Boy am I brave!!

ibpboo

Where Chickens Ride Horses
17 Years
Jul 9, 2007
5,601
13
429
always changing
I recently moved my 15 week olds into the coop with the 6 year olds. And for the past 3 nights, they actually put them selves away with them instead of going into the tack room. So, yesterday, my now 4 week olds escaped from their playhouse that I let them play in during the day. At night they have been sleeping in the tack room in a lizard aquarium. They actually have outgrown both, and free range during the day with all the girls. So, this morning, I threw them in the coop with the rest. Well a couple pecks, but for the most part they are just leaving them alone. So, I think they are going to be fine. I'm so happy because they were too big for their temp cages. The 4 week olds, Hay and Bale, have been sleeping in the tack room for a couple weeks now, without a light with temps into the 50's at night and 60-70 during the day.
 
thumbsup.gif
 
I've been free-ranging mine together each day to get them used to each other because all of mine are outgrowing their space as well. Very soon the 8 week olds will graduate the the swingset coop and then the 4 week olds will get the tractor.

My only concern is that the babes not get layer feed. But since the hens have been sneaking into the tractor to eat baby food, I figure I'll switch everyone to baby food and supplement the hens with free-choice calcium (oyster shell & egg shells).
 
Yes, I'd worry about chicks less than 18 weeks getting layer feed, too. It's quite a bad situation when you don't have room for all the ages! I'm going through that myself right now. I only have 2 pens - I've got my adults in one pen, and in the 2nd, ages from 13 weeks down to 8 weeks. My plan is to feed all these chick feed until the youngest are 18 wks., and then switch over to layer feed. SHEESH! Takes so much planning!
 
My seven week old BR watches the week-old chicks through the brooder. Then she gets on top of the brooder and poos on the chicks through the hardware wire top. She sometimes acts nicey-nicey, and then when I try to introduce her to a chick she gives it the evil-eye, and I think she's going to peck its eyes out.

You are brave, and I'm so glad your situations worked out well!
 
Yes, I have the same problem. More chicks of different ages than I have room for. I could suggest to DH that he add on to the coop (Opps, he's already done that).
lau.gif
 
Last edited:
I think I may just make a tractor for any of the chicks under 18 weeks and transition them into the big girl coop as they hit the 18 week mark. Same situation here though, I've got 2 year olds on down to 3 day olds, and it takes quite a bit of book-keeping to figure out who needs to be where with whom and when on which food!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom