Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

This is how Brownie looks today. I just recognized that is not stripes on her wrings, it's different layers of feathers. The ends of her feathers has lighter color. She definitely looks like a girl.

Dolly is the one looks suspicious. She has large legs and light barring. But she doesn't act like a boy and had perfect chipmunk patterns.

Both definitely pullets. Unlike Brownie, the autosexing breed pullets have a single barring gene, so you will see white tipping on the feathers. If Dolly was a male she would appear more white than brown. The difference is striking at any age, but the more feathers are grown in, the bigger the difference.

Brownie looks like an partridge pattern of some sort. I wish I understood the genetics that made her that color, I might try to make more like her sometime.
 
About an hour east, toward Philly. It's not a bad drive, and it takes you right past Shady Maple.
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Shady Maple!! Now if that isn't enticing.
 
well, mine are acting like idiots.....(well they've never been outside)....this morning they mostly have been staying in the coop...one comes out for a few minutes then back inside.....who knows...


Ok confession time . . . silly me thought all 11 chickies roosted themselves last night and I was sorely impressed. That has never happened quite so perfectly on the 2nd night in the coop. Come to find out ds and dd went to close the pop door at dusk and distressed chicks were peeping all over the run trying to find higher ground - roosts, ramp, etc. They sweetly placed each one onto the roost in the coop and worked to calm them down. Real chicken charmers in the making!
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My last hatch of both Welsummers and Welbars went very badly. It might have been the temp spike to 104, or something else. Anyway, this week I put the Welbars into my Brinsea eco 20 for lockdown. Last week it had Reese Legbars and those hatched great, but the Legbars are always easy to hatch. Hoping for a good hatch in the Brinsea this week to get back on track with those.
 
I know I started another thread, but hope i can find help here...I currently have four 1 year old BO. who tend to be friendly ,,, for the most part. But I have recently purchased six silky chicks. Do I need to build another coop or could they co exist together ..And if so When and how do I introduce them? PS my coop is 8x8 and they free range for most of the day. Ty in advance for all your help.
 
I know I started another thread, but hope i can find help here...I currently  have four 1 year old BO.  who tend to be friendly ,,, for the most part. But I have recently purchased six silky chicks.  Do I need to build another coop or could they co exist together ..And if so When and how do I introduce them?  PS my coop is 8x8 and they free range for most of the day.  Ty in advance for all your help. 


It really all depends on your flock and their tolerance for smaller birds. With mine, I put a large dog crate in the coop with my new additions (once fully feathered) for a few days to a week before letting them loose in the coop with the others. There are rarely any issues besides the occasional peck to sort the pecking order. I Keri then ask confined together for about a week before allowing them to free range again. I haven't had any issues with integrating yet. Good luck!
 
My 18, 4-week-olds are in the rear of the coop behind a wired gate. Today during free range (after them being in there for about two weeks) I opened a hole for the chicks to come out to the main part of the coop. They finally did, and no one bothered them when they went in to lay eggs. When everyone went to bed, the chicks were back in their area, but I don't see an issue arising. I usually wait a whole 8-12 weeks to let them all together, but in the past I have had 23-47 chickens that didn't free range. Six chickens and two ducks are not as threatening to 18 decent sized chicks!
Auroradream is right too.
Since you are free ranging (if you can't do the "I can see you") you can also introduce them outside. That has a lot of success.
 
My 18, 4-week-olds are in the rear of the coop behind a wired gate. Today during free range (after them being in there for about two weeks) I opened a hole for the chicks to come out to the main part of the coop. They finally did, and no one bothered them when they went in to lay eggs. When everyone went to bed, the chicks were back in their area, but I don't see an issue arising. I usually wait a whole 8-12 weeks to let them all together, but in the past I have had 23-47 chickens that didn't free range. Six chickens and two ducks are not as threatening to 18 decent sized chicks!
Auroradream is right too.
Since you are free ranging (if you can't do the "I can see you") you can also introduce them outside. That has a lot of success.
Wonder if I should try integrating sooner? I've always waited until about 16 weeks. Both flocks have been separate, but can see each other through fence for about 2 weeks, then free range together and then open the door between the runs to make one big run to integrate. I have a coop on each end of a shared run which can be split.

Right now the chicks are in the smaller coop/run area and my 8 layers are in the bigger coop/run. They can see each other through the fence which is separated by a gate which can be opened to allow for one big run. So maybe let them stare each other down for 2 weeks and then open the separating door wide enough for only the chicks to get through, but not the big hens?

My girls can't free range anymore b/c of our predator problem though, so chicks would be constantly in sight and mind and in the big girls territory.
Thoughts?

ETA: My chicks are 7-8 weeks now
 
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I'm about 30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh.


If she could start a little earlier, the chicken train could transport some hatching eggs from anywhere along the route! I'll be heading to eastern PA on Easter weekend and am already planning to make a few stops for the chicken train. I'm about an hour NW of Pittsburgh so I could bring anything back for you but it would be a little earlier since Easter weekend is the last week of March this year.
 
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