Help with our first new baby chick

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tbjdiamonddog

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Help with our first new baby chick
« on: August 07, 2010, 15:02 »
My daughter Scarlett and i have had chickens for over a year now. Today 'tweetie' presented us with a new born chick and i now have 2 decisions to make urgently. The main house where my 6 chickens and 2 cockerels live is not rat proof, although i don't seem to get any real problems with this, i assume they would nibble the baby chick up in no time. So i have a self contained old bike shed, it's rat proof, should i move mum, who is still sitting on another egg along with her nesting box and baby chick into this safe environment and for how long for.
Next thing is does baby chick need any special foods, i could grind down the layers pellets, but i plan to pop off today and see the local chicken man for some advise on which food for the little one.

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Tazzy

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Re: Help with our first new baby chick
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2010, 16:21 »
Get some chick crumb for your newborn - it apparently has more of the nutrients in that young chicks need for the first few weeks. You don't get the same with layers pellets.

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Thingy

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Re: Help with our first new baby chick
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2010, 17:15 »
I would get your chicken and chicks out of the not rat proof area. We loose alot of wild ducklings to rats. Rats are crepuscular, meaning they come out at dawn and dusk so make sure mum and babies are safe during this time

Move them carefully and quietly is the key :)

also, chick crumbs are what you feed chicks on, it has greater protien content i believe, essential for good growth. they are also small enough for chicks to eat :)

Hope this helps a bit

Thingy xx
When the wolf lays with the lamb, I fear for us all

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Kym503

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Re: Help with our first new baby chick
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2010, 17:30 »
and don't forget to put a water container with small pebbles to prevent drowning down for them. 

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Chablis Dog

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Re: Help with our first new baby chick
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2010, 18:10 »
We are in the same position, with our first chick.  There were three other eggs but we have realised today that there is nothing doing with them, so got rid of them.  We already had the chick crumb ready and that seems to be going well.  We put some water into one of those glass lemon squeezers which works well as it gives just a bit of water round the edge so the chick can't drown in it and he drinks from it quite happily.  Pippy is now 4 days old, and I am wondering when I can introduce chick and Mum back to my existing flock which only consists of one non-laying hen and one large cockerel?  Are the other two likely to be aggressive to the chick?  I would be very pleased to hear from others who have already done this.

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tbjdiamonddog

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Re: Help with our first new baby chick
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2010, 19:21 »
Thank's for the replys, really helpful and interestingly  match up to what the guy whom i brought the chicken from last year said, as i popped over his farm earlier today.
So mum, baby and egg all safely moved, she nested in a cardboard box, so it was a simple case of lifting the box and moving them to the old bike shed, which is safe and secure at all times.
I got the same advise on the water, make sure little one doesn't drown and maybe some help for chablis dog at the same time!
I was advised to keep the new chicks separate from the main chicken until they are fully grown and laying eggs, they can be introduced then.
Now, we had 3 egg laying chicks and introduced 3 chicks around 16 weeks old, one turned out to be a Cockerel and they all settled ok, which kinda po po's the idea of keeping them separate until they are fully grown???? so, more advice please
« Last Edit: August 07, 2010, 19:34 by tbjdiamonddog »

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Kym503

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Re: Help with our first new baby chick
« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2010, 19:57 »
I had 2 day old chicks that were rejected by my broody and had to be raised under a heat lamp.  At 7 weeks they were off heat and I was able to put them in the old greenhouse which runs next tot he run.  This was in July so nice and warm and open air vents to keep it cool.  For a while I bought them in at night but after a week they seems OK and I left them out.  They could see the other hens (5) through the glass and through some wire mesh.  After another week I opened all the doors and left them to it.  They mingled most evenings under supervision on my lawn and got on OK.  Oncew they we all let in together my set up allows all of the to run around in 3 areas with exits both ends - in other words the littleones couldn't be cornered anywhere.  They are now 10 weeks old and seem to get on fine.  There hasn't been any fights or bullying.  They are respectful of the older hens and keep out of beaks way.
In the past I've had a broody hens raise chicks and I'vce kept them separate but in view of the others till the chicks are about 6/7 weeks - by that time the mother seems sto loose interest in teh babies anyway.
Hope this helps - I'm not an expert by any means.  Earlier this year I lost a chick because I let mother hen into the flock too early and the others attacked it.  Actually to be fair the mother also got stressed and showhow stamped on it I think...anyway - a lesson learnt from my point of view.
Good luck.

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Tazzy

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Re: Help with our first new baby chick
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2010, 20:07 »
My broody and 8 chicks are coming up to 7 weeks old and have been co-existing with the other big girls for the last 5 weeks - no problems, even sleep in the same coop. The young stay very close to mom - it's only really at feeding time that I need to keep an eye on them. Having said that, the younger ones are getting very adventurous and darting in and out of the big girls, pinching their food when they get chance.

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Chablis Dog

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Re: Help with our first new baby chick
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2010, 07:31 »
Thank you very much for advice regarding when to introduce broody her chick into the main (minute!) pack.  They are already in the same large hen house together but in separate areas, so the chick is used to the sounds etc of the other two birds around.  I think I will try them out in a couple of weeks and see how they get on.  Allthough I have plenty of space, I don't have another safe run set up or another secure hen house.  Because of the number of potential predators here, I want to keep them in my current set up because (not wishing to tempt fate) it seems to keep the predators at bay.



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