I was hoping to get some input about my 20 day old chick. Her name is Lucy & she is a Blue Wyandotte.
A little bit of back story: She's not actually my chick - she is for a friend of mine. I am new to chickens and my friend, who has a flock of 8, loaned me her brooding supplies (feeder, heat lamp, etc.) so I could use it for my 10 chicks (ages 11-25 days). Well, after I got my 1st couple she decided she wanted some new chicks to add to her flock as well. End the end she got 4 all together. But, being that she no longer had a brooder & what-not, we made a deal that I would raise them until they were old enough to go outside (and she has a separate outside run so she can slowly introduce them to her flock). {So I've got a total of 14 in my brooder.} We didn't think this would be a big deal at all (and maybe it still isn't) because she had a group of 4 that would be going together (not just one new one).
Well, we still have a long time before we get to the "ready to go outside" point, but I am already experiences "problems" with Lucy. She does not like being separated from one of my chicks - Patty, my RIR, who is 25 days old. Every time they are apart (be it one is in the brooder and I am holding the other outside or even if they are at opposite ends of the brooder) Lucy starts chirping up a storm. She only stops when we put Patty next to her. Seriously, she can be next to the other 12 chicks and will squawk non-stop until Patty comes back to her. When she sleeps, she sleeps as close to Patty as possible, often with her head (and once her whole body practically) laying on top of her.
At first it was cute. Now, 3 weeks later, I'm concerned that she isn't going to do well when it comes time for her to move to my friend's house. Any thoughts? Do my friend and I just need to decide who is keeping the pair cuz separating them will be too hard? And, if that is the case, what if Patty turns out to be a Patrick and Lucy will have to live w/o him regardless.
Oh, and in case this info is needed, they were all purchased at feed stores. Lucy & Patty did come home on the same day, but they also came home with 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 1 of which will also be going to my friend's house. Even though they came home the same day, Lucy was purchased from a different store than Patty. And, when they came home to the brooder, there were already 2 chicks awaiting them (just a couple of days older).
A little bit of back story: She's not actually my chick - she is for a friend of mine. I am new to chickens and my friend, who has a flock of 8, loaned me her brooding supplies (feeder, heat lamp, etc.) so I could use it for my 10 chicks (ages 11-25 days). Well, after I got my 1st couple she decided she wanted some new chicks to add to her flock as well. End the end she got 4 all together. But, being that she no longer had a brooder & what-not, we made a deal that I would raise them until they were old enough to go outside (and she has a separate outside run so she can slowly introduce them to her flock). {So I've got a total of 14 in my brooder.} We didn't think this would be a big deal at all (and maybe it still isn't) because she had a group of 4 that would be going together (not just one new one).
Well, we still have a long time before we get to the "ready to go outside" point, but I am already experiences "problems" with Lucy. She does not like being separated from one of my chicks - Patty, my RIR, who is 25 days old. Every time they are apart (be it one is in the brooder and I am holding the other outside or even if they are at opposite ends of the brooder) Lucy starts chirping up a storm. She only stops when we put Patty next to her. Seriously, she can be next to the other 12 chicks and will squawk non-stop until Patty comes back to her. When she sleeps, she sleeps as close to Patty as possible, often with her head (and once her whole body practically) laying on top of her.
At first it was cute. Now, 3 weeks later, I'm concerned that she isn't going to do well when it comes time for her to move to my friend's house. Any thoughts? Do my friend and I just need to decide who is keeping the pair cuz separating them will be too hard? And, if that is the case, what if Patty turns out to be a Patrick and Lucy will have to live w/o him regardless.
Oh, and in case this info is needed, they were all purchased at feed stores. Lucy & Patty did come home on the same day, but they also came home with 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 1 of which will also be going to my friend's house. Even though they came home the same day, Lucy was purchased from a different store than Patty. And, when they came home to the brooder, there were already 2 chicks awaiting them (just a couple of days older).
