No, this is not a question about sex-change operations for chickens!
I'm thinking about rearranging my flock.
Of my four baby chicks (hatchery sexed) I think I have the bad luck to have two turning out to be roos.
The boys will become meat birds. Glad I didn't name them.
I'd like to add 2 pullets to the flock, of similar age to the current chicks who are currently 3-4 weeks old. I think I can probably get some 4-6 week old chicks via my local farmer's market -- hopefully just old enough to be showing their sex.
I'm in a very tight "Vermont urban" environment, so roos aren't an option (although officially OK per city ordinance).
Does this seem like it will work out? Any advice?
My current chicks are about a week apart in age, so I have already had to introduce new chicks. I did it with the connected pens separated by a hardware cloth screen, and also by putting all of the chicks together while in a new, bigger, and more interesting (insect laden) place -- so they had something to focus on pecking besides each other. I'd repeat that process.
Currently have 1 RIR (pullet, I think), 1 BPR pullet, 1 BPR cockerel, 1 Ameracauna/ EE cockerel. Would like to get other larger hens - I think I have local sources for SLW, EE. I'd love to find a Speckled Sussex but that may be a challenge, locally.
Since I'm in Vermont, I don't really want to start with chicks younger than these because they will still be quite young by the time the snow flurries start (October). As it is, I started about a month later than I wanted.
Of my four baby chicks (hatchery sexed) I think I have the bad luck to have two turning out to be roos.
I'd like to add 2 pullets to the flock, of similar age to the current chicks who are currently 3-4 weeks old. I think I can probably get some 4-6 week old chicks via my local farmer's market -- hopefully just old enough to be showing their sex.
I'm in a very tight "Vermont urban" environment, so roos aren't an option (although officially OK per city ordinance).
Does this seem like it will work out? Any advice?
My current chicks are about a week apart in age, so I have already had to introduce new chicks. I did it with the connected pens separated by a hardware cloth screen, and also by putting all of the chicks together while in a new, bigger, and more interesting (insect laden) place -- so they had something to focus on pecking besides each other. I'd repeat that process.
Currently have 1 RIR (pullet, I think), 1 BPR pullet, 1 BPR cockerel, 1 Ameracauna/ EE cockerel. Would like to get other larger hens - I think I have local sources for SLW, EE. I'd love to find a Speckled Sussex but that may be a challenge, locally.
Since I'm in Vermont, I don't really want to start with chicks younger than these because they will still be quite young by the time the snow flurries start (October). As it is, I started about a month later than I wanted.
