Hello from WV
- Thread starter mandierae
- Start date
Why not get chicks that are old enough to be outside. Depending on the breed, they need to be about 4-5 weeks old and fully feathered. I used to live in Charleston WV btw.
Hello
from Hesperia,CA and
Quote:
Both breeds you have chosen are great egg layers but your RIRs will outperform your Rocks. For added interest, you might try some RIRs, PRs, and even some Black Austrolorps and White Rocks. All great egg brown egg layers, hardy to the max and will add color and personalities to your flock. Why limit your selection?
Yes, chickens can go outside in the winter, in subzero temps, in the rain, the wind and even seering hot days. Don't let anyone tell you different!
They may like to hang around in the coop in the winter and your coop may just get snowed in, making it the likely place for the gals to be....you might want to make your coop more spacious than you think you need. And, as others here will tell you, chickens are somewhat like Doritos... ya can't stop at just a few! You can't stop getting more once you see how interesting they really are, how few eggs they lay in the winter slow down, how a few may just die and fall off the roost one night or be eaten by a predator and all other things that have you adding to your flock just to keep your dozen eggs coming in regularly.
Or how they decide to go broody and you get an idea how sweet it would be to watch a hen raise some biddies....so you add a roo or some fertilized eggs under the old gal and watch the magic....and suddenly you wish you had a bigger coop so your little family can live separately from the flock for awhile.
If you get pullets and intend to free range, you might want to lock them in the coop for about a week so they get used to roosting, eating, drinking and living in your coop. If you build a run, this can happen in much less time or you may not even have to confine to the coop at all...just play it by ear.
BTW, at this time of the year one can keep their chicks in an outside brooder and just provide a heat lamp....no need to have tasty treats in the house. Chicks are just a great experience you might not want to miss and make for a "cheeper" start up cost.
Welcome, fellow hillbilly!
Both breeds you have chosen are great egg layers but your RIRs will outperform your Rocks. For added interest, you might try some RIRs, PRs, and even some Black Austrolorps and White Rocks. All great egg brown egg layers, hardy to the max and will add color and personalities to your flock. Why limit your selection?
Yes, chickens can go outside in the winter, in subzero temps, in the rain, the wind and even seering hot days. Don't let anyone tell you different!
They may like to hang around in the coop in the winter and your coop may just get snowed in, making it the likely place for the gals to be....you might want to make your coop more spacious than you think you need. And, as others here will tell you, chickens are somewhat like Doritos... ya can't stop at just a few! You can't stop getting more once you see how interesting they really are, how few eggs they lay in the winter slow down, how a few may just die and fall off the roost one night or be eaten by a predator and all other things that have you adding to your flock just to keep your dozen eggs coming in regularly.
Or how they decide to go broody and you get an idea how sweet it would be to watch a hen raise some biddies....so you add a roo or some fertilized eggs under the old gal and watch the magic....and suddenly you wish you had a bigger coop so your little family can live separately from the flock for awhile.
If you get pullets and intend to free range, you might want to lock them in the coop for about a week so they get used to roosting, eating, drinking and living in your coop. If you build a run, this can happen in much less time or you may not even have to confine to the coop at all...just play it by ear.
BTW, at this time of the year one can keep their chicks in an outside brooder and just provide a heat lamp....no need to have tasty treats in the house. Chicks are just a great experience you might not want to miss and make for a "cheeper" start up cost.
Welcome, fellow hillbilly!
I have both RIRs & BRs in my flock, but I'm in FL now
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