New to raising chickens - Love my girls??

[revmichael]

I had the urge to raise some chickens for healthier eggs as well as for great fertilizer for the garden (going to do composting of course) - the girls??? are about 2 weeks old, flapping their wings and even roosting on the feed and water containers lol and OMG they keep scratching the bedding into the water a few times a day so I raised it up a little higher now - should have their outdoor home ready this week sometime. I live in central Florida so the weather will be great for quite awhile longer.

I just saw pictures online and different ideas for the coop and run and came up with my own design - even doing some recycling for scrap wood to put this all together (will post pictures soon on the coop).

I posted a different thread in the "breed" section because out of the 4 of them 1 looks different. The feathers on the chest area of 3 of them are dark, almost black and one is looking very light so I think it may be a roo, bought them from a local feed store that said they were all female and that the hatchery is 97% accurate. So we'll see what happens any input would be apprecaited, can't have a roo here and don't want to get attached anymore than I already am and then have to get rid of him.

Other questions I'd have is if I have to get rid of him and I get another to replace, does it have to be raised alone for a few weeks or can it be put in with the 2 week olds?

I wanted quieter and friendlier and after reading about the different breeds went with the Barred Rocks - guess that will help with the sex of them lol




just a few days old



1 week old






just about 2 weeks old - the one on the right is the one I'm wondering about if she is a he lol - the chest area on that one is light and the others is dark and you can see the others have tail feathers coming in and this one does not - they are just adorable and when I walk in their room and say HI GIRLS - they start to peep like crazy and if I haven't been in there in awhile they really start to peep and when I walk in they quiet down

have to get my 1 1/2 yr old shephard mix dog use to them - he's like OH WOW live play toys - NNNNNOOOOOTTTTT!

 

[newbie32]

Awwww they are tooo cute! Mine loved to get the bedding in the water at that age! They will grow faster than you think so hurry hurry hurry on that coop! They all look the same breed to me. I am a newbie of course but just my opinion. Have fun they grow super fast!

 

[Majd]

Adorable. ... probably a roo...

 

[revmichael]

they definitely are growing fast had to put something with some weight on the screen above their box for now or they would fly out - have 1 that likes to peck at my hand when I reach in to get out their food or water containers to clean them, wow do they ever like to get their bedding in their water as well as their food

have a door to make to close off the top of the coop (I have it 2 ft off the ground) as well as to seal up a few other areas and possibly build the nesting boxes (but closing them off until they are needed) figured I have the opening available I may as well put them in.

I'll be posting pics of the coop I've built with some imagination and some ideas from pictures of other coops. The bottom will be all sealed up with hardware cloth to keep them safer, I'll finish that off by next week. Then in a few weeks will have their bigger run ready. Heard that I should keep them in the upper part for a few weeks so that they know that that is home for them, then let them in the bottom area and then into the run.

Started to raise mealworms for them too just bought 1,000 to get a colony started - may even try some red wigglers too - don't think they will be too spoiled lol