8 week old babies! i need your advice please!

[adbayer]

my chickies are 8 weeks old, and i have started giving them time outside, in a pen, all to themselves. just a few hours a day for now, and then we will work our way to living there!

my problem- im pretty sure one is a roo- he is the only one with wattles and a comb... is pretty aggressive and he has two extra toes, and has since he hatched, now im a noob, and maybe im just dumb, but that says roo to me

he has started beating up the other chickies, half flying half jumping at them and pecking as he lands on them and squawking away.... is this normal?
if not, what do i do?
if so, what do i do? i feel bad for the others, they arent even around him just minding their own business and here he comes to beat them up

any advice would be greatly appreciated!




also- how hot is too hot for these babes? i want to move them outside, but i dont want them to overheat being so young- its still high 90's- 100's here(texas)

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I really can't give advice on the excess heat- here in the pac. nw., any heat wave like that would be short-lived.

If all these chickens were raised together from chickhood, and no blood is being drawn, then I would say it is normal behavior. They are establishing the pecking order. Oh, and I have had some roosters try to start mating at that age- could it be that?

However, if you are joining two flocks, you must be careful.

 

[LizGled628]

Hmm, I've never had roo's but that sounds more than just "creating the pecking order" to me. Maybe isolate him for a little while? Hopefully someone else will chime in.

As far as the heat, my babies were outside in the high 90's at four weeks without issue. Just make sure they have plenty of fresh, cool water, and a shady spot to hang. I feed mine frozen treats and even put ice cubes in their waterer. Today it was 94 degrees outside, and I found all six of my girls underneath a bush in the front yard, legs to the side, in their own little dirty wells. So cute

 

[adbayer]

well they all have a fav they pick on, poor thing . i cant get his top feathers to grow all the way in because they are constantly pecking at the spot. i keep bluekote on it, and i keep them under a red light when indoors, doesnt matter!!
we are adding them to a "littles pen". right now we have one mama, three, three week old, chicks, and they will be joining them when they make the move... and then all chicks will go into the hen house when old enough to go on layer ration, and roo will stay in there.

and some of the chickies peck him back, but hes the only one who flies at them, and tries to pin them. idk, ive never seen a rooster mate, or really interact normally at any age, usually my grandmothers roo wanders off when let out to terrorize other things, and then plucks all his ladies feathers out when brought back in at night... so i dont consider that anything to base behavior on. im kind of a loss, my storeys book just suggests how to eat them, lol, and my mother cant stand roosters, BYC is all i have! and i very much so appreciate all the help i receive here, and all the replies tonight. thanks!!


how many days do yall suggest we give them to adjust to outside before just letting them go?

 

[JROOSTER]

Hi, if it was me I would make sure they always have some shade at all times of the day. I would also make sure they had water in the shade so its not to hot.

As for the lil mean pecker! Keep an eye on him make sure its just play fighting. I had 3 roos grow up togeather and they would fight but it was just play fighting not really hurting and if it got too ruff one would give up and move off. If he makes your other chicks bleed or scream all the time I would think about a time out for him or freezer camp. I dont think I would put a moma and 3 week olds in the same pen just yet. Moma might not be able to defend all 3 of her chicks at the same time. Just my thoughts. Hope it all works out.