Summer Chicks ~ 9 Week Update

 

The chicks are now 9 weeks old and have been experiencing a lot of changes over the two weeks.

(Faith, the broken-toed Easter Egger chick is doing great. You’d never know she has two misshapen toes)

First we moved them from their garage brooders into the temporary mini-coop inside the outdoor chicken coop. They spent a week inside the mini-coop, getting used to living outdoors, with a dogloo as their shelter.

(Matilda, our Buff Orpington hen, bought as a chick last summer)

They shared a fenceline with the 12 big hens and they all spent the week getting used to one another. I find that this is the best way to integrate new chickens into an existing flock.

(Golden-laced Wyandotte chick)

I don’t know what I was expecting when the day arrived that I decided to release the chicks into the main coop. Probably a little more excitement than actually happened. But I’m grateful that no one got hurt and that everyone seemed to get along.

(Jen introduced a Speckled Sussex chick to our Speckled Sussex hen, named Spotty Dottie. Dottie was very curious, clucking and cooing while she checked the chick out.)

    

“Yes, you’re spotty, just like me”

For the first day or two, both groups pretty much stayed with their own: the big hens stuck together and the chicks stuck together. Whenever a chick and big hen happened to get close, depending upon who the big hen was, there was sometimes a little pecking and mock charging, just to teach the chick to respect it’s elders.

It’s been a week that the chicks have shared the main coop and they are pretty well integrated and can be seen side by side with the big hens.

(Ameracauna hen, named Fertile Myrtle and a Blue Wyandotte chick)

Some of the big hens like their personal space more than others, though, and they will remind a chick to move on.

(Golden-laced Polish hen we named Pat Benatar. She was born here last summer. She is the daughter of our bad boy rooster Sid Vicious)

For those of you who remember Sid, do you see the resemblance to that handsome devil?

Flock Dynamics are interesting, though.

(Our 4 year old hen, Barred Rock Betty)

Mrs. Cotton, our 3 yr old Japanese Silkie hen, and Phyllis Diller, our 3 yr old Golden-laced Polish hen are two that seem to chase and peck a chick just because they can.

I’m guessing this is because they tend to be the ones that are lower in flock status and are pushed around by the other big hens. So, they are exercising their newfound ability to push someone else around.

So far, so good, though. There is plenty of room in the main coop for everyone to have some personal space, to peck and scratch and just be a chicken.

But I do have some concerns about all these changes and transitions still to come.

The dogloo has a nightlight inside of it and the chicks naturally navigate their way inside every night for bedtime, while the big hens head upstairs each night, into their big hen house, which also has a light inside. I’ve noticed the chicks investigating the big hen house during the day, but they seem to know to sleep in the dogloo at night. Pretty soon, though, they will outgrow the dogloo, it’s already becoming a tight fit, and the chicks will need to move into the big hen house at night.

(Liza Minelli, our Black Star hen that we bought last year)

I do worry about that transition, because, even though the hen house door is always open, there are corners inside where a chick could get caught by a grouchy big hen and get beat up. And as the chicks grow, it will become more crowded inside, which leads to more arguments as chickens demand more personal space. Even though it will be difficult to do, I know it will be necessary to sell at least 10 of the chicks when they reach laying age, because our coop is just not big enough.

(Poor old Suzie, our 4 yr old Silver-laced Wyandotte, agrees. These chicks and all their high energy, just wear her out. )

A lot to think about.

But for now, we’re just enjoying the chicks, who are some of the tamest chicks we have ever raised.

Of course, we hand-raised them, just like we did our first batch of chicks, who are now 4 years old and very friendly, too.

We’ve had different groups of friends stop by to meet the chicks and they always comment on how friendly, calm, and sweet they all are. They are always surprised that the chicks don’t run away when someone reaches down to pet them or pick them up. In fact, they seem more like dogs, and are practically jumping up and down to be picked up and given attention.

Or standing on your shoe.

Woe to the person who sits down inside the chicken coop and doesn’t like chickens on their lap, shoulders or head.

(This is my special girl, Ruby an “Easter Egger” chick. As soon as she sees me she races to me, then follows me everywhere until I sit down, and then she hops right into my lap)

Truly, the minute you sit down, a flock of chicks come swarming all around you. It can be a little intimidating if you’re not used to it.

(This is ShyAnne, Jen’s very special “Easter Egger” chick)

But the chicks mean no harm. They just want to have their necks, backs and heads stroked, and they will nuzzle and cuddle you right back.

   

   

Who knew that petting chickens could be so relaxing……

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