Feeding advice for bantams (one broody, one moulting)

[hpops]

Hi

 

I've been a chicken keeper for about 2 months now and am totally hooked!! I am blown away by how much fun they are - needless to say that a visit to our local pet shop resulted in me buying a 2 week old chick!!! She (hopefully!) is sooooo gorgeous!!

 

Now onto the cross bit - the pet shop told me it was ok to put the chick straight in with my other twoo chickens....I had my suspitions and so did some reading on here and my suspitions were confirmed - not a good idea! On very gingerish intorduction to our two existing chikens one of them went straight for the chicks neck. I obviously whisked it away immediately and no harm was done. Naughty pet shop!!! And silly me!!!

 

We've now got the chick indoors in a cage and she chirps constantly unless I am holding her!!!! The advice I am looking for is - am I better to get another chick as I have read in some posts here - will it make integrating them easier - ie. the two chicks get to know each other first then get to know older chickens together??? Also I have read anywhere between 12 and 16 weeks for introducing chick to rest of flock - thoughts would be appreciated.

 

Well thanks for reading and sorry for rambling on!! I'd best go as new chick seems to think I should finish doing this now and show her some attention!!!

 

Cheers

[The Dogmother]

Don't worry about the constant chirping - they do that all the time, but she really needs her mother at that age and should be under a brooder light to keep her warm, bless her.

 

I'm afraid that introducing her, even at a later date will still be fraught without a mother hen to protect it, poor little s"Ooops, word censored!". My first brood stayed seperately with their mum until they were about 8 weeks old, then they went out in the garden, carefully at first with mum guarding them. The latest chick is about 8 weeks old, he and his mum were in solitary for a few days and now roam and sleep with the rest of the flock.

 

I have to say that I've never seen live chicks sold in pet shops like that, and haven't heard of chicks beign sold singly before.

 

I hope that she thrives indoors with you. Do keep us updated.

[Snowy]

My goodness - how irresponsible is that pet shop! (they weren't selling the snake food by any chance were they?) Did they say what breed chick is? I often wonder if the male gingernut rangers get sent to pet shops etc as they can be sexed at hatching. If chick is pale yellow, she could be a he!

 

Do you have chick crumb to feed it on? Also make sure the water dish is only shallow - they can easily drown in a bowl of water (my friend just lost 2 this way from her first hatching)

[Egluntyne]

That is really very worrying. I have never heard of a pet shop selling chicks......and clearly the owner hasn't the first idea about caring for them.

 

I've never reared a chick so can't offer advice, but best of luck.

[The Dogmother]

I have to say that Snowy's comment about snake food did come to my mind too

 

Poor little s"Ooops, word censored!", if I had a current brood, I'd offer to look after it.

[Louise]

Even with a shallow dish of water they can drown if you put a stone or something in the middle so they can only access water round the edge it will help to prevent this

 

The chick needs to be warm so a bulb of some sort would help but not close enough that it can touch it and with enough area so that it can get away from the heat if it is too warm

 

If you are going to keep it you really should get it a buddy though

[The Dogmother]

I used a coffee jar lid filled with marbles for their water.

 

Louise is right - the wee 'un needs a buddy

[Krysia]

I can't believe they were selling such young chicks and alone too.

 

Please get it a friend, Do they pet shop have any more? it might be worth rescuing them, Or even calling the RSPCA. I know breeders will see day old chicks but they are normally full of advice and help.

 

We have just hatched some chicks in an incubator and they are still under the brooder lamp (Hot lamp to keep them warm) 24 hrs a day and we will gradually stat to turn it down 2-3 degrees a week until they are not under it but still inside. Without a Mum they wouldn't survuve outside this young.

 

Although mine are a week younger than yours they may become friends. Where are you in the country? I could spare a chick?.

[hpops]

OMG I'm horrified - I can't beleive it shouldn't even be away from it's mother - I feel awful!!!! I can't beleive it should be under a lamp and eveything!! I'm absolutely horrified! Thank goodness that we decided to keep it indoors - it didn't seem right putting it outside. I am definately going to get it a mate - what am I going to do if they haven't got any left???????!!!!!! Thank goodness I posted on here for advice. If I get her a mate I'll end up with 4 chickens - will this be ok in an Eglu??? I'm going to go to the pet shop now and see what I can rescue - if I don't post again in the next few hours I've probably been arrested for knocking out a pet shop owner!!! I can't beleive they would do that! Cruel cruel people!

[The Dogmother]

It's not your fault hpops, the pet shop should've known that and need to be reported to the RSPCA. They little 'uns need to be kept in a brooder with a warmer lamp, space to get away from the heat, water and chick crumbs.

 

If they had a chicken mummy they'd be fine.. what area are you in? There might be an Omleteer in your area with a young brood it can join.

[felix93]

Hi, Just want to put my 2 pennies worth opinion.

 

My local pet shops sell baby chicks too, but they usually don't know much about it or give you proper advise. I learnt from my mistakes years ago. And I thought it's by law, in UK, it's not allowed to sell live feed (such as mice / baby chicks) to reptiles.

 

Regarding the baby chick, it CAN be on its own for sometimes, I have raised baby chicks on its own without a mother in the past and they turn out to be lovely affectionate tamest chicks I have ever known.

 

Do you know how old the baby chick is? I guess if from pet shop, probably just about a month. You have to keep it warm as from hatching to 6 / 7 weeks, they are still pretty delicate. I have kept mine in a rabbit indoor cage in the past, with bath towel to keep it warm as well as a heat lamp on top of one side, in case it's cold during the night, it can still get the warmth. A baby chick will keep on chirping until they are at least 5 - 6 weeks old unless they are sitting on your lap / arm. They have to be kept indoors for sometimes, to avoid catching a chill.

 

The food you need to get is rearing baby bird / chick food. Those are for molting / pregnant birds and you gradually introuduce the food you are feeding to the chickens you have got. They drinks lots more water than the adults

[Guest]

Here's a bit of handy advice...

 

You can make a quick mock brooder lamp for free with a 100w bulb and just place it in the corner of the cage that you keep indoors. (I usually make a shade out of tin foil to direct the heat downwards towards the chicks)

 

Good luck!

 

WARNING:

 

1) Make sure it is high enough so the chick(s) cannot touch the lamp

 

2) Make sure the chick is able to walk away from the heat when it wants to so that it can cool down and regulate it's own temperature

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Can't offer any advice I'm afraid but would love to know how you get on with the little chap/ess (hence the post!)

 

Good luck - at least the poor little thing has a mummy who cares now rather than a nasty pet shop owner (did they leave him/her alone in the shop every night I wonder? )

[hpops]

The pet shop was shut!!! So my poor little chick will have to spend another night on it's own! I will go back first thing in the morning. I can't let the chick out of my sight now - she sits on my shoulder constantly nuzzling into my hair!

[feemcg]

Give him a teddy

[Karen & co.]

I think Lesley used an old fashioned string mop suspended over the pen, so the little ones could hide under it's petticoats, as a substitute mum

 

karen x

[The Dogmother]

It's like a small puppy or kitten - it needs something to snuggle into - like Fee said - a soft toy or a warm cloth.

 

Here's a picture of a rather dirty Lavinia warming some of her brood last year - you could never see them under her petticoats!

[Krysia]

what a beautiful photo Clare. Just liek nature intended!

 

Awwwwww

 

hpops I didn;t mean to worry to you about them being away from Mum. My choicks don;t even know what a Mum is! but they do have each other.

 

I think the teddy thing is a great idea

[foreveryoung]

The pet shop was shut!!! So my poor little chick will have to spend another night on it's own! I will go back first thing in the morning. I can't let the chick out of my sight now - she sits on my shoulder constantly nuzzling into my hair!

 

i cant belive that pet shop could be so irrisonsable!! telling you it CAN be mixed with older birds!!!!! they should have known that they could have/would have killed it!!!

 

please call the rspca!

 

ive only hatched one chhick undernieth a broody hen!

have you thought about calling anyone that breeds chickens, to see if they have a chick you could put with him/her? and a teddy is a great idea to put in there too!

 

emma xx

good luck and let us know how you get on!

[feemcg]

.......or a lamb

 

[Egluntyne]

Clare that is a lovely picture of Lavinia with her brood. I bet Millymeerkat could do something creative with it!

[tara]

Could l ask what pet shop this is as if l live near may be l could rescue some

[The Dogmother]

Clare that is a lovely picture of Lavinia with her brood. I bet Millymeerkat could do something creative with it!

 

Thanks Egluntine, she's trawled through my albums, so I guess that she must've seen it.

[hpops]

This is the offending pet shop!!! I'm going to phone them and see if they have any more chicks!

 

If they don't would it be possible to get a chick from somewhere else? what I am thinking is that other breeders (more responsible ones!!!) wouldn't let you have a chick that young - so would it be possible to put her with an older chick or would she get bullied? What age do you think it would be ok till??

 

I have to say she's almost doubled in size and preens herself constantly and does look very healthy and happy (when she's having a cuddle) and I do think she may be older than two weeks - I will post a picture later and maybe you could let me know what you think?

 

Cheers

[chocchick]

Hope it all works out. I'm certainly not impressed by the pet shop.

I'm so stupidly broody over those chick pictures One day I'll break and OH will come home to lots of fluffy little chicks.

Oh those...how did they get there?! Need more garden, less neighbours first