[Vi]

Hello Everyone,

I've recently rescued some baby chooks who were found wandering around the road (by someone else in suburbia)  Because i've got heaps of space they called to see if I'd be able to take them because the local animal shelter wouldn't and the vets were going to put them down. 

My three other chooks, were point of lay hens already so I've not seen the really baby chicks before.  I'm currious how to tell how old they are.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos available to upload (not my computer), so I'll have to describe them as best as I can.  They're about 15 cm tall (ish), have some down still and the older two have their wing feathers and some small tail feathers.  The young one has small wing feathers and the beginnings of tail feathers, and a fair bit of down still.  As for colour, they range from a pale yellow almost white with flecks of tan to more tan and less yellow.  Not much help I suppose.  I'm guessing their all female because the wings have several layers of feathers but I'm not sure.  Luckily enough I'm allowed a rooster.

Also, I've noticed that their crops get really big during the day and seem to be much smaller at night.  Will they eat themselves sick if I leave them unlimited food? (like a cow or horse will eat too much grain if they can get it and make themselves very sick)

Thank you for your help

Vi

[karlooben]

hi vi . i so wish i could give you an idea to thier breed but i cant sorry .

as for feeding you can leave out as much food as you want but like all animals they will only eat what they need to an leave the rest mine do that quite a bit at the mo but i reckon thats mainly down to the hot weather .

as for the extra wing feathers saying they could be female is a new one on me i always thought it was down to the size of thier combs  but then again i'm stil learning 

p.s well done for taking them in and giving them a home 

[poppies]

Hi and welcome, are you sure they are chicken chicks - if you know what I mean, and not pheasant or something, could explain why they were wandering about on their  own, their mother may have been killed

[cathangirl]

Hello Vi,
Welcome to the Forum.
I'd say from your description, that your chicks are from 2 - 3 weeks. 
At 2 weeks, the little one will only just be OK without heat.
They eat like gannets, but stop when they are full.   They also drink lots of water and need plenty of space to run around in.
My little rascals just did not want to go to bed last night, despite the Mums calling them.  9.30 pm eventually and even then, 2 came out to see what I was up to!
Good luck with them.
cathangirl.

[Roughlee Handled]

Firstly welcome to the mad house.

Secondly where are you keeping the chicks. 

What you have described (if chickens) they sound around 3-4 weeks old but hard to tell with out photos.

You should be feeding them chick crumb and they should have access to it (food) at all times.
All chickens should have access to feed at all times apart from night.

[Vi]

Hello Everyone, Thank you for reading and replying to my post.  I hadn't even though about them not being chicken chicks.  They seem to act exactly like my other hens and their faces are little downy versions of the elder chooks as well, except a different colour.

I've got them in my living room in a very large cardboard box with a metal grate overtop to keep them in the box.  They've got a 500 ml waterer and a cereal bowl for the food.  I keep a hot water bottle (wrapped in an old t-shirt) in there for them to keep warm if they want.  On cold nights (anything below 15C) i refresh the hot waterbottle halfway though the night.  They seem to be bright and healthy so far.

My concern with the food was that they were eating loads (always a good thing for growing babies of any sort) but their crops would get really big and look really uncomfortable (but then again, i don't have a crop so wouldn't really know what a full one would feel like ) Their crops seem to shrink overnight and they're pooping a fair bit which suggests the food is moving through them alright.    I spent some time on a farm yonks ago and they had to put one of the cows down because it ate too much grain and caused all sorts of gastro issues for itself.  I'm glad the chicks won't do that.  Makes it much easier to leave a bunch of food for them on the days both hubby and I are out at work. 

[sunshineband]

From your description they sound like chickens rather than pheasants. Pheasant chicks are kind of gangly next to chickens more like this................

http://www.pheasant.com/page.aspx?page_id=39

Hope that helps. They sound like they are doing just fine