Loving the chick life!

[Chook Kingdom]

My flock is mostly made of Polish crosses, Americana, Australorp, Buff Orpintons, Rhode Islands, Jersey Giants, Plymouth Rocks (White, brown, Columbian, and barred), Leghorns, and many more!

 

[Chook Kingdom]

You don't have to worry when you have -5 for a winter low! The Leghorn Roosters are scared of people.I have one and he is rather freaked of people.

 

[Chook Kingdom]

Your best choice for that weather would be leghorns as they are more able to stand hotter weather than the barred rocks who grow way more fat and feathers. I had to butcher one of mine because her head got smashed up a bit and her meat was covered in fat!

 

[itokuzu]

I let my chicks out in the back yard today since its nice out. They aren't straying too far from where I'm sitting and like to come back and sit on me :3

 

[Chook Kingdom]

Oh, they know where it's safe! I also place a little box with a hole in the front in the lawn and every morning take them out of the brooder and put them in the box, they can run in and out and will stay as close as possible to 'home'! Once they're around three months old they'll start to just wander wherever they want! That's when you need the coop! My chooks like to hang out in the cow pasture and eat bugs and stuff off the cows! They did get in the neighbors lawn though, but good thing his kids like chickies! Roosters are very good for keeping free ranging hens near the house. I put an Americana rooster with my chicks and they all stay around him! Leghorns will need a coop with a covered run as they are very flighty and when trying to get away from being held (as they dislike it very much) they might fly over the fence and onto the road! Leghorn are more of a production bird than a pet! Not always though...I have Brown, Dark Brown, Danish, and Silver leghorns and by far the silver is the tamest! White Plymouth Rocks are very nice as pets and are pretty much naturally tamed (Means you don't have to tame them they tame you, as they love to peck)!

The rooster brought the hens and chicks to the run!

 

[itokuzu]

See I want nice friendly egg laying pets that I can have fun with lol

 

[Chook Kingdom]

Leghorns aren't your kind of bird, then. You'll probably want Orpingtons, Rocks, or Easter Eggers would be better choices for you!!

 

[Chook Kingdom]

One more thing on predators and chicks is that I've had chicks think crows are they're mom! Those poor things where greatly mistaken! Just giving more advice for the welfare of your micro brood!

 

[itokuzu]

Considering they look like crows? It makes sense. I'm not gonna let my chicks out alone until they're a bit older. Now I know most pets like dogs and cats need claws cut, will I need to do that for my chickens?

 

[Chook Kingdom]

Ya, once in a while it is nice to trim their nails. Not as chicks though. If you still want to free range them as hens we might want to trim the main feathers off the left wing, it makes them feel less confident when trying to fly high. You might want roosts in their brooder for them to sleep, they won't get all ratchy feathered which often happens with chicks (Just means feathers sticking out and stuff). But is they prefer to sleep with each other clumped together, then that's fine. The ones I lost where hatched by my faithful old black Australorp, which is probably why! Do your dogs come out of the house? I raise my cats up with the chicks and they actually slept together and ate together!