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[mrandmrschicken]

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No, that is a yard monkey. A tiny little egg from a very pretty Pyncheon looking girl. The father could be one of 3, a Buttercup, a Salmon Fav., cross, and a Delaware. He/she is very small and keeps up quite well with the others.

 

[pbjmaker]

Ahhh - my "cochin" yard monkies are off to the auction block tomorrow. While at the feed store though I ended up in a trance a brought home a silkie chick...

 

[boxermom]

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Yes, they are feathered out basically, except I didn't want to put them out there yet for fear of disturbing the broody.

So now I will put my thinking cap on to think of how I can put them in the coop and keep them contained from the rest of the flock.

I am running out of room!

They will keep to themselves, pretty much. Have you had them out with the old hens at all? If you haven't done that, I would have the boys take them outside everyday for longer times each time. That way the hens will get used to them. They will still have to sort out the "pecking order" but they will watch themselves.

 

[harleyjo]

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What feed store still has chicks now?

 

[Tiramisu]

We went to the NE PA chickenstock. I sold a pair of buttercup chicks. 4 cochins, and then we sold 5 ducks and 3 turkeys that were extras in an order. Had a good time. Got 3 Seramas and 3 Lav. orps.

 

[pbjmaker]

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What feed store still has chicks now?

Des Moines feed and nursery.

 

[mrandmrschicken]

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How are the girls doing w/o brooster around to make their nests? The buttercup I call Moose is doing the same nest making like his dad did.

 

[LadyWoodsong]

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No, I haven't had them with the old ladies.

We haven't handled these chicks like we did the previous ones so they're very flighty and not used to us. If we took them out to spend time with the old ladies, I know we would not be able to catch them to put them back. We could put them in the sandbox which I stapled chicken wire around last year, but the grown hens would not be anywhere near to have any kind of contact.

I thought when you initially put chickens out in a coop, you needed to keep them locked up in the coop for a week or two 'til they got used to it being "home", before letting them out to free-range. That's what I did with our first batch. But now since I have the grown chickens, I'm not sure how to put the chicks out there in the same coop and keep them from getting out when I let the grown chickens out, other than rigging up some sort of cage for them to stay in, within the coop (and as I have said, I don't have anymore room to put anything in the coop!).

This just tires my brain trying to figure these things out. I wish I could just stick them out there and not worry about it. But I'd be afraid that they'd not go back into the coop or something and/or they'd get beat up by the LF. *sigh*

 

[boxermom]

What you keep saying is that you really have no choice but to put them in there and just watch right?

Just do it when the old ladies are outside. The chicks will explore and keep to themselves. the hens will come and go as usual and get to know them that way. You're just going to have to try it. I know it sounds scarey, but the chickens haven't read the "how to" books. They will fit in. Yes, they will have some squabbles, but they will be fine.

Don't forget to pick up your EE eggs today. I picked out some nice blue ones for you.

 

[mrandmrschicken]

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No, that is a yard monkey. A tiny little egg from a very pretty Pyncheon looking girl. The father could be one of 3, a Buttercup, a Salmon Fav., cross, and a Delaware. He/she is very small and keeps up quite well with the others.

I forgot to mention Steph, that we had a tragic power outtage last weekend and that did do in the last one of the eggs from Europe.

The outtage was tragic because a 2 1/2 yr. old child died in a trailer house fire just a few blocks down the road from us, thats why the power went out. An investigation is still on-going as to why the two adults in the trailer could not save the child.