Unsecure chicken perches

[egglicious]

I was supposed to have someone else raise my chicks for six weeks but after seeing them yesterday... well, I bought all the stuff for brooding them and will pick them up next week (I am going out of town for three days so can't get them immediately. They are in good hands, though..). I am currently doing all my research on how to care for them but I'm a little afraid of one of them dying. I just don't want to have that experience. A friend of mine warned me against brooding them myself because she said the mortality rate was high no matter what I did, but I find that this particular friend is rather negative about most things in general. Can you folks help shed light on this?

[Egluntyne]

Erm .... I think she is being very negative. Yes, there may be the odd hitch, but generally, so long as they are kept sufficiently warm, out of draughts and fed on the right food, there shouldn't be too much of a problem. I've had to cull a deformed chick, but that is my only unpleasant experience and I have hatched several times.

[egglicious]

Erm .... I think she is being very negative. Yes, there may be the odd hitch, but generally, so long as they are kept sufficiently warm, out of draughts and fed on the right food, there shouldn't be too much of a problem. I've had to cull a deformed chick, but that is my only unpleasant experience and I have hatched several times.

 

She is a nice person but I am definitely beginning to see a trend with all the "warnings" she has given me. She REALLY tried to get me to change my mind about getting any standard (large fowl) breeds, saying that they would be too hard for me to care for. I have talked to other chicken people and they seem to disagree with everything she has told me in regards to all the awful things that can happen. Of course now I am here seeking advice from the most chicken-y people on earth! Thanks so much!!

[chuckmum6]

Unfortunately death is a part of animal keeping we must all be prepared for, whilst it isn't likely to be as gloomy as your friend may suggest, you might have difficult situations to deal with and need to be prepared. Some breeds are easier to care for than others and are more hardy. I love Wyandottes and am on the look out for some Sussex bantams!

[egglicious]

Unfortunately death is a part of animal keeping we must all be prepared for, whilst it isn't likely to be as gloomy as your friend may suggest, you might have difficult situations to deal with and need to be prepared. Some breeds are easier to care for than others and are more hardy. I love Wyandottes and am on the look out for some Sussex bantams!

 

That makes a lot of sense. I have had animals all my life and I know that you need to be prepared to handle tough situations. To be very honest I am mainly concerned for my husband. He is so sensitive about animals to the point where you can't so much as mention any kind of animal suffering whatsoever. I will have to protect him should something unforeseen occur..

[Henchanted]

To be very honest I am mainly concerned for my husband. He is so sensitive about animals to the point where you can't so much as mention any kind of animal suffering whatsoever. I will have to protect him should something unforeseen occur..

 

I hear you eggliscious. I have had to be prepared to be strong and not only not get support from my OH but to be prepared to support him through hard chickeny times.

[Egluntyne]

Blimey. Him Indoors hasn't the first idea about what is going on with my chickens!

 

He once topped up their water for me.

[Redwing]

If you hatch all the time or large batches its not unusual to have deaths, the mortality rate this year for my hatchings has been about 4%

 

The more chicks you have it gets harder to closely supervise them but the average batch of six chicks raised in a garage/kitchen/spare room is more likely to be checked more often (often obsessively ) and kept a bit cleaner etc.. so far less prone to problems

 

Read up on Coccidiosis though as thats the most likely problem you may encounter

 

Good luck