New to chickens and in over my head!

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alang

alang

Chirping
Joined
Mar 31, 2015
Messages
103
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9
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61
Location
Mapleville RI
My husband and I bought a farm a little over a year ago and I have always wanted to have chickens. So, this spring I rushed and ordered hatching eggs from several breeders so I could have a nice cozy flock that grew up together. Everyone was very generous and sent lots of extra eggs. And I had a REALLY good hatching rate... Now I have 28 6 week old chicks! In addition to not planning on where I was going to keep my expanded flock, I completely misjudged how difficult it was going to be to part with my cockerel chicks. Anyone have any advice on how to pick which lucky one stays and what age the remainder need to leave? I really want to find flocks for the rest, rather than see them get used for meat. Any advice on how to find them good forever homes? BTW- I am in Northern RI, if anyone is looking for BO, Barred Holland, Marans, or Ameraucana roosters from high end breeders across the country ;)
 
Welcome to BYC and the wonderful world of chickens!

It is hard choosing which ones to keep. Look for a rooster that is high in command but that is not aggressive towards you or the other chickens.

Barred Hollands are rare, and lots of people love Marans, I'll bet you can find good flocks for them.
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Feel free to ask any questions or just share fun stories and pictures.

Best of luck!
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Thank you for the words of confidence. The Barred Hollands are my favorite and were hard to find and from really good lines. I have 4 and want to keep all of them! They aren't push overs but they never start fights and they love nestling up on my lap or shoulder. They are the first to leave the flock and greet me every time. What age do I need to pare down to avoid fighting within the flock?
 
Depends on the breed and individual. Roosters may start showing aggression around 16 weeks of age, when hens begin to mature.
 
When you have 20 posts you can participate in the BYC "Buy,sell, trade." forum. You are much more likely to find buyers who want them for breeding not dinner.
Welcome to Backyard chickens.
 
I forgot about the 20 posts! When do roosters start fighting? I am just beginning to be able to differentiate males and females but I have seen a couple birds starting fights and I don't want to run out of time to find everyone homes. What age should I (a total novice) be able to confidently sex everyone? I am finding the Ameraucanas especially difficult. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you for all the friendly greetings already posted!
 
alang said:
I forgot about the 20 posts! When do roosters start fighting? I am just beginning to be able to differentiate males and females but I have seen a couple birds starting fights and I don't want to run out of time to find everyone homes. What age should I (a total novice) be able to confidently sex everyone? I am finding the Ameraucanas especially difficult. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you for all the friendly greetings already posted!
Click to expand...

Ameraucanas males are difficult to tell from females. However, at around 10-15 weeks of age it should become pretty clear which are roosters by behavior, appearance and how they stand.

Chicks will "fight" from a young age in order to establish dominance, but they don't hurt one another. Real fighting doesn't usually start happening until maturity hits and there are mature hens to worry about.

I hope this helps.
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Definitely helpful and I will check the Barred Holland thread on leads for those chicks. Thank you!
 

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