new to raising chickens

[kim10261]

so I just bought 6 baby buff orpingtons that are almost a week old,i have research a little on them,and they seem to be the kind of chicken I am going to be happy with,they are under a red light when can I take this light away so they can get used to normal hours,also I do not know how to sex them,but am quit sure I have a couple males...will these 2 males get along when they get older or do they normally fight? one last question for now when they are able to be placed in a coop outside how big do I need it to be,i only have the 6?thanks for any help,and thank you for letting me join

 

[drumstick diva]

Chicks are generally ready to move to the coop once they are fully feather out - around 6 weeks or so, depending on breed. Before then if the weather is especially nice, you could let them out for 15 minutes or so with supervision. Chicks are the perfect snack bites for predators and they will know you have chickens.

Generally roosters raised together get along until their hormones rise- then fights may break out.

Usually there should be 4 sg.feet per bird in the coop and 10 sq.feet per bird in the outdoor run.

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

Congrats on the new babies! You might want to stop by our learning center here on BYC for tips and hints on raising your new brood...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

As for chicks going out to the coop, they need to be under the heat lamp for the first 5 or 6 weeks of life. Starting at their first week, they need to be at 90 to 95 degrees that first week. You need to lower the heat 5 degrees each week for 5 or 6 weeks. All this info is in the learning center.

Enjoy your new babies and welcome to our flock!

 

[kim10261]

thank you for the reply

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! You've gotten some good advice above. When your chicks are a little older you can post pictures in the What Breed Or Gender Is This forum for help with figuring out what they are. www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this If you do have two roosters, even if they get along, if you only have six chickens total you probably don't have enough hens for the boys, the usual recommended ratio is around 10 hens for every rooster or the girls get over mated...double check to be sure roosters are legal in your area, and if you decide to keep them both, you might want to plan on making the coop in two parts so you can separate them from the girls at times if you need to.
Here is a great article from the Learning Center on figuring out how much space you need www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

 

[gander007]