Newbie question regarding behavior

[MaryShannon]

We picked up 4 chicks on sunday (2 easter eggers, sexlink & silver lac wyandotte) theyre 3 weeks, & today picked up 2 RIRs, who are 4wks old, i just put them in brooder together, no fighting persay but the original 4 & the 2new rir arent really going near each other i kinda feel bad for them, they also seem to be under heating lamp alot, which should technically be about 5degreea too hot for them?! Theyre super loud too, chirpy...is that normal for rir? Btw its been less than a werk & im already planning coop expansion for next spring lol i really want these chicks to be more pets than anything, my kids are obsessed!!! Theyre 3 1/2 & almost 2, how much interaction should i allow yo let chicks be comfortable around the kids? Come summer wed like the chicks to b free range

 

[Mrs. K]

With children that young, I highly recommend not getting a rooster. There is a real possibility that some of your chicks might be roosters. If you got them at a feed store, people pick up chicks, and then accidentally put them down in a different brooder. And with some breeds, sexing is not 100%. It is helpful to plan ahead what to do with a rooster. Roosters can often become aggressive, and they almost ALWAYS attack children first, and young children's faces are not that far from the ground. Little children wild running, jerky movements, and even their falling down, can cause a rooster to attack.

You have years to enjoy this hobby, and it is better to start out smaller, and work into it. Figure out what works with predators, with the climate, with the neighbors a little at a time. Beware of being bitten by chicken math, as overcrowding does lead to horrible behaviors that can really take the fun out of having chickens. Measure your set up, find the area of the coop and divide by 4, find the area of the run and divide by 10. That gives you a starting point for how many birds will be fairly comfortable when confined. Even if you plan to free range, you need to be able to confine them if needed. And the long dark days of winter will confine your birds to the coop when they roost at night, nearly 14 hours at a time.

With children this young, I would suggest, letting them hold the chicks until they can't catch them, which will be pretty soon. Then I would just let them watch the birds through the fence, and gather the eggs. They are pretty young to be holding and petting older birds.

Mrs K

 

[MaryShannon]

I did my research, i have all pullets, i got them from reputable local farms, both with a policy if it turns out to be a rooster then theyll take it back, i know our coop & run is able to hold 6-8, free range to me meant letting them out supervised to free range when we are home & out in the yard...i do however think our brooder is too small & am building a bigger one this weekend.
My kids know how to pet animals gently we have a dog, my mom has cats etc we let our daughter hold the friendliest chick today & she did AWESOME!!!

With children that young, I highly recommend not getting a rooster. There is a real possibility that some of your chicks might be roosters. If you got them at a feed store, people pick up chicks, and then accidentally put them down in a different brooder. And with some breeds, sexing is not 100%. It is helpful to plan ahead what to do with a rooster. Roosters can often become aggressive, and they almost ALWAYS attack children first, and young children's faces are not that far from the ground. Little children wild running, jerky movements, and even their falling down, can cause a rooster to attack.

You have years to enjoy this hobby, and it is better to start out smaller, and work into it. Figure out what works with predators, with the climate, with the neighbors a little at a time. Beware of being bitten by chicken math, as overcrowding does lead to horrible behaviors that can really take the fun out of having chickens. Measure your set up, find the area of the coop and divide by 4, find the area of the run and divide by 10. That gives you a starting point for how many birds will be fairly comfortable when confined. Even if you plan to free range, you need to be able to confine them if needed. And the long dark days of winter will confine your birds to the coop when they roost at night, nearly 14 hours at a time.

With children this young, I would suggest, letting them hold the chicks until they can't catch them, which will be pretty soon. Then I would just let them watch the birds through the fence, and gather the eggs. They are pretty young to be holding and petting older birds.

Mrs K

 

[barkinghills]

Hi,

I think all your chicks will work it out within a few days. It is common for new batches to ignore the others and stay with their original flock, but this distinction will fade. They will go under the light if they want to, don't worry about it being "technically too hot." As long as they move around, eat, and drink water they will all be fine. Have fun!