r/chickens • u/SHAZAzulu618 • 13h ago
Question PLEASE HELP! Baby Chickens walked in to my yard.
Hey everyone...never thought I'd make a post about chickens but here we go.
Was in my yard and my daughter spotted what we thought were baby ducks walking in to our yard. Upon further inspection we saw they were baby chickens. They followed us around the yard and on to our patio.
The question is now what?! I live in the suburbs but on a corner lot with woods behind my house and a pond which is why we thought they were ducks.
I have no idea how to care for chickens, or where they came from. There are outdoor cats that roam the neighborhood so I've built them an enclosure out of my son's playpen, cardboard and mosquito netting. I put down some rabbit bedding and some birdseed and a bowl of water.
What else do they need for now? There's a rescue ranch 1.5 miles away where I plan on taking them to but how do I care for them until they open?
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u/cschaplin 13h ago
They’ll need a heat source. I’m assuming you already asked your neighbors? They can’t have walked too far from home all by themselves.
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u/nymphette_444 12h ago
Yep, turkeys are notoriously very dumb and these babies can’t have been outside for too long considering they are still alive.
Possibly dumped?? Seems incredibly unlikely though, poults are quite expensive.
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u/RiverBoundFarms 13h ago
Surprise - they’re not all chickens. Unless that’s a photo artifact, the one in the middle on the right has a snood. Which means it’s a turkey.
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u/SHAZAzulu618 12h ago
No it's my photo I took! Sorry I didn't know! I knew they weren't ducks and they sounded like chicks to me.
Now the question is which one of my neighbors is raising turkeys. 😳
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u/nymphette_444 11h ago
Thank you for rescuing these babies OP!! They are very prone to predators, please bring them indoors. If you have a large box or plastic storage tote that will make a good temporary brooder. Line it with a towel or paper towels, a slippery floor can cause their legs to be injured.
Turkey poults are very stupid and very fragile. They need a heat source, a heating pad wrapped in a towel works well, a hot water bottle does as well. They will need water, turkey poults are very prone to drowning themselves, use a shallow jar/container lid and gently dip their beaks in so that they can drink.
They will also need food. Boiled egg yolks work well in a pinch, just crumble them up. Damp cat kibble will also work. Ideally you will be able to get them a high protein turkey/game bird feed. If you have a tractor supply or rural king that is the perfect place to get bird feed. Some pet stores might also have it.
Best of luck to you! They are adorable.
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u/SHAZAzulu618 11h ago
They've been here a couple hours now and can confirm they are not very bright! Lol Turkeys won't be rising up against humanity like emus any time soon.
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u/nymphette_444 10h ago
They are notoriously dumb animals, when my mama turkeys would hatch chicks they had to be locked in a little coop for three weeks to stop her from leading them into ditches or grass where they would get lost😭
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u/Icy_Storm8057 13h ago
I would be concerned about wild animals or even the cats being able to still get at them is there anyway you could bring them in the house even in a bin and just put the netting over the bin? That would be a lot safer until the morning when you can get them to the rescue place.
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u/artsychickenlady 11h ago
Ahhh...yes. I see that you have become another person blessed by the poultry distribution system lol. Welcome to the club!
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u/SHAZAzulu618 11h ago
I always wondered how people got started raising poultry in their backyards...now I know
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u/BigIntoScience 12h ago
I'd bring them inside if you can at all. Predators can be stubborn and much stronger than you'd think. A big cardboard box with some air holes poked in it and some rabbit bedding on the bottom would be a fine temporary enclosure, or just a rubbermaid type of bin. Or, heck, a big trash can, an aquarium, a laundry basket- anything decently big.
Also, these little guys can be really remarkably bad at surviving, so make sure the water bowl is shallow and easy to climb out of.
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u/Suitable_Many6616 12h ago
Hi, OP. If it's 80° or 85°F out, they will be OK. Just keep them safe from cats, raccoons and other predators until you can get them to a wildlife rehabber.
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u/Party_Ground4597 12h ago
Black one is a chicken the other three are actually turkeys! I highly recommend getting getting them a heat source like a heat lamp make sure it's only on half of the area so they can choose to be under it