Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[QuiltinGramma]

About when do chicks start to roost? Mine are just over 6 weeks old.

AND, I got my chicks from Del's. How do I know how old my chicks really are? I got mine the same day they arrived at the store. Do I add 2 or 3 or more days to the actual day I got mine? Or do you just go by the purchase date?

I'd better go start supper...it's about that time.

 

[Chickielady]

Cleaned out our coop today too. Not near as big as yours, ChickieLady.

Been having some real nice days...in between the rain and sheet showers.

I don't know what my chicks think of this weird weather.

That was the smallest coop I have, all in all I have 3, all are split into 2 sections except the biggest one, which has 3 sections.
Beautiful weather !

 

[Chickielady]

That is a generous offer! I hope others can take advantage of vaccinating their birds.

If you want to split the vaccine, you have to have a separate (preferably sterile) container to mix it in. You can cut/break the dry vaccine in half and then only add half of the liquid (100 ml I think). You can save the rest for later as long as they aren't mixed and you keep everything sterile. My vaccine instructions say to use it within 2 hours. I think it would keep a tiny bit longer as long as it were chilled.

I mix & then pack it in a soft freezy pad, and go to work.
I plan on only mixing half this time.

 

[Chickielady]

Waiting for these RIRs to grow is becoming tedious. They are almost 9 wks old and I've never seen such docile, scaredy cats before. They refuse to sit on a perch whether it's 2" or 12" off the ground. They prefer to huddle on the ground or on the floor of the coop. And of course when they're in the coop they choose the corner furthest away so I can't reach them to put them up on the perch. I've opened the pen door twice to let them wander in the larger garden area, but after one of the big girls confronted them they won't even venture out again... even when none of the hens are around. Sheesh. Adding them to the flock at the end of the month is going to be a challenge I think! The little EE that's with them is much more normal, he/she scampers all about and is quick to get up on a perch. But not wanting to sleep all alone on the perch, ends up joining the huddle on the floor. I was hoping the EE was a pullet but I'm more on the fence now. It may very well be a cockerel. Oh well it's been an adventure this spring. @ochochicas it's really funny that you bought a welsummer that turned out to be a Sp. Sussex. Mine was just the opposite! I bought 2 SS that turned out to be Welsummers. And a wellie that turned out to be an EE -- Twice! These were from a "breeder" if you can believe that! I'm way too trusting.

That is really strange !
I do believe the EEs & OEs and anything with Ameracauna in them to be more active & adventurous, it is just the way they are.
They even hatch earlier than any other breed.
But your RIR are so terrified ?

Have you tried to sit with them quietly & place a dish of rice down & just talk to them ?
Maybe try that ?

 

[Chickielady]

At what age can birds be vaccinated against Mareks? I read somewhere it had to be day old chicks. Is that true?

Any age.
The reason they tell you to vacinate day old chicks is 1) they are easier to handle and
2) everyday you bird is alive is another day they are exposed.

I have vaccinated 1-2 year old fowl before.

IF they have Marek's, and you try to vaccinate them, they will exhibit worse symptoms.

 

[Chickielady]

Here is the article Cynthia wrote for BYPoultry...Cynthis is a vet & shows sometimes & used to be on this thread quite a bit.
She has a practice in Tacoma I think ?
You can click on the photo to enlarge hopefully enough to read.

 

[Chickielady]

About when do chicks start to roost? Mine are just over 6 weeks old.

AND, I got my chicks from Del's. How do I know how old my chicks really are? I got mine the same day they arrived at the store. Do I add 2 or 3 or more days to the actual day I got mine? Or do you just go by the purchase date?

I'd better go start supper...it's about that time.

Chicks as young as a few weeks will roost if there is anyway to get up there besides flight, especially if Momma is up there urging them on.
Otherwise, they don't, they'll be fine under the heat lamp.

It is not very often that I've seen any that flat out never roosted.
But I have had 1 refuse the roost & sleep in a nest box & poop in it all night !

 

[Chickielady]

Latest polls show that 6 out of 7 dwarfs aren't Happy....

​

 

[Carolei]

About when do chicks start to roost? Mine are just over 6 weeks old.

AND, I got my chicks from Del's. How do I know how old my chicks really are? I got mine the same day they arrived at the store. Do I add 2 or 3 or more days to the actual day I got mine? Or do you just go by the purchase date?

I'd better go start supper...it's about that time.

Mine played on the roost during the day, but still slept in a pile on the floor until they were almost 16 weeks old! I got tired of waiting for the to sleep on the roost, so one night I went out after dark and put them all on the roost. They went up on the roost on their own every night after that! I was amazed that it was so easy. They were my only birds, so they didn't have older birds to copy.

Some feed stores post the hatch date of the chicks they are selling. I think most chicks arrive at stores when they are one day old.

 

[ochochicas]

About when do chicks start to roost? Mine are just over 6 weeks old.

AND, I got my chicks from Del's. How do I know how old my chicks really are? I got mine the same day they arrived at the store. Do I add 2 or 3 or more days to the actual day I got mine? Or do you just go by the purchase date?

I'd better go start supper...it's about that time.

My 10 day old chicks are already roosting in their brooder. I put rocks and branches and all kinds of thing in there for stimulation since they can't go outside. They are not sleeping on the roost, but the do like to stand on it. Their food and water is also up on a little platform so they have to climb up to get to it. I used to have a small kid chair in the brooder and they would climb all over it starting at 3 - 4 weeks.

You can probably add three days to their age. At 7 days they will have wing feathers coming in quite well so you can take a guess from there, too.