FeatherAndBloom
Songster
tried posting on another thread but didn’t get any bites… so here’s a new one!
My mixed flock of 13 are 16/17 weeks old. Everyone’s getting very red and the rooster (crowing 17 weeks etc) is beginning to mate them. He’s being rehomed this week too so the long term flock will be 12. I’ve noticed some tail feathers missing on the subordinate birds and some general nighttime roost pecking… so also managing that.
Before the past 2 weeks they would mostly hang out in their large enclosed run, rather than the coop. Run is 8x22 ft and coop is 8x6 ft with 2x6 ft roosting bars and 5 nesting boxes. Weather has been hot so I recently increased coop ventilation with new cut outs for cross ventilation etc. Now they literally hang out in their coop so much of the day! Roosting, preening, dust bathing on the pine shavings, squatting and sitting on the floor or starting to sit in the nest boxes. Looking healthy thankfully. Even rooster is just in there chilling. Weather has been super pleasant most days, a bit of rain but they are in there regardless.
Is this all normal? Preparing to lay? Nest-y? They come out to eat still and sometimes hang under the coop or wander around I’m just not seeing the same all around activity that I saw when they first got in there at 8/9 weeks and want to know that it’s normal.
Thanks for any reassurance and advice!
My mixed flock of 13 are 16/17 weeks old. Everyone’s getting very red and the rooster (crowing 17 weeks etc) is beginning to mate them. He’s being rehomed this week too so the long term flock will be 12. I’ve noticed some tail feathers missing on the subordinate birds and some general nighttime roost pecking… so also managing that.
Before the past 2 weeks they would mostly hang out in their large enclosed run, rather than the coop. Run is 8x22 ft and coop is 8x6 ft with 2x6 ft roosting bars and 5 nesting boxes. Weather has been hot so I recently increased coop ventilation with new cut outs for cross ventilation etc. Now they literally hang out in their coop so much of the day! Roosting, preening, dust bathing on the pine shavings, squatting and sitting on the floor or starting to sit in the nest boxes. Looking healthy thankfully. Even rooster is just in there chilling. Weather has been super pleasant most days, a bit of rain but they are in there regardless.
Is this all normal? Preparing to lay? Nest-y? They come out to eat still and sometimes hang under the coop or wander around I’m just not seeing the same all around activity that I saw when they first got in there at 8/9 weeks and want to know that it’s normal.
Thanks for any reassurance and advice!
