I’ve had a similar issue with my Omlet, as well. I toss pine shavings in the run and rake it every couple of days. Luckily, it’s really only been a problem on rainy days.
No free ranging, unfortunately. I'd be worried they'd either hop the fence or go under it, and there are quite a few red-tailed hawks in the neighborhood. I'll be expanding their run in the next few months, though. I want them to be able to move about more.
Yeah, she's the queen of the run at the moment. They tend to hang out under the coop during the heat of the day (I have a fan blowing through there to keep the air moving since it's been ridiculously hot), but they all head into the coop several times a day and spend time in the nesting box...
They do squat when I go to pet them, so between that and the combs I figured they may be getting close.
It's a shame they don't have a little light that goes on or a button that pops up to confirm an egg is coming! 😂
My Leghorns are approximately 15 weeks old now (give or take - got them from TS a few months ago). I recently started opening the nesting area on my Omlet coop (I open it in the mornings, close it at night) and all three have been getting in there and exploring. They've also started eating more...
I have three white leghorns that are around 8 weeks old. I handled them quite a bit when they were still in the brooder in the hopes it would make them less flighty.
Now they are in the coop/run, they come when I call them, eat from my hand, and hop up on the roosting bar when I point at it...
I've tested my Omlet roosting rack and the chicks don't seem to care for it much. Maybe when they get a little older they will, but I'm considering building a frame with a couple of bars that will be more comfortable for them.
sometimes it just…happens. Chicks can be very resilient, but there’s always the chance that one has an issue, whether it’s a genetic problem or maybe a little too weak to keep up. Keep an eye on the other ones. If you see any signs of illness you should get one to the vet for a diagnosis.
You assume correctly! :-)
The price for chicks from breeders around the here run as high as $45. I assume it's because they're rarer birds, but I can't justify spending that much on a chick. At some point I hope to breed my own, but I'm just starting out now and that'll be down the road a piece.