New Mom with tons of questions

[snow5164]

What exactly does fully feathered mean? Looks like they already are? We had mouse get in their cage and they freaked out til we chased him out.

Fully feathered means no more fluff... their heads and necks are completely covered in feathers ...see this ones head still has fuzz?? But it's warm here so I put them outside

 

[snow5164]

Thanks but I worry about predators outside.

Don't you have a secure run outside for them??

 

[GiGiSup]

Don't you have a secure run outside for them??

I have a potable coup made from pvc and chicken wire with tarp

 

[GiGiSup]

Now they're in rabbit cage

 

[barred2rock]

I have a potable coup made from pvc and chicken wire with tarp

Chicken wire is designed to keep chickens in, but not to keep predators out. Perhaps you can post a pic of your coop?

 

[Flock of Hens]

Thanks but I worry about predators outside.

If you worry about outside predators like we did when we got our chickens (10 Barred Plymouth Rocks) we found ways around them. The first thing we did was do some research on ways to make the coop safe at home. After some research we found out that to stop predators from digging under outside the coop to get inside is to lay down chicken wire on the ground and wrap it up about 1/2 a foot onto the coops sides. You must secure it with stakes and find a way to keep the wire on the sides of the coop. This helps a lot with predators digging under to get inside the coop. If you would like I can post a picture of how we did it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

1) When can I introduce treats/ scraps to my chicks?

One of the first things my broody hens do with her chicks is take them to a patch of dirt so they can peck at the ground and get some grit. Then she takes them where they can eat grass and other stuff. So a broody hen starts feeding her chicks treats immediately. As long as they have grit they can have treats immediately. But you are not a broody hen, you are feeding them what they eat instead of taking them to forage for it. About 90% of what they eat should be chick feed, not treats, so they maintain a balanced diet.

2) My 11 week old black sexlinks are eating constantly; can I let them go without food for a stretch?

I don't know what you mean by "a stretch". It's generally recommended that food be available while they are awake. They tend to eat to fill up their crop then don't eat until the crop empties, then they fill up again. I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish by restricting feed. Personally I would not do it.

They do not eat at night in the dark so food does not have to be available them but I'd have it available during the day.

3) How old do they have to be to stay outside permanently in SE Louisiana?

I lived 32 years in south Louisiana. This time of year it is hot, including at night. From a temperature aspect they can go outside at 4 weeks. Three weeks would probably be OK. I often have mine outside with no supplemental heat at 5 weeks even with the overnight temperatures below freezing.

Predators are a different issue. Unless you have them in a secure place they are at risk even when they are fully grown. For most predators size or age doesn't matter that much. Dogs, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and many other critters will take a full sized chicken. Birds of prey like hawks and owls will take a full sized chicken and eat it on the spot, but smaller ones at more at risk, especially with the smaller hawks and owls. A snake will eat a chicken, but it depends on the size of the snake and the size of the chicken. It would take a really big snake to eat an 11 week old chick, you are not likely to see a snake that big though I've seen some big ones in the marshes and swamps down there when fishing.

Predators are hard to talk about. Some people totally free range their chickens and just don't have issues with predators. Some people get wiped out as soon as they try. The only safe way is to have good barriers to keep the chickens contained and predators out. The stronger your barriers the safer the chickens but stronger barriers take more work and are more expensive.

 

[GiGiSup]

This is the coup we built to go outside and add a roosting post and plastic bin for laying eggs. It will be staked into the ground.

Chicken wire is designed to keep chickens in, but not to keep predators out. Perhaps you can post a pic of your coop?

 

[barred2rock]

View attachment 1060157 This is the coup we built to go outside and add a roosting post and plastic bin for laying eggs. It will be staked into the ground.

You really should have 1/2" hardware cloth around the entire enclosure, including the bottom to protect against digging predators. Most predators can easily rip through chicken wire. And raccoons can reach in and pull chunks of your chickens through the gaps. You want no more than 1/2" gaps in the entire enclosure. You also want to have a place the chickens can get out of the sun, wind and rain. No offense, but in my area chickens wouldn't last a day in that thing.