Forget diamonds, I want a COOP!

[WickeeChickee]

Awesome! Thanks ever so for the advice - so good to get info from people with practical experience! Kindle books are great but I just get the feeling that they don't really care about me as a person...
So, today I'm going to pester the parents for all their leftover construction material from their new house. See y'all on the raising chicks threads! One last question, if the barred rock chicks were only 9 days old, how did the owner know they were pullets? Can they be sexed that early? Sorry if this a dumb question -I have lost all shame and dignity in my desperate quest for chicken info...:/

 

[sumi]

You can either vent- or feather sex day-old chicks. Just don't ask me how! I never got it right. But if you google it you'll find lots of info on it. Some breeds and crosses are sex linked, so you can tell the boys and girls apart by their down colour at birth (hatch?).

 

[WickeeChickee]

Thanks, sumi! See y'all around! Will update coop/husband progress. I think I will name our coop "Friendly Persuasion!"

 

[1muttsfan]

Barred rocks are an autosexing breed, meaning a purebred breed in which the males and females are largely apparent at hatching. There are also crossbred birds available that are sex-links, where certain crosses will also produce chicks that are pretty clearly different at hatching.

But, sometimes they are hard to tell apart and mistakes can happen.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/54332/barred-rock-chicks-need-sexing

 

[KMSonthecoast]

HI,

My BFstarted building a bigger coop when our three RIR pullets showed up ...we are building one on the purina model about 4x4x4 square...to house 8 hens...Once the birds show up the coop must move along....I was given 3 hens in a large dog crate and that got my BF moving on the coop and now we are on our second coop. The first one was smaller and moveable like a chicken tractor but we found the bigger permanent one will work better as I free range then in our fenced yard..

I think pullets are faster and more economical but chicks are so cute and bond with your family.

 

[KMSonthecoast]

purina coop...

http://poultry.purinamills.com/NUTRITIONMANAGEMENT/HenHouseHutchDesign/default.aspx

 

[animallover505]

Welcome!!!

 

[animallover505]

Barred rocks are an autosexing breed, meaning a purebred breed in which the males and females are largely apparent at hatching. There are also crossbred birds available that are sex-links, where certain crosses will also produce chicks that are pretty clearly different at hatching.

But, sometimes they are hard to tell apart and mistakes can happen.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/54332/barred-rock-chicks-need-sexing

barred rocks aren't autosexing, are they??

 

[gryeyes]

Plymouth Rock - Barred (correct name for what everybody just calls Barred Rocks) are auto-sexing in that there IS a difference in the male and female feather colors, visible to the discerning eye.

If I were the OP, I would stick with Barred Rocks and Buff Orpingtons. The former are great layers and the latter are good layers; both have been friendly in my flock. RIR hens can be aggressive, or pushy or just bullies. Not all, of course...

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us.