Frizzle Easter egger suddenly has a wet neck most of the time

[BlindLemonChicken]

Ha I was waiting for someone to ask about that. I so wish I can evict them from my garage! But they're not big enough to be integrated into my existing flock and I only have a small prefab coop/tractor. I have a larger coop getting delivered in the next two weeks.

Hahah good! Sorry I have just seen a lot of “house chicken” posts on here and it always makes me uncomfortable. For the chicken and the owner. I hated having them in my garage after the first couple weeks. I finally started brooding on my back porch.

 

[CabritaChicks]

I’m right there with you—can’t wait to get them out! There’s nothing like a clean floor and no smell. Honestly, thank you in advance for saving me that extra hour of scrubbing!

Also, I’m no expert, but I don’t think that’s a frizzle either...

I start integrating my chicks pretty early too. I use a separate enclosure so they can see each other and get used to being around one another without any direct contact. A large dog crate works perfectly for that stage.

That little beauty of yours looks more than ready for some run time! One trick I use: let your full-grown hens hang out outside the coop/run for a bit and pop the younger ones inside. Let those volatile compounds and birdy pheromones do their thing—nature has a weird but wonderful way of easing the tension when they’ve already “met” through scent and space! Then put the little ones back inside the home for the night

 

[Flixflaxnoob]

Hahah good! Sorry I have just seen a lot of “house chicken” posts on here and it always makes me uncomfortable. For the chicken and the owner. I hated having them in my garage after the first couple weeks. I finally started brooding on my back porch.

What does your back porch set up look like? I considered doing that on my deck but I would have had to add hardware cloth (for raccoons) and a roof to my brooder (to keep it mostly dry) and I just didn't have the time. I would definitely like to do something like that for future chicks.

 

[Flixflaxnoob]

I’m right there with you—can’t wait to get them out! There’s nothing like a clean floor and no smell. Honestly, thank you in advance for saving me that extra hour of scrubbing!

Also, I’m no expert, but I don’t think that’s a frizzle either...

I start integrating my chicks pretty early too. I use a separate enclosure so they can see each other and get used to being around one another without any direct contact. A large dog crate works perfectly for that stage.

That little beauty of yours looks more than ready for some run time! One trick I use: let your full-grown hens hang out outside the coop/run for a bit and pop the younger ones inside. Let those volatile compounds and birdy pheromones do their thing—nature has a weird but wonderful way of easing the tension when they’ve already “met” through scent and space! Then put the little ones back inside the home for the night

I have a larger kennel run for the existing flock. The two pullets are currently in an XL dog crate brooder that won't fit through the kennel door. They've been getting some outdoor time though. I'll try your method of separating the older ones first. I just had a chunnel built around the kennel that I can section off from the kennel.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

What does your back porch set up look like? I considered doing that on my deck but I would have had to add hardware cloth (for raccoons) and a roof to my brooder (to keep it mostly dry) and I just didn't have the time. I would definitely like to do something like that for future chicks.

I had them in a huge cardboard box inside a dog kennel. I raised it up on a table then ran electricity out from my bedroom window. We had a horrible raccoon problem but they never came on the back porch but that was probably due to the cat, dogs, and almost 24 hours activity in that part of the property. A little hwc would be good. I brooded in February so I also put some towels over the kennel at night. I don’t have any pictures of it but it was essentially what you would do in a garage but on the back porch with a little more eye toward keeping critters out

 

[Chicalina]

This is my frizzle naked neck when she was young. See the feathers grow the wrong way out.

I hear you on the indoor brooder. After a couple of broods indoors, I now only raise chicks outdoors with broody hens these days. No dust in the house and the hens do all the work for me!