I need a new plan for more chicks... help

[Tamma]

Hi Everyone! I have three red sex link hens. I tried to add a few polish (5) and made the mistake of getting straight-run. Now it looks like I have only one female and 3 males. The farmer I bought the polish from said I could return any roosters since I can't have them. Big mistake! I know!f Now my polish are 2 months old. They are in a separate portable coop. I just started free-ranging them together and the big girls are behaving themselves. They barely bother with the chicks and the chicks are fast enough to get away. Anyway, everyone's happy, but I don't know what to do as I will have to return the roosters when they crow or when they start terrrorizing my girls. Three roosters to 4 hens just doesn't sound good. Then my little girl, Christine, will be on her own with the hens. Do I need to raise some more chicks (NOT straight run) so she will have someone else small with her? Or buy a pullet approximately her age? I am not comfortable at all anticipating future socialization issues.

Any opinions from all of you seasoned chicken veterans would sure be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Can you ask the farmer to swap the roosters for a couple of pullets? I'm assuming you paid for all of the chicks the first go round. Even if they just gave you one girl. it would be better than her being on her own. If your other chickens aren't overly mean to her, she may be fine living with/being integrated with them alone though. Especially since they already free range together and know each other.

 

[Tamma]

So it would probably be better to bring in another chick her same age. I did pay for all of them and he was very nice. I bet he will give me an older chick if he has them. I might have to get another breed but I don't care. I just want them to get along. I am going to try to take some pictures of my chicks for verification but 3 of them have dark red around the beak and waddles, have crazy hair and thicker legs. The other chick is delicate with a perfectly formed round poof on her head. I will try to get pictures so you veterans here can confirm for me. Thanks for your advice. Tamma

 

[Mrs. K]

If you have a young daughter "on her own with the chickens" get rid of the roos!