Hello Everyone! I've been lurking on the forum for a bit and am very appreciative of all of the advice I've gleaned from others questions, and now I have one of my own.
I've just embarked on my first chicken keeping adventure and picked up a couple pullets from the feed store, a Barred Plymouth Rock, and a Gold Laced Wyandotte. First, some pictures:
The GLW (We're Calling her Lacey Lady):
and the BR (We're calling her the Werechicken, but perhaps will change it to Lady Werechicken so she doesn't get jealous of Lacey's fancy name):
The ladies are just 2 days old, but they're worrying us by pecking at EVERYTHING. Especially the Barred Rock, who will even jump up in the air so she can peck at her reflection in the glass of the feeder or waterer. Unless she's sleepy, she pecks at the side of the brooder, the jar part of the feeder or waterer, the other chick, and sometimes even her own feet! She'll even peck at fingers and arms when she's held.
The two of them share a space thats about 12" x 16", minus whatever the feeder and waterer take up, and there is a light shining into one of the corners that keeps it about 95 deg F in the warmest part of the brooder box. Is this a space issue? Are they just bored? I plan to upgrade them to a larger brooder in a few days when I get a third chick (an Araucana, or at least what passes for one at the feed store
), and I'd like to do whatever I can to make sure they all get along!
What can I do?
- James
I've just embarked on my first chicken keeping adventure and picked up a couple pullets from the feed store, a Barred Plymouth Rock, and a Gold Laced Wyandotte. First, some pictures:
The GLW (We're Calling her Lacey Lady):
and the BR (We're calling her the Werechicken, but perhaps will change it to Lady Werechicken so she doesn't get jealous of Lacey's fancy name):
The ladies are just 2 days old, but they're worrying us by pecking at EVERYTHING. Especially the Barred Rock, who will even jump up in the air so she can peck at her reflection in the glass of the feeder or waterer. Unless she's sleepy, she pecks at the side of the brooder, the jar part of the feeder or waterer, the other chick, and sometimes even her own feet! She'll even peck at fingers and arms when she's held.
The two of them share a space thats about 12" x 16", minus whatever the feeder and waterer take up, and there is a light shining into one of the corners that keeps it about 95 deg F in the warmest part of the brooder box. Is this a space issue? Are they just bored? I plan to upgrade them to a larger brooder in a few days when I get a third chick (an Araucana, or at least what passes for one at the feed store
What can I do?
- James
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