Questions from a newbie

[speckledhen]

You can't introduce a bird into the flock till they are close to adult size or the hens may kill it. I didn't think you meant put a chick in with the flock, but wanted to make sure.

 

[jasoneflanagan]

Sorry - I should have been clearer there. You're right though - I meant getting a rooster chick, raising it to adult, and then introducing it to the flock.

I guess I hadn't considered adopting an older bird and missing the chance to handle it as a chick to get it used to us.

Waiting on a rooster sounds like the right thing to do for us.

Thanks again to all of you for the great advice.

Jason

 

[jossanne]

Quote:
They laid pretty well. Not like my leghorns, obviously, but I was pleased with their eggs. I just didn't like how they picked on the others. They seemed racist! I had a variety of breeds, different colors and kinds, and the buff orps only liked each other. I haven't heard of breeder birds behaving this way, but my hatchery ones did.

 

[ella]

You are going to love having chickens, they're so much fun! Each one with a different personality, they are just so much fun to watch.

Sexing in chicks is only about 90% accurate, so you might end up with a boy in the bunch anyway.

If you don't, and you want to get a male chick, it'll be a lot easier if you get some female chicks at the same time. Raising a single chick is challenging, they really love to have company, and introducing a single chicken can be more difficult than adding a small group.

My buff boy is a creampuff a real gentle giant and he takes such good care of the girls.