I Never Get Tired of Them!

[Reyvaughn]

My daughter loves hard boiled eggs, without the yolks. So, that means the chicks get some treats when she decides she wants hard boiled eggs. I had 5 yolks to give the little chickies (4 - 2wk old Buff Orpingtons, 4 - 2wk old Barred Rocks, 4 Silkies from 4wks-6wks, 2 - 6wk old Tetra Tints and a 8wk old Speckled Sussex that won't leave the brooder). The brooder is in the 12'x20' section of the 'hen shed' with the other 34 pullets ranging from 8wks to 12 weeks and a huge variety of breeds (Brown Leghorns, Black Australorps, Easter Eggers, Tetra Tints, Amberlinks, Red Sexlinks, Comets, Speckled Sussex, Golden Sebrights, Old English Game and a Barred Rock). The original 14 (only 12 left, 11 are pullets in the shed) never had much human contact. They were older when I got them, I was new to chicks and they were on the enclosed porch. These are the Leghorns, Tints and Ambers. While I was feeding the young ones in the brooder, the 2 - 6wk old Tints figured out to jump up on the side and just help themselves to the bowl I had the yolks in. This made the other girls curious. Soon after, I had 11 - 12wk olds surround me and start gently and curiously pecking at my bucket I was sitting on, clothes, legs, butt, feet and my hands when they could reach them. I shared some egg with them until I had a Sussex try and fail at jumping up on my shoulder. The Banties were at my feet too, and they were never played with either. Talk about ironic... The BAs and EEs, who were showered with affection before they were moved to the coop, stayed off in a corner wanting nothing to do with me or the treats.

I love my chickens and I love sitting in the shed with them and watching them or holding the friendlier ones for hours.
I am hoping to let the girls out to truly free range for the first time tomorrow. No more fences! I'm concerned because this will be the first time out since the move to the 'hen shed'.

I may just let them out for an hour before roost time - just to be sure they know where home is.

I also wanted to share that I don't think one of my Barred Rock chicks is a Barred Rock. At 2wks old, there is no barring in her feathers, just white tips on her wings. I think she's a BA or a JG. It would be a hatchery mistake, because only BRs were ordered in that round. Darn it - I am stating to think I wasn't meant to have BRs - so far out of the 14 I bought, I have 3 def. pullets, one possible pullet with a large, tumor like lump on her head, one that I am quite sure isn't a BR and 9 that are roos. Thanks, karma.

 

[Reyvaughn]

Yep, that one chick is not a Barred Rock. Do the JGs have black bottoms of their feet? I think that's what she is.

My cockereals also managed to find a way out of the fenced in run over the weekend. So, after wrangling them 3x, I threw my hands up and ripped the fence down and flung the doors open! Yep, they are turly free range! They are loving every minute of it and they are going home at night like they are supposed to.

The girls got their fence finished and are also enjoying their temporary run (just until I know they know where they are supposed to go. So, now I get hours and hours of chicken TV and I love it!

 

[Sorin]

I wouldn't jump to conclusions about your barred rock yet. Two weeks is a little early yet, give it another week or two before you give up

. I have 11 toddlers now at 7 weeks old and their feathers didn't look like what they were supposed to until a month or so. I have 2 jersey giants and they still had white in their feathers until they were 3 weeks old. But to tell the difference, JG's have black legs with yellow bottoms, BA's have black legs with pink bottoms. But, just like the feathers, my JG legs didn't turn completely black until just recently. But, good luck!

I hope they are the BR's that you want!

 

[Reyvaughn]

They are 3 weeks old now. I won't be overly upset if she's a JG, to be honest. All of her main feathers are in now and she has white tips on her wings like my BAs did - but the bottoms of her feet are mostly black. Another BA would be okay, too, but I really wanted BRs... Oh well. I still like watching them!