Hello from Michigan

[Sammster]

Hello! I started lurking a few weeks before purchasing my chicks. I am brand new to chickens. I currently have 6 RIRs in my brooder. I purchased them at TSC, and was told that they were approximately 4 days old, at the time. They are supposed to be pullets (fingers crossed). No roosters allowed in my township. I'm thinking that 1 might be a cockerel, though. Too soon to say, as they are only 3 weeks old. But, the chick in question is the only one with a small tuft of a tail, compared to the others, who have big, fluffy tails. It's comb is only slightly more pronounced. It is very self-assured, but so are several of the others.

We have 2 golden retrievers, an umbrella cockatoo, 2 canaries and a parakeet.

I am a homemaker, glass artist and decorative painter. I enjoy gardening. I am a mom to 3, grown sons and a doting grandma to 1 grandson.

I live in hardiness zone 6, gardening-wise.

 

[swampfox440]

Welcome to BYC ! So good to have you join .

 

[sourland]

Good morning, and welcome to BYC.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
The tail tuft is not an indicator that you have a cockerel. Standing tall could simply mean that she's the most dominant. At this young age you want to look for early signs of red and slightly larger combs and wattles. Usually by 6 weeks it's fairly obvious who are the boys and who are the girls.

 

[Grammy60]

Hello and welcome to BYC We are happy you have joined our community !! Aww, what cuties

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

 

[janiedoe]

Hi, welcome to BYC. You have a beautiful little starter flock! I think they will be fine in the coop with a huddle box. You can turn a 5 gallon bucket on its side and add some bedding. They'll be fine but you'll probably have a sleepless night, worrying.

 

[Sammster]

Thank you, DL! This is my coop crew. We were on a short "field trip" to the new chicken run, for a taste of things to come. Our days are quite nice, but our nights are rather cool. The hatchery that these chicks came from said that they would be fully feathered, and coop-able at 4 weeks of age. Does that seem early?

 

[N F C]

Hello, cute youngsters! Without knowing your overnight lows, it's probably safe to say you could put a huddle box in the coop for them. You can make one with just a cardboard box tipped on it's side with some bedding in it.

 

[Sammster]

Hello, cute youngsters! Without knowing your overnight lows, it's probably safe to say you could put a huddle box in the coop for them. You can make one with just a cardboard box tipped on it's side with some bedding in it.

Thank you, NFC! Tonight, it will drop to 64 degrees. The chicks brooder temp is currently about 80 degrees. Feathers are coming in, nicely