Pullets are Outdoor Ready But we are NOT

The young Laying Pullets are more than seven weeks old, and all are definitely ready to go outside. Unfortunately, we don't have everything in place yet. So they will stay in the garage for another week or so to give us time to get their coop ready. We will keep two or three of each breed and rehome the rest after about 10 weeks. Rhode Island Reds, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Easter Eggers, Gold Comets, Welsummers, and Lavender Orpingtons. The Welsummers were the strongest survivors of this brood and we have a lot of them. Unfortunately, they are not the best layers, but they are typically sweet hens.

The 19 reserved pullets are all with their new families.  One day after three pullets went to their new home, I was contacted by that new owner advising me that one of the new pullets escaped and they never found her. I could feel the despair in the message. So, that was very sad news.  The person wanted a replacement of that breed, but we don't have any spares of that particular breed.  They didn't want the breed that I do have lots left over. Sad turn of events.  The rest of the reserved pullets went to their new homes by the end of the day, on Monday, two days ago, without any additional incidents.

31 Cornish Cross Delivered Today

We had much better luck with the Cornish Cross chick order. The delivery was made from the hatchery located in the Midwest, in less than 24 hours!  All chicks were alive. Some are wobbly though, one definitely appears to have a form of hip dysplasia or spraddle leg.  

When they first arrived, we gave them plenty of warm water to get them rehydrated.  About an hour later, we gave them food and the majority of the chicks were all over that.  They are, for the most part, thriving. 

We do have one that may not make it. He won't eat or drink. I have given him access to watery food with mashed egg yolk added in, and some Poultry Cell vitamins but I just don't think he is going to survive. The one with spraddle leg may also not work out.  Cornish Cross need really strong legs to grow.  Especially since we raise ours out in our pasture after three weeks of brooding, and they have to be able to move, stand, walk, and run. So will do our best to help these little fellas, but it may not work out.  (Update 04/29/25 - Initially, both chicks were getting stronger, but the smallest one stopped eating or drinking, and constantly kept getting pastybutt. Washed it off every few hours and his coordination went down hill quickly. He died 4/26. The hobbled one did get strong and sturdy enough to have the hobbles removed two days ago. He's back in with the crew and seems to be doing quite well.  Walks like a duck, but doesn't fall down. )

Trauma Never Heals?

It's been a rough bird week.  So, yah.... the chicks are five weeks old, and these are the most traumatized and stressed-out brooding flock I have ever worked through.  I'm hopeful, as they get older, that they will settle down, but that may simply be wishful thinking considering we are five weeks in and they are hyper sensitive to sounds, lights, and each other. They are quick to attack one another for the slightest of offenses... I have one chick that developed vent gleet which I have to assume is due to the amount of stress she feels.  Some of the chicks have no tail feathers left because of the bullies... It's not just one bully, it's a lot of bullies. 

I have put the one with gleet in an isolation box inside the brooder which takes up precious floor space, but I don't know how else to tend to her extra needs. I have been adding probiotics to her food and giving her a dose of extra vitamins every day. She has grown back six of the tail feathers that was just a "nub" a few days ago. I have ordered some yeast infection treatment from a homeopathic source because getting antibiotics through a vet is nearly impossible around here. Plus, the cost of the bill would be, to say the least, cost prohibitive. I think I would be dis-owned for paying $200 for a vet and antibiotics to care for a $25 chick.... So..... Big Sigh.  (Update 04/23/25 - The homeopathic treatment seems to have helped. She is back in with our flock at this point and working on becoming one with the flock.)

We have the Gimpy Hen, who twisted her leg trying to pry herself under the water fount.  We have her isolated in a small pen situated next to the main laying flock.  She can get around, but is stiff.  She's still determined to lay an egg everyday, even though she really should just be resting.  What's a Mother to Do? (Gimpy Hen healed and is back with her group in a much better state, physically and emotionally.)

Then, tonight, Diego, the duck, escaped the pen and got herself stuck IN the netting trying to get back in. Don't know how long she was stuck there, but as soon as we were able to get her unstuck and back inside the fence, she went straight to the pond for a big, long drink of water. So I'm guessing she had been there for more than a few hours.... UGH! 

Earlier in the day, I went out to clean out one of our "transition" quarantine coops only to discover that the floor was covered in mold and mildew.  A leak in the roof that I didn't realize was there.  I had the floor covered with rubber mats, but obviously, the leaking roof had been dripping full tilt in this very wet spring we are having. I washed/bleached everything down, but the flooring, being a chip board, is fully degraded.  So we need to get that fixed by this weekend.  I will need a place for the forty pullets that will be six weeks next week. That transition coop was going to be our option for the two Gold Comets that we keep in isolation from the rest of the flock, since they are bratty and bossy, and I want to sell them in the next month or so. The 2 Comets are in our Large Summer Grow Out pen that can easily hold 25 full sized hens or 50 pullets. So, yah, the Comets are using WAY too much space for their actual needs. Their accommodations need to be downsized.

19 of the pullets will be going to their new homes in two weeks, leaving us with 21 pullets for another five weeks to figure out which ones to keep for ourselves.  All the left overs from the 21 are already spoken for at 10 weeks.  It is amazing how easy it is to sell chickens this year! I keep getting contacted by previous customers from the past four to five years, asking if we have birds for sale!

Have another 30 pullet chicks reserved for the first week of May.  Hopefully, that brooding flock will be much less stressed on delivery.

The first photo below is the pullet in quarantine, and the rest of the photos are the 19 that are reserved for people in the area wanting young pullets.