- May 24, 2011
- 191
- 12
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I have two batches of chicks. My grey gang (2 lavender orps and a blue cochin chick) are about one week old, my dinosaurs (3 chocolate orps) are about 2 or maybe 3 weeks old (I know I've had them for two weeks, I'm just not sure how old they were when I got them and I'm new to chickens). When I got my first batch of chicks from the feed store my buff orps were 2 weeks and my australorps were a week old at the oldest, the lady at the feed store just shrugged and said "yeah you can put them all together". So I did and everything was fine.
These chicks I bought from a local breeder who told me that I shouldn't mix them because the grey gang was only about 3 or 4 days old when I got them. I'm not sure whose opinion to trust, seeing as everyone I talk to says something different. The grey gang are about half the size of my dinosaurs, which are a little rambunctious but have never hurt one another. I'm making a large brooder outside so that everyone can have a lot of space to grow into, but I need to know if I have to put in a divider or not, and if so, should I use a wire divider so they can all see each other, or a solid piece of wood. If all goes well the brooder will be 5x5 feet so they'll have room (I'm thinking they can be moved to the coop sooner than my last group who had to live like 9 weeks in their 5x6 brooder).
My other question, or more so my other concern, is they're terrified of being outside. They run straight to my knees and start shoving until I open my legs and cup my hands over them like a mama hen. It's cute, sure, and I do want my chickens to be pets, but they're outside animals, I want them to be happy where they are supposed to be: outside. Is this normal? Will it go away? I don't want to be mean to them and show them that they can't trust me, but I don't want to encourage bad behavior.
These chicks I bought from a local breeder who told me that I shouldn't mix them because the grey gang was only about 3 or 4 days old when I got them. I'm not sure whose opinion to trust, seeing as everyone I talk to says something different. The grey gang are about half the size of my dinosaurs, which are a little rambunctious but have never hurt one another. I'm making a large brooder outside so that everyone can have a lot of space to grow into, but I need to know if I have to put in a divider or not, and if so, should I use a wire divider so they can all see each other, or a solid piece of wood. If all goes well the brooder will be 5x5 feet so they'll have room (I'm thinking they can be moved to the coop sooner than my last group who had to live like 9 weeks in their 5x6 brooder).
My other question, or more so my other concern, is they're terrified of being outside. They run straight to my knees and start shoving until I open my legs and cup my hands over them like a mama hen. It's cute, sure, and I do want my chickens to be pets, but they're outside animals, I want them to be happy where they are supposed to be: outside. Is this normal? Will it go away? I don't want to be mean to them and show them that they can't trust me, but I don't want to encourage bad behavior.
