Starting the adventure

Date sort Score sort
caychris

caychris

Songster
5 Years
Mar 26, 2014
2,155
186
171
Antioch Ca
Living in Suburbia in the Greater San Francisco bay area. I started a gardening project a few years ago to help me learn to be more self sufficient. The goal was to eventually become semi-disaster proof. Chickens (mainly for eggs) were in the long range plan and I finally was ready to start this year. I picked up 4 Delaware's about a month ago now and most of the family has grown very attached to them already. My wife has even taken an interest (a really not an animal lover) and talking about wanting some Buff Orpington's because she really likes the look of them.

We bought a small DIY coop from Costco this weekend and am getting ready to move the girls out of the garage to the back yard. The weather is great and they are almost fully feathered now.

I cant exactly free range my chickens (aside from hawks and other animals the city frowns on roaming chickens) but I plan to enclose a large section of the back yard for a run and extend the coop.

It has been really amazing to watch them grow so fast and develop personalities and a pecking order. They are so friendly and inquisitive though they don't really like being picked up initially they settle down quite easily.

Any suggestions about how to deal with adding orpington chicks when should I introduce them to the older ones as they will only be a little over a month apart in age.
 
Last edited:
images


Welcome to BYC!

Introducing new birds is easy if you do it slowly. Keep the new birds in a cage or fenced off area but within the flock for several weeks. This allows the existing flock to adjust the pecking order from behind wire. Everybody sees, nobody touches. After a few weeks, you can mix them all together. Generally there is little if any squabbling as much of it has already been worked out. Of course keep an eye on everybody for about a week and always intervene if it turns bloody.

Great to have you aboard and enjoy all your poultry adventures!
 
These are my 4 new kiddos about a month old and jump up to the top of the box anytime the lid is off.









They have started "crying" whenever they dont like whats going on (like having to go back into the box) Not too keen on being picked up initially but they will perch on hands arms and elsewhere. Now that they are mostly feathered the down goes flying when they get excited.
 
Cute little chicks! Sounds like they are doing a good job of training you already if they are talking back!
 
One is apparently blind in one eye. The eye doesn't fully open properly. Otherwise seems unaffected just a little unsteady in the balance department so not as eager to fly and jump around.
 
Cute babies! Yes, they might not like to be handled, but do it anyway to get them used to you. Will help bond with you and make it easier to pick them up when older. Generally chickens don't like their feet to leave the ground, but if you work with them, they will get more comfortable with it over time.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom