First time chick owner!!

[shwaaskii]

Can anyone help me determine if these are able to be sexed yet and a possible age? A friend was doing a project in Detroit and found these babies on the side of the road. I've never had chicks before. I have 7 older hens! Excited but nervous to care for these littles!! Also what breeds? Looks like a buff orpington and a Sussex? How long until they can eat our regular laying food, if they're not roos. What do roos eat? I feel like a whole new mama again!!

Any additiona baby info is greatly appreciated!! I currently have then in our regular coop, I couldn't wait unfortunatly because I didn't have anywhere else to put them and keep them warm. It's about 50 degrees here during the day.. starting to get warmer. So I have them in a metal crate with straw some food that was left with them u til I can go to TS tomorrow and some water with a splash of ACV. I put a heat lamp on them too.

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[Pyxis]

Your red one actually looks like a red sex link, in which case she's a pullet. The other one is an Easter Egger and we can't tell the gender of that one yet, it's too young.

Age wise they look about three week old, maybe four.

They can eat layer feed once they start laying, or at around 18 to 20 weeks. Roosters can eat it too. Some say that roosters do better on an All Flock feed because there's too much calcium for them in layer, but I haven't had that experience. If you want to do that however, you can put your whole flock on All Flock and offer oyster shell on the side for the hens.

 

[debid]

If these were purchased at a farm store, I'd say sexlink pullet and Easter Egger (too early to tell, ask when the wings finish feathering). BUT, finding them like that means they could just as easily be random barnyard mixes that happen resemble those. Are you sure your friend didn't get them at a farm store thinking they'd make you happy?

 

[shwaaskii]

No I'm positive. Someone abandoned them in detroit. She was doing a farm fresh project down there and someone left them in a small cat carrier in front of the building.

 

[shwaaskii]

Not sure if someone down there got them from a farm or where.. thinking either someone thought they'd be cool to have and realized they're a lot of work and loud or someone was trying to find roos for fighting

 

[shwaaskii]

Anyone see this before? Thought maybe baby didn't get any feathers there yet but it looks a little puffy like a cyst or so? Not sure if she got pecked before or if it's nothing to worry about?

 

[Pyxis]

I think that's just a full crop

 

[shwaaskii]

Does it just go away on its own?

 

[Pyxis]

It goes down as the crop empties out and then fills back up when they eat again

 

[shwaaskii]

Great! Hopefully that's what it is! Of course my worried self just started googling and read how they can get lounge shavings stuck and she was left in a crate full of shavings for idk how long! I hour it is smaller in the morning if not should I take the food away and just give water maybe a little olive oil?