Unfortunately, some people have done so without doing even basic research into the care and upkeep of their flock.
Subsequently, some birds languish or die simply from lack of appropriate care or attention.
This is certainly something you don’t want and something which can be easily avoided.
We have put together some of the most common ways in which chicks or chickens health and survival can be severely impacted and what you can do to avoid these things.
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And then there's #12 - putting younger pullets in with established grown hens.
As you may recall, one of my hens, #1, died last week so I went down and bought a couple young pullets to replace her with.
I put Li'l Ann and Jane (I can't believe I named chickens) in with #s 2, 3, and 4 and they seemed to get along all right. I had shit to do near the coop, so I was able to keep an eye on them for a couple hours. The older hens kept their distance as long as I was there, but as soon as I got up to the house, they went on the attack doing their pecking order drill. By the time I got back to the coop, Ann had a big patch of skin torn off her head and Jane was bleeding from the neck.
I netted them and put them in a box, thinking to go into town and buy a cage to put them in until I could figure out what to do with them, then remembered I had a perfectly good Jack Jail by the house, so I tossed them in there after smearing anti-bacterial ointment on their wounds.
The kennel already had plywood sides to keep that asshole dog Jack out of the wind, but the top is just heavy tarp material, so I ended up having to go into town anyway to buy some chicken wire to put over that to keep the RACcoons from getting them.
So that's their new home for until they get some size to them. The place I bought them from said they were dual purpose (meat and egg) birds so by the time they grow to adulthood and get moved to the regular coop, they'll be plenty big enough to kick the chickenshit out of the 3 leghorns I have now.
Karma is going to be a bitch.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping.
DeleteI’ve got 20 eggs in the incubator now since the 18th, australorp and wydynotte mixed, Gotta build a holding coop for after the brooder so they can get sized up before going in gen pop in the spring. My Rooster is a rapist from hell, but then again he is a Black Australorp and all his bitches (11) will not hesitate to get in the mix as well.
ReplyDeleteKenny, glad to hear Ann and Jane are in good hands. Thanks for the update!
ReplyDeleteShit, they're like pets now. I've nursed them back to health and now when they see me approaching the kennel/coop, they start clucking, more of a chirp, then wander over to the door. Once I'm in, they come right to me.
DeleteMy little ones are now about 8 weeks old. I have 16 of them and they come up to the door of their little outside coop and mob me as well. They won't go in to the newly remodeled henhouse for about another month, though - after I whack the roosters. Not going to have those bastards messing up the babies.
DeleteThe old hens will leave them alone, or should if I introduce them at night. If they don't, then they'll get off'd as well, since they aren't laying anymore.
Aw man, and here I was trying to figure out if I was planting them too close together or too deep.
ReplyDeleteAre
Deleteyou planting heads up or feet up?
And sometimes, they stay alive when you didn't expect it - see Mike the Headless Chicken :)
ReplyDeleteDon't hold your breath. Leghorns are mean.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't mix well after the pullets hit full growth, I'll move the kennel over by the shed and have two coops. No big deal.
DeleteAdd the new birds into the coop in the middle of the night. In the morning, the chickens wake up with the new birds and think they were there all along. That's what I do, and I haven't had any problems, yet.
ReplyDeleteWe have a chicken tractor we use for the wee ones when they're too big for the house but yoo little for the coop.
ReplyDeleteYou can build one pretty cheap with dcraps and chicken wire, all kinds of fancy plans on the internet.
We let the older hens free range and they show great interest in the new ones, but they're safe inside the tractor. When the new ones are bigger, they free range together (can run away if bothered by an older hen), and after a few weeks, they're accepted into the flock and in the coop with the rest.
Add keep them out of my yard to the list. Somebody's chickens pulled up every bit of the rye grass I planted last year.
ReplyDeletemiddle of the night trick can work but there will be a(t least one) pecking order dance.
ReplyDeletea better technique is to put the new birds in their own cage next to the other birds so they get a chance to get to know each other but be physically separated. then, after a week or two, the can't be avoided pecking order dance is much more civilized.
leggerns are spazzes but pretty much all breeds will do this with new strangers invading their territory. be glad they were just flesh wounds, chicken sskin heals fast. it sucks when they peck out eyes or prolapses; friggin cannibals sometimes.
my wife names the chickens: daisy, lucy, lady, petunia, thelma, louise, etc...
I name them: marsala, fricasse, pepper, dinner, soup, etc...