I'm stumped. Why would two chicks be like three times the size of the third? Only thing I can think of is the bigger two are roosters or turkeys? All three have the same coloration sonim guessing roosters?
What others have said is probably the most likely thing but sometimes one will just be a runt. I had 50 Freedom Ranger once that I processed at 8 weeks. There was always plenty of feeder and water space. One just didn't grow like the others. It was a cockerel and healthy in all other respects except half the size of the others.
Another possibility is that you got a bantam with your LF.
Lordie, doesn't the northern half of the state have any events?
There is one in Silex every month. It is only a large event about 3 or 4 times a year but still fun and good people. They hosted the Midwest Heritage Poultry Conference a couple months ago at which I was a guest speaker.
Coming in little late in the game! lol I live in Dixon, MO, Two hours from Sedalia, Springfield, Columbia, and St Louis. LOL
I am a single mother of 3 boys (12, 10, and, 3 yrs) I have two dogs, Rottie and German Shepherd.
I currently do not have any chicks yet i am doing research and pricing out buying a coop vs building.
Looking at getting rhode island reds. I was thinking 8 hens and 1 roost would keep up in eggs pretty fine but thinking now that 4 hens and one rooster might be ok..... thoughts?
i have a rough idea of what to make coop but thinking of going smaller
Right now i have an idea for a run that is 2ft Hx4ft Wx8ft L
and a coop that is 1 ft high legs then another 4 ft high x 4 ft wide x ft long
no roost or hen boxes are in the estimate yet and its $330 so far
i know this doesn't sound like much but yikes
Any idea or suggestions let me know
looking forward to getting the chickens
A
Welcome. My grandparents had a fishing lodge on the Gasconade near Dixon when I was a kid. They had hogs and chickens.
My advice is to build if you have any skills at all. Manufactured coops are too small for the number of chickens they claim they'll house. They're expensive for their size and are often designed by someone with no knowledge of chickens. As an example, one designated for 8 chickens will usually only house 3 or 4 and they put 3 or 4 nest boxes on it. The money they put into that could have been invested on a larger coop. You only need one nest for each 3 or 4 chickens.
Go to the 'Learning Center' tab above and find the 'Coops' button. There are lots to view and most have bills of materials, schematics and construction instructions.
You can sometimes find cheap or free building materials on Craigslist. If you have a big box store nearby, Lowe's sets pallets of split or warped lumber out for half price frequently.
The larger the coop related to stocking density, the easier it will be to keep clean and the healthier your chickens will be.
You'll be disappointed with a run you can't fit into.
After you get delicious fresh eggs from your own backyard, you'll want twice as many birds. Government recommends at least 2 hens per family member. They won't lay year round forever. Starting their second autumn and each thereafter, they'll molt and stop laying for a few months. It's a bummer to go through that trouble and expense and still have to buy eggs.
At what age will the chicks be able to survive the cold (20-30 degrees at night)with no heat lamp. They are all 6-8wks old and fully feathered.
As Karen said, they're ready.
