New chick questions

[Chickycat]

I have 4 Buff Orpingtons. They are taming well. I also have 4 Gold Laced Wyandottes that just aren't getting it. They freak every time they are handled. The chicks are all around two weeks old now.
Question 1--One of the Wyandottes is the same size as the other three, it is still in down and just starting to get its tail and flight feathers. Could it have been younger then the others or maybe just a very slow developer?
Question 2--Since the Orpingtons are taming well and the Wyandottes are not, will they end up picking on the Orpingtons? I am begining to wish I had gotten all Orpingtons like I wanted, but hubby liked the Wyandottes. I am hoping I have an Orpington rooster, because I am wanting to keep the Orpington breed true, and do not mind if the Orpingtons cross breed with the Wyandottes.
Question 3--The chicks keep going through moments of leaping at each other as if they are have small battles. They will all do this for a while, then quit and all is fine. Is this normal?
I am so enjoying my babies and this forum. I am glad I found it.

 

[greenmachine18]

This is the first time we've had chicks, but they always leap at each other as well. It never seems to hurt any of them. They are about three weeks old now.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Quote:

My BO's were the ones who were standoffish until just recently...they are 6 weeks old. The Silver Laced Wyandottes were the lovey-dove chicks from the very beginning...they are 5 weeks old.

Don't give up on the Wyandottes.

The Ninja jumping is them establishing a pecking order...it is normal.

Good luck with your babes.

 

[zDoc]

Ninja jumping..... I love it.....

That is just tooo funny!

 

[LivinNewDreamInND]

I just got my first chicks too. I think it might just be an individual thing or depend on their lineage though. My Jersey Giants come right up to my hand in the brooder and peck around to see if I have something and will stand there while I pet them. My Wyandottes are curious but they won't let me touch them willingly. Lastly my Buff Orps run to the opposite side of the brooder and stay there whenever the lid is opened. So maybe it just depends on how their parents were? This is just a guess from my own (very new) observations though.

 

[Orpstralope]

Normal behavior! They love to stand off the practice their future pecking order battles. I don't think it points to gender either..(I might be wrong though!). I think all of your chicks will warm up if you handle them enough!

 

[MommyToThree]

Quote:
I have 4 Wyandottes and one of them was slower in growing feathers too. She was always just a little behind the others but now that they are over two months old you can't tell. I have noticed that sometimes they leap at each other too but never hurt each other. Mostly I have seen it in my three roos but the girls did it some too. My four year old is really good at catching our Wyandottes but they are not all that crazy to be held. These are my first ever chickens and they oldest are my four golden Wyandottes, the youngest chicken I have is a buff orpington. Good luck.

 

[Chickycat]

Thanks everyone. I will concentrate on holding the Wyandottes more. I held one a few minutes ago and though it was hard to catch, it was calmer being held then before. I will keep working with all of them. I just do not want to Wyandottes to pick on the Orpngtons. I just read somewhere that Orpingtons are so docile that other breeds will pick on them.