Dixie & JJ

[tracecom]

Here is a picture of my BCM chicks at three weeks. They were hatched in my home-made computer-controlled incubator from eggs collected from my 11 month old chickens that were also hatched in the same incubator. When these two first hatched, I tried to wing feather sex them, and thought that I had two females. Now, I think there's one of each.

 

[tracecom]

Now, they are almost five weeks old, and growing unbelievably fast. I built this cage to put inside the coop with the older chickens for "getting to know you" time. After a week or so, I will open the door to the cage and allow Dixie and JJ to venture into the coop. Hopefully, they will be able to scamper back in when necessary; the door is supposed to be too small for the big chickens to get through. At eight weeks, I will take away their sanctuary, and they will have to peck for themselves.

 

[pattyhen]

They are really cute. I love the little cage you built for them. Thanks for sharing their pics with us.

Patty

 

[tracecom]

Dixie and JJ are nine weeks old, and have moved in with the big chickens, sharing the coop and run. As you might expect, they are at the bottom of the pecking order, and are inseparable. If there is so much as 12 inches between them, they don't like it, and move closer together.

I have their cage inside the coop with an access door in their cage large enough for them, but too small for the big chickens. Thus, Dixie and JJ have a place to escape to and feel secure, and their food is inside the cage so that only they can get to it. They can move freely between their cage and the coop, and between the coop and the run. They are usually the first to head into the coop at dusk.