roos, baby roos, chicks, hens, egglaying, and more questions! help!!

[americana-chick]

i have many questions and so little time so i desided to post them all on one board. here i go!

when do little roos "i know the name for them but cant spell it!

" able to make little babies? in other words when do they become adult roos?
and baby chicks, what age is best for them to be introduced to the rest of the flock and when can they come off of chick starter?
hens, at what age do they start laying?
all, is about 24*24 pen big enough for 4 pigmy goats and 13 chickens? the chickens have an extra little pen attached to it that the goats cant go in i was just wondering if that was enough room for them..?

thanks bunches!

 

[PeeperKeeper]

Starter feed until they start to lay. You can offer other stuff to them ,eg. treats. They love old fashioned oats, yogurt grapes and melon. and banana. Chickens may start to lay as early as 18 weeks but more commonly 20 to 26 weeks. Roosters fertile? Aren't they all the time?

I feed Purina brand. It has a nice feed chart on back of bags for suggested feed for age.

Oh forgot: Chicks are normally abandoned by mothers at about 1 month of age. This OK only if they have a large area to run from and lots of places to hide in. We introduced or chicks to the older girls at about 8 weeks. But we were also free ranging. And we had slowly moved their cage area closer to the adult pen over a 3 wk period to get the older hens used to looking at them.

 

[americana-chick]

Quote:
hmm.. i didnt know to feed my chicks till they start to lay! i have been wheening them off of starter at about 14+ weeks old! they all did good. hopefully it doesnt mess with any of my 20 week old hens/roos of corse it didnt mess with any of my chickies befor.