Bay Area BYCers!

[jewelzbird]

Well I am not an expert. I do think my chickens want to get out and run around daily. I can't let mine free range tho. We have day time predators here. I have a baby gated area that I let them into with aviary netting over it. I let them in there when I am home and in the yard. I will even let them run around free range if I am right there watching. I have associated hand feeding of treats with a certain sound. Now if I make that sound they come running. So I can let them go around and get them back easily. You should train yours with a sound too. Then you can let them out a bit more and get them right back into the run when you need. Only make that sound when you have something high interest in your hand to feed them at first. I used dried meal worms. As far as space, I think you might feel sorry for them if you never let them out...but they obviously can survive tiny conditions smaller than that in factory farms. Don't get more than 3 I guess. And here is a cool video I wish I had seen before getting mine so I could have picked all girls...

This trick only works in brand new tiny baby chicks.

 

[jeremy]

I've got 10 Blue, Black, and Splash bantam English Orpington eggs in the incubator right now! We're also receiving 2 juvenile pairs, bantam Chocolate and bantam Black Orpingtons, in a week and a half. This will be my first time breeding bantams, I'm really excited!

 

[boomchicken]

> You hopefully have a yard they can range around in during the day. If not, a bigger run would be good

I'm afraid we're just intending to give them a 32 sq ft run plus a raise coop of about 12 sq ft. we're not planning on having them free range in the yard at all. Will I regret that plan for any reason?

for only 3 chicks that sounds ok. The suggestion for standard sized chickens I found on this site was 10sf/chicken for the run and 4sf/chicken for the coop, plus if they never have a taste of free ranging the whole yard, I'll bet they'll be just fine. I let mine out in the yard everyday, so they are itching to be let out in the morning only because they are used to it. After leaving their brooder for the current run/coop at 8 weeks old, they never wanted to leave the run only because they were used to the confines of the brooder and then for a short while as they acclimated to the new run, to the confines of the run. The only problem with your set up is that there is no wiggle room for the infamous Chicken Math

 

[jewelzbird]

I can't believe you told about the chicken math. LOL Are you trying to scare him/her off??

 

[Volcanic Egger]

I have a free 4.5 week old Olive Egger I have raised from Meyers. She is friendly to people but not to other chicks. She picked all the tail feathers out of one of her siblings and left her rump all bloody. She attacks the other chicks as well. I hate to just kill her or turn her loose in the wild. Anyone want her? She is black and white so far. I live in Volcano but can arrange for pickup around Jackson this weekend or Bay area next week.

Thanks

Bob

 

[boomchicken]

I have a free 4.5 week old Olive Egger I have raised from Meyers. She is friendly to people but not to other chicks. She picked all the tail feathers out of one of her siblings and left her rump all bloody. She attacks the other chicks as well. I hate to just kill her or turn her loose in the wild. Anyone want her? She is black and white so far. I live in Volcano but can arrange for pickup around Jackson this weekend or Bay area next week.

Thanks

Bob

Try searching aggressive chick on the site search:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=Aggressive+chick

There's probably something that can help before you resort to culling.

 

[juststruttin]

I have a free 4.5 week old Olive Egger I have raised from Meyers. She is friendly to people but not to other chicks. She picked all the tail feathers out of one of her siblings and left her rump all bloody. She attacks the other chicks as well. I hate to just kill her or turn her loose in the wild. Anyone want her? She is black and white so far. I live in Volcano but can arrange for pickup around Jackson this weekend or Bay area next week.

Thanks

Bob

Loose in the wild? Are you seriously thinking about doing that?

 

[Laurieks]

I put red plastic over the top of the bator, &/or brooder, in lieu of a red light. They stopped pecking/picking immediately.

 

[Mybackyardgirls]

I recently lost my friendly beautiful buff oprington and find that the 3 remaining hens are quieter. I think they need some more friends. I am looking for 2 juvenile hens. Currently have two EEs and a RIR. Would love another buff and EE. Any idea where I could find these?

 

[AlpineButterfly]

I recently lost my friendly beautiful buff oprington and find that the 3 remaining hens are quieter. I think they need some more friends. I am looking for 2 juvenile hens. Currently have two EEs and a RIR. Would love another buff and EE. Any idea where I could find these?

Might want to go over and ask at the California-Northern thread. There is more traffic there.