Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Madchook]

Bacon is my lone Dorking chick, it is a week and a half old and has been on its own waiting for the Bantams to hatch. It was not an ideal situ, but out of 12 eggs I would have hoped for more than one viable chick Anyway, Bacon has been in the newborn brooder with the leccy hen in my kitchen, my others are out in the utility and are nearly 4 weeks old, suddenly looking like giants!

2 days ago I noticed that Bacon was pulling at her emerging feathers alot and I panicked that it was something to do with being one her own -while I cleaned her out I put her in the other brooder. The older chicks were rather confused by this small bolshy thing, and Bacon then persisted in pulling on their feathers, particularly hanging off the Araucana's tail which prompted a bit of a telling off that went a bit beyond my comfort zone. I decided I couldn't merge them until Bacon is bigger - but the behaviour is worrying me. I was going to put the bantie chicks in with her...but now I don't know whether that is a good idea. She is currently in (yet another) brooder on top of the big chicks as I want to scrub out and sterilise the other one as the dotty-wots are meant to hatch tonight - but despite having a snuggly heat mat she has shouted her head off for the last goodness knows how long......grrrrrr, a quandry! Anyway, I guess I will be putting her back where she wants to be... but whether she will be safe to merge with the Banties I don't know

[Chick-a-doodle-doo]

We have 2 small quail we have merged with the yellow cookoo giants and all has gone well. They all sleep together and get on fab.

Hope yours will be ok back with them.

Good luck.

[Redwing]

The age difference should be ok once the banties have properly dried off and are quite strong

 

I find that the older chicks teach the younger ones to eat and drink too

 

BUT do keep an eye out for more behavioural problems, she may forget it once the others are with her but she could also bully them the same way your older chicks did to her especially as the size difference will be even more obvious because she is a LF and they will be bantams

[Madchook]

I don't think the bantams will hatch, they are a day and a half late and are not cheeping anymore, quick candle looks like both internally pipped but neither are moving. Left them in though, but not expecting miracles

Thanks for the advise on Bacon Tasha, that was what I was worried about, her being so much bigger than hatchlings. I think the older chicks would actually have been fine with her if she hadnt tried to peck their eyes out or pluck them! It did look funny, she is so much smaller than them. I think what I will do is a supervised visit for a bit every day so she does get that telling off, nothing else will teach her to be a chicken ater all

[Madchook]

Bantams had both pipped internally but died (previous DIS had not got that far)?????????? I am quite upset about them, so so so close They were in the rcom mini - totally automatic, no readout for the humidity and I have no way of checking it as the capsule is too small for my hydrometer. Could this be from the 5hr powercut at day 17? The last time I heard cheeping was day 21, could they have absorbed their yolk but run out of energy? I didn't open these all the way as I was too bummed about it

Anyway, Bacon is now learning a short sharp lesson in being a chicken with the big ones, I put the leccy hen in there so she can get out of their way, it is actually going ok and she is a bold thing and they don't stop her getting to the food or water and they haven't hurt her - she just makes a right racket when they retaliate to her pestering (lol, she now gets on the hen to make herself as tall!). I do like Bacon, she is a "Ooops, word censored!"y chicky! (Notice I am calling her *she*, her feathers coming through are all partrige patterned, the pics I have found of Red Dorking cockerels are black and gold, no sign of those colours on her ) xxx

[half dozen]

so sorry about those poor little bantams x

[Madchook]

Bacon update...after an ok night, this morning the biggies had turned mean so she was on her own again. Needless to say, something had to be done and I am now the proud owner of two appleyard X khaki ducklings Dh hasn't been home yet......

[half dozen]

glad Bacon will have some company!!

[Madchook]

Bacon has found her calling, she is a duck!!!!! I was worrying I would have socially inept chick on my hands She has totally changed, I haven't seen her tug a single feather since they came. They sure are funny creatures, we had quick some dusk chorus last night in our kitchen