Three Chick Questions

[PhoenixRin]

Question Numero Uno:

How old should chicks be until I allow them to sleep outside in the coop without the heat lamp?

Right now they are about a month old, and they've been sleeping in the coop with a heat lamp on one side of it for about a week and a half now...(Three girls and one boy)




Question Number Two:

When will the hens begin to lay eggs?



Last but not least...:

When will they be sexually mature?

I don't want to accidentally eat a fertilized egg, so it would be nice to know about what age they begin the birds-and-bees thing.

Plus if the day comes when I would like little chickies, I'd like to know if you can tell a difference in eggs. Or if it's just a have-to-see-it-happen 0.o

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

your chickens will lay between 18-24 weeks

 

[MysticScorpio82]

1) Depends on how warm your weather is at night. The first week they should be in 90 degree temp, then you minus 5 degrees per week. Once the outside (night) temp and the temp they need match up, they should be fine with out a heat lamp. Also, the more feathers the better.

2) like Hollywood said, 18-24 weeks is when most hens will start laying (on average)

3) I am not sure when they become sexually active, but if you want to tell the difference between a fertile and non-fertile egg, here is a good thread with pictures that one of our mods started: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008

 

[PhoenixRin]

Thanks to both of you

This is my first chicken adventure, but sadly, my third batch of chicks, and even more sad: this is the farthest I've gotten so far with them being a month old.

I'm REALLY hoping that I can do everything right

 

[ChooksChick]

Don't fret- I'm sorry you've had struggles!

DO ask us when anything at all is of concern! Do look for red in the chick poo. Do spend lots of time with them so you can easily tell when something is unusual.

It's absolutely frustrating and frightening to raise these little guys up, but you have 35K+ others here to help!

Feel free to PM me with the littlest question- If I can't help, I can point you to someone who should be able to.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Do you have an adversion to eating fertilized eggs ?

Every egg we gather is more than likely fertile, yet they are still very good when eaten.

Just curious.

 

[hoosiergal]

My 4 month old RIR is starting to try his luck already.