Newbie - sure I will have lots of questions :)

[NonnasBabies]

&

from Louisiana! Glad you joined!

 

[chickflick247]

from CA

 

[backyardmenagerie]

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I don't know about toxic flowers, but I let my little guys out in a tractor to play in the dirt and grass starting at 3 weeks old. How old are your chicks?

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Lets hope they're not Cornish cross... do you have a way to find out for sure? If they are Cornish cross, be ready to butcher them at 8 weeks old. They are bred for meat, and won't live much longer than that. I guess the best way to tell is this - at a week old they will be bigger than layer breeds, and total pigs. By two weeks, they start losing feathers on their belly from lying in front of the food dish all day. By three weeks, they should be at least a pound (much bigger than the laying breeds) and UGLY. If they still look the same as your laying breeds, than no worries, they're likely some other white breed. You might try posting pictures and we can help you out in identifying them.

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I mixed my silkies, but I also have 4 of them and they stick pretty close together. Raising your large breed and silkie chicks together will help a lot in avoiding future problems - assuming that your chicks are still young enough to add an extra friend. If you do decide to add a silkie, you'll want to watch carefully for bullying. If there is any, you have to separate them, and that means a separate coop and run. My flock free-ranges, so the silkies have several acres to avoid a bully, and my coop is only at 1/2 capacity. Chickens that are in a more confined area are more likely to have a problem.

 

[flnatv]

The chicks are only about a week old now.... I have an old lizard terrarium that is made out of screen and we have them in the yard in it right now with bedding (pine shavings). I hope this will keep them from getting scooped up by a hawk (the yard is privacy fenced so I am not worried about anything else during the day). They are thoroughly enjoying their time outside.

I am hoping this pic comes through of the yellow chicks... I sure hope they aren't cornish then... I cannot kill them for meat

Just not in my nature. And the poor thing... we even named it nugget (like in chicken nugget

)
Their wing feathers have started coming in and they are black and white.
Any ideas what they are? I know they are Columbian something crosses... my son keeps saying cornish, but he is 16

 

[flnatv]

BTW... I am hoping they will free range on about 4 acres.

 

[backyardmenagerie]

Well, they don't look like Cornish crosses to me, but keep an eye on them. If they start gaining rapidly and looking ugly, then that's what they are.
Columbian is a color variety, not a breed. You said they are getting black and white feathers, so more than likely they are a layer breed. Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, Leghorns, and others come in the Columbian variety.
At a week old, they are still young enough to add another chick. If you can find a silkie chick that is a few weeks older, they may integrate better since the silkie will be more comparable in size. The acreage that you have should be sufficient for avoiding bullying, but not a guarantee.
Try looking on craigslist for silkie chicks available.
They look very cute! Hope everything works out with them, and that you are able to find a silkie! They are a wonderful breed, very sweet.

 

[Bantimna]

from South Africa!