparently dying and then the next poo is fine. And then the new chick is clicking its beak when it makes noises like chatters it together, I search that and apparently its unwell. I don’t know what to listen to

 

[RoyalChick]

I really don’t understand and to be honest the amount of conflicting advice on here is sending me into meltdown because I feel I can’t do no right. I’ve researched everywhere and everywhere says 35 degrees with corners they can go to to cool down. If it’s sprawn out underneath it sleeping and starts crying when I turn it off, surely it likes it? My house is very old too so this room gets Baltic at night. The original post was about my new chick attacking the Og one, and I’m literally stuck with what to do.

Big breath. We have all been there. Chickens are sent to try us! You will get through this.
Between 35 degrees and lamp off is a lot of territory. Try the hot water bottle and/or the plate for several hours and see how that impacts happiness.
And in any case I think you are better off having these two chicks near each other because they will both need to learn social skills so I would still advocate a barrier they can see through.
And honestly I don't know where the 35 degrees recommendation comes from and my first lot of chicks I was paranoid about that too - but if you look at what more experienced folk say they all advocate lower temperatures and mostly advocate that only in a small area not just 'corners' that are cooler.

 

[Hatcher1997]

Did you here @RoyalChick advice on keeping them in the same box with a barrier between them? That way the aggressive one can't hurt the other one and the other can see a friend. It may help them get used to each other too.

Yes I replied saying I need to find some material to do so as the crate is very tall

 

[Chicken poppy]

Thank you, I went into this so excited, it’s been my first time, but all I’ve done is cry and I’ve had no sleep in two days, so when the first one hatched, and was on its own, it was frantically looking around trying to find something in there with it and would not settle unless it was in my neck for 5 hours until I put it back in there, I’ve got thermometers underneath it’s lamp and it’s perfect temp with lots of room to move away from it, it’s bordered up, I have blankets etc. it got to the point it was just pecking at the cardboard for hours at the wall and would just squeel. I got it a friend and it just hates it…it just pecks at the mirror and pushes it over, pushes teddy’s over aggressively and pecks it. It at one point got on top of the glow plate and tries to launch itself off the top out of the brooder…it’s relentless

Im so sorry. Owning my chicks was stressful, to. Crying all the time, wanting snuggles. No sleep, and lots of noise.

Sorry to hear what your going through, I don’t know much about ducks so i can’t help.

 

[RoyalChick]

Is it also normal for the new chick to be clicking with its beak when it’s making noises? I haven’t heard it do it until now, it really clicks and chatters

I don't remember anything about clicking being either good or bad. I know mine made all sorts of different noises in the first few days.
Sorry this is being such an awful experience for you - just remember it is good because it shows you care.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am so sorry, this sounds very stressful. I am not experienced enough to do anything other than give you a hug and hope it all sorts itself out.
Other things I have read on here though may give you some ideas:
- Are you sure the crying is loneliness and not too hot or too cold? Observe behavior around the heat - is it trying to stay under the heat or get away from it.
- If loneliness I have seen people here give the chicks a mirror - apparently it really works to make them feel they are not alone
Good luck and I hope you and your babies get through this.

 

[IvysAnimals]

Do you have pictures? What diet are the chicks on? My best advice would be to give one away or to get more. Is it too hot for the chicks? Do you think the chick is sick? Are they getting a dust bath? How old are they? Is it pecking order or is it bullying? Did you get them from a breeder? Is the behavior more like a rooster? Do you know what the chick's breed might be, what are his colors?

 

[SilverBirds]

Do you have pictures of them? What it the temperature of the brooder? Chicks will cry a lot if they are to hot or to cold. It also sounds like one may be sick. I'm so sorry that you are having to deal with this. It most be so stressful.