So yesterday I came across some Orphington chicks. I brought 4 home. They are doing all quite well, as eating, drinking and peeping up a storm while not napping under the brooder plate.
I ordered, 3 Easter Eggers that will be coming May 20 - 21st.
They Orphingtons, from comparing pictures seem to be around a week old. They're quite tiny in my palm still, and some feathers on the wings (not long, still very short). They will be 4 weeks (give or take) when the new ladies arrive. I heard from people mention to separate them in the brooder by wire. But, I am prepared to give them a new brooder space. The ladies I currently have are in a plastic baby pool, with large boxes surrounding it.
How would you, could you introduce the new girls to the bigger flock of girls when they move to the coop at age six weeks?
I live in sunny central Florida, outside of Orlando. It's quite warm here already during the day and night. My husband will be working on the coop in two weeks with my neighbor, so it shouldn't take more than a weekend to frame and get it together with the boards and hardware cloth. We have foxes in our 'hood, along with opossums and raccoons. Although, we haven't seen a single raccoon from the cluster we normally have due to my dogs that growl and bark at them to keep them out of their yard. This is all a good precautionary measure as we do have very real threats in our hood.
And, what would you do to keep the chicks entertained in their brooder? Some of them kick up the pine flakes, and pick at it.
Thank you!
I ordered, 3 Easter Eggers that will be coming May 20 - 21st.
They Orphingtons, from comparing pictures seem to be around a week old. They're quite tiny in my palm still, and some feathers on the wings (not long, still very short). They will be 4 weeks (give or take) when the new ladies arrive. I heard from people mention to separate them in the brooder by wire. But, I am prepared to give them a new brooder space. The ladies I currently have are in a plastic baby pool, with large boxes surrounding it.
How would you, could you introduce the new girls to the bigger flock of girls when they move to the coop at age six weeks?
I live in sunny central Florida, outside of Orlando. It's quite warm here already during the day and night. My husband will be working on the coop in two weeks with my neighbor, so it shouldn't take more than a weekend to frame and get it together with the boards and hardware cloth. We have foxes in our 'hood, along with opossums and raccoons. Although, we haven't seen a single raccoon from the cluster we normally have due to my dogs that growl and bark at them to keep them out of their yard. This is all a good precautionary measure as we do have very real threats in our hood.
And, what would you do to keep the chicks entertained in their brooder? Some of them kick up the pine flakes, and pick at it.
Thank you!
We call her "redhead" and my husband thinks, she may be a he. But, I told him that we won't know for a bit longer! 
