Baby Chicks Arrived!

[Elmochook]

Awww no! You cant be kicked off the baby thread. They are still babies until they lay an egg imo. ..also yiu gotta keep doing weekly weight and age updates! Helps me remember how old mine are lol.

 

[Enchanted1s]

OK, LOL. We read something the other day that said at what ages the chick is considered teenagers, adults etc... they aren't babies any more - and not due for their weekly update until tomorrow, BUT - they went to their coop all by themselves Sunday night, 11 Feb 18! They had used their ramp and navigated that on their own, but this day (and night) was full of firsts for them! This was the first day that they were left with the flock, unsupervised, all day! Then, when it started getting cold (almost dusk) the babies headed back to their coop without any assistance from us!

There were also NO ISSUES with the bigger birds! I am hopeful that we introduced them over a long enough period of time that they have been accepted. (fingers crossed) ALSO - in other news - our two pullets with the older birds - both laid their first eggs! Rosie laid her 1st egg, IN THE NEST BOX!, 22 January. Tina, laid her first egg, NOT in a nest box, 9 Feb! Tina has not yet laid her second egg. Rosie gives us a large egg every other day.

Is it normal for a rooster to show a hen where she is supposed to lay???

 

[21hens-incharge]

Yes a good rooster will show the girls where he believes the eggs should go.

Sounds like things are going very well.

 

[Enchanted1s]

I forgot to mention that we free range our birds. They are allowed to wander the entire property. We only have a 4 foot fence on part of the property, so they could leave if they wanted to - but don't. A small part of the fence is only split rail! I could (usually) fence them into their area (about 30 foot by 50 foot). BUT, I have had part of that fence down while building their coop. The babies have not yet gone very far from their construction zone (coop).

 

[Enchanted1s]

Just a quick update... the girls were 11 weeks on Tuesday. No, I did not weigh them again this week. I have been trying hard to get a real roof over their coop before the rain! It started sprinkling as I was nailing down the last OSB board.

They are doing great. Today was their third day outside, all day unsupervised. They still hung out in the big girls coop/run all day. They just lay in there while the big girls come in and lay their eggs. HOPEFULLY - they will love their own coop/run even more than the big girls once it is no longer a construction zone. They seem to be integrating well. Last picture is Little Bit with Tina - one of the pullets that just started laying this week.

 

[Enchanted1s]

Little Bit - my little buddy.

 

[Enchanted1s]

Oh - those poor babies. The temps are going to drop below freezing every night for the next week! This week I have been opening the dividing wall and letting them choose the front or back coop and then close the divider wall when we shut them in for the night. They have chosen the front coop. During the day - they spend the majority of their time in the OLD coop with the layers! Tootie has gone broody this week. Tonight is her third night in the nest box all alone with her 5 eggs. The babies spend most of their day laying just under and in front of Tootie in her nest box. They continue to get bigger every day. They are already bigger than Tootie and the two pullets that just started laying. I'm not sure what they weigh now - I have been too busy trying to get their house finished. We are ALMOST there. I'm hoping for a couple of days where the wind won't blow me away to finish putting the tin on the roof. I just realized that I hadn't posted a picture of their house. Still not done, but usable (other than it is still a construction zone!). Still have to get their nesting boxes built and the PVC water system installed. Then if we could quit coming up with great ideas (like their sun deck)... !! I got most of the lumber for free!! Someone was giving away a play house - Christmas Eve, that is what we were doing. It had to be taken down and was in the city - but saved us a lot! Then I got a great deal on some 'cull' lumber from Lowes, helping to cut the costs even more.

 

[April Barta]

Looks very nice!!!! We’re below freezing at night too. The girls seem to be doing fine. So far so good. I’m thankful none of their combs are huge yet - I can’t deal with frostbite!

 

[Enchanted1s]

Looks very nice!!!! We’re below freezing at night too. The girls seem to be doing fine. So far so good. I’m thankful none of their combs are huge yet - I can’t deal with frostbite!

Thanks - It should look nice, we broke ground there right after the babies arrived - DEC 2017! LOL Slowly but surely.

 

[April Barta]

Thanks - It should look nice, we broke ground there right after the babies arrived - DEC 2017! LOL Slowly but surely.

I think you’re making great time!!! Chicken keeping is a hobby for most. It’s at your convenience to do something you want. Otherwise life gets in there and you have other duties like for me... 3 kids, a husband and a full time job. My chickens are a fun hobby and they get attention when I have time. We built our coop in October - December. It took us a while and that’s okay!