11 week old lavender Araucanas

[jaybanana]

I have the opportunity to get some araucana chicks, approx 11 weeks old? Maybe a bit older (13 weeks?). I have a few questions.

- What will they need to eat (my other chooks are eating a poultry mix, crushed shells, and food scraps)
- They are unsexed, so how old before we will be able to tell if they are hens/roosters, and what should I look out for?
- How long do they need to be quarantined for?

Is there anything else I need to know? The lady said they have been in their own pen for the past 5 weeks.

 

[sumi]

Wow, those are some pretty birds. Lucky you!

- At 11-13 weeks they'll need flock raiser/grower and you can feed treats (in moderation).

- At this age you should be able to tell the sex. I sex by looking at the combs, roosters combs grow quicker and bigger than hens'. You can also post pics in the What Breed Or Gender is This? section and ask the members who hang out there to have a look. Post nice clear head shots and body shots.

- Minimum 1 month. Sometimes chicken carry diseases that is not apparent until the stress of being moved causes it to erupt. Also deworm and dust for mites while they are quarantined. Just in case...

If you keep them penned where they can see your other chickens and the other chickens can see them, without being able to get too close, it will make introduction easier when the time comes. After a month your flock should be used to the newbies and hopefully won't consider them "intruders".

 

[jaybanana]

They are roosters.

But thank you for the information on quarantine/food, as it will still come in handy!

 

[sumi]

Oh bummer. All of them? That's a pity!

 

[jaybanana]

Yup, I got her to send me some photos, she sent me a video, so I screen shotted it and posted in on this forum, and they are most definitely roosters. She only had the two. Explains why they were free! Shame, because they really were beautiful!