What age can my chicks leave?

[Joshua Grundy]

My mixed breed chicks are currently only 10-11 days old. A few are even younger.
The chicks are currently been looked after by their mothers (hens) naturally.


Unfortunately out of the 8 chicks I have only 4 are Hens and 4 Cockerels.
I'm only keep one cockerel from the chicks I have but the other 3 will have to be re-homed.
I have already put out an advert for re-homing them but I was just wondering what would be the appropriate age to let them go? I would hate to upset the chicks mamas by taking them away too soon. After all that sitting and looking after them for the past week id imagine they would become upset and notice the chicks that had been taken and become agitated.

Is their any way to know a sex of a chick before hatch?
(Stupid question but I thought I'd am anyway ha ha)

Thanks, Joshua!

 

[Pork Pie]

It's probably less stressful to wait until momma weans the chicks and stops caring for them. By that time, they will be able to fend for themselves a little better than if they were younger.

I'm not aware for any way to sex a chick prior to hatch - let us know if you do

 

[Joshua Grundy]

I like bringing chicks up naturally with a mama hen.
I'll always keep the hens and maybe give a few to friends who want them if I have anymore in the future.

Im aware that cockerels are much harder to to get rid of, well at least here anyway. I just can't bring myself to, you know.

 

[FARKESU]

Wao! A real stupid question. I ask one local farmer this type of question and what he told me was that the egg of a male chicken is bigger than that of a female chicken. Am not sure.

 

[Joshua Grundy]

Wao! A real stupid question. I ask one local farmer this type of question and what he told me was that the egg of a male chicken is bigger than that of a female chicken. Am not sure.

Perhaps because all my chicks that were hatched the females are slightly smaller than the males so I guess it could be logical for the egg to differ in size too. But again, this would depend on the breed and what size eggs they lay anyway.

 

[chickens really]

Momma Hen cant count...If your keeping one she will continue to care for that Chick...You can sell the others if you want....
Best of luck....