Questions from a newbie

[Shaela]

Hi all! New chicken mama here with a bunch of questions. I've tried searching out the answers on my own but haven't had much luck. Maybe you can help me out!

In a nutshell: I have 5 chicks, three are about 6/7 weeks old and fully feathered, two are about 5 weeks old (one is fully feathered, the other is about 3/4 feathered). I couldn't stand the smell in the house anymore and moved them to the (unheated) coop/run a couple days ago. It's been in the 50s/60s in the day and 30s at night. They all seem to be doing fine out there.

Now, for some questions:
1. At what age do I stop feeding them medicated chick starter and feed them something else?
2. When can I give them scratch? (I want to train them to come when I call since they will be free-ranged) What about other treats (bananas, lettuce scraps, etc.)?
3. Should I put food and water in the coop AND the run? What about when they are free ranging?
4. I'm noticing that they have a hard time getting up/down the ramp, even with pegs in place. Is there something you would recommend to attach to the smooth part to make it easier for them?
5. I made their roost out of leftover 1x2 boards and so far they seem fine with it, but would it be better to pull it out and use 2x4s instead, since they will get bigger?
6. I think I have a chicken bully.

My barred rock (6/7 weeks old) is being really vicious (pulling tail feathers, pecking waddles, etc.) to ALL the others, but especially the two smallest. My other chicks run from her in fright all the time. I've been reading up on how to deal with her and what to do, but would love some advice or firsthand experience.

 

[Pyxis]

1. You can keep feeding them starter right up until they lay, but if you want to switch before that the recommended time to switch to layer is around 18 weeks.
2. You can start now as long as they have access to grit. If they have a dirt run they are probably finding their own, but if you wanted to be safe you could provide a bowl of it for them free choice and they'll take it as they need it.
3. I'd just do it in the run - they can make a terrible mess with it in the coop. There's no reason not to put it in the coop besides that though, so if you don't mind the mess, go ahead and put it in there. They'll go in and get it when they're hungry and thirsty.
4. It's probably because they're so young and small still that they're having a tough time. It'll most likely get easier for them as they get older and bigger. If you want to make it easier for them you could add some extra pegs so that the gap between them isn't as large, and that might help.
5. Just make sure the roost is large enough that they can lay their toes out flat on it - in the winter they'll snuggle their feathers down onto their toes to keep them warm at night and prevent frostbite, and they can't do that if their toe tips curl over the edges.
6. You might want to split her out for a day or two so she can't see the others. They will 'forget' her and it will reset her place in the pecking order and she should be knocked down a peg or two. Additionally, you could put her in a pair of pinless peepers - it makes it so they can't see right in front of them and therefore can't see to grab feathers or peck as well. I'd try splitting her out first though and see it that helps.

I hope this helps!

 

[rainbowhatchery]

we feed medicated chick feed up until maturity, 4-6 months give or take then switch them to pellets here, pyxis was on with about everything.