- Apr 27, 2010
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I have 4 6 week old chicks (3 PR and a production red). All are friendly and easy to catch- doing really well. We LOVE them and they are so much fun to watch. They went into their coop all by themselves last night after a few hours of roaming the back yard. We were so proud.
I also have 2 EE chicks that are just under 4 weeks. All 6 are out in the coop together- I have a light on a night for them. I have the 2 EEs in a dog crate in the coop as they were being picked on a bit by the PR ladies. The EE can get out of the crate, but the big chicks can't get in. There is less picking now, but still they aren't getting along. The EE tend to say in the crate- they have their own food and water.
I've been letting them out when we are home (fenced in backyard- the coop is done, but the run is not). The 4 older guys LOVE it- they hang together and do all the same things together. But, the 2 younger guys are totally left out. If they come over to the big group, a PR will chase them off. The 2 younger guys are not as "content" as the 4 older guys and I am beginning to worry. They peep a lot more than the others and seem nervous.
As a result of being left out, the 2 EE are totally bonded to one another. One is more wild and harder to catch- if they are apart for more than a minute, they start to panic. I've been working on socializing them like the others, but one EE in particular is really not intersted in me at all. They'd rather catch bugs than be bribed by human food. The others come RUNNING when I call them or throw treats. The EEs will run in the other direction if I start tossing stuff.
It's like I have 2 groups of chickens. Is this just a stage? Or will they intergrate? I am SO worried that I am going to lose one of the EE and the other will fall apart. Moreover, we are beginning to think that the really wild EE is actually a rooster. He's just not the same as the other ladies- he worries, HATES to be held, and is more like a wild bird. We've been calling him the jungle chicken.
Thanks for any calming down of a nervous mother that you can provide!
I also have 2 EE chicks that are just under 4 weeks. All 6 are out in the coop together- I have a light on a night for them. I have the 2 EEs in a dog crate in the coop as they were being picked on a bit by the PR ladies. The EE can get out of the crate, but the big chicks can't get in. There is less picking now, but still they aren't getting along. The EE tend to say in the crate- they have their own food and water.
I've been letting them out when we are home (fenced in backyard- the coop is done, but the run is not). The 4 older guys LOVE it- they hang together and do all the same things together. But, the 2 younger guys are totally left out. If they come over to the big group, a PR will chase them off. The 2 younger guys are not as "content" as the 4 older guys and I am beginning to worry. They peep a lot more than the others and seem nervous.
As a result of being left out, the 2 EE are totally bonded to one another. One is more wild and harder to catch- if they are apart for more than a minute, they start to panic. I've been working on socializing them like the others, but one EE in particular is really not intersted in me at all. They'd rather catch bugs than be bribed by human food. The others come RUNNING when I call them or throw treats. The EEs will run in the other direction if I start tossing stuff.
It's like I have 2 groups of chickens. Is this just a stage? Or will they intergrate? I am SO worried that I am going to lose one of the EE and the other will fall apart. Moreover, we are beginning to think that the really wild EE is actually a rooster. He's just not the same as the other ladies- he worries, HATES to be held, and is more like a wild bird. We've been calling him the jungle chicken.
Thanks for any calming down of a nervous mother that you can provide!
