New to chickens

Discussion in 'Beginners Forum' started by RitaS, Jul 21, 2020.

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  1. Aug 5, 2020 #201
    Sylie

    Sylie Super Moderator Staff Member

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    Sounds great! It will be slow no doubt. There probably won't be much actual fighting among the chicks, they will chest bump (males and females both) and do some posturing, hopping around each other but the chances of actual fights are slim, they are just finding out who is going to be the first boss.
     
    Sylie, Aug 5, 2020
    Sylie, Aug 5, 2020
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  3. Aug 7, 2020 #202
    RitaS

    RitaS Active Member

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    I have 3 bright red combs but hoping still for no roosters lol. I know.... not gonna happen.
    Momma took the most ever of the flies from me holding then thru the wire holes. The chicks were allowed to also but maintained their distance as well. I think it’s getting better & I know still a long, slow road ahead.
     
    RitaS, Aug 7, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 7, 2020

  5. Aug 7, 2020 #203
    robin416

    robin416 Administrator Staff Member

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    Think back to what it was like when she first brought the chicks to you. You've got a night and day difference from those first few days. And it will only continue to get better as she releases the chicks from her care and guardianship.
     
    robin416, Aug 7, 2020
    robin416, Aug 7, 2020
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  6. Aug 7, 2020 #204
    RitaS

    RitaS Active Member

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    I’m not really looking forward to her letting them go but maybe that will make it easier for me to let them all move to their new home.
    I am already wondering about their safety when they move. A coon got 2 of my friends chickens. I know it’s how things go sometimes. I’m going to tell her not to tell me if anything happens to them
     
    RitaS, Aug 7, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 7, 2020
  7. Aug 7, 2020 #205
    robin416

    robin416 Administrator Staff Member

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    She won't abandon them. They will be part of her flock.

    Does the person getting them understand she's a game bird and may not assimilate into another flock? Same goes for the chicks.
     
    robin416, Aug 7, 2020
    robin416, Aug 7, 2020
  8. Aug 8, 2020 #206
    RitaS

    RitaS Active Member

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    I haven’t discussed it with her because I did not know that. How would she have to take care of them ? Separate them from her chickens ? Would the chickens fight or what ?
    I need to know all I can about this because I won’t send my chickens any place that could be harmful to them.
    Thank you so much for sharing that info with me. I may just be wintering a coop lol
     
    RitaS, Aug 8, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 8, 2020
  9. Aug 8, 2020 #207
    robin416

    robin416 Administrator Staff Member

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    Yeah, there can be a lot of fighting. I actually hatched a game bird hen from an abandoned nest because my Silkie was broody. As she matured she became more and more forceful with my birds looking to be top bird. The hens aren't as bad as the roosters.

    The roosters can be very domineering and fighting happens a lot.
     
    robin416, Aug 8, 2020
    robin416, Aug 8, 2020
  10. Aug 8, 2020 #208
    RitaS

    RitaS Active Member

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    Oh no..... I think 3 of these are roosters... really red combed. I hope they prove me wrong but if not idk what to do with them. I sure don’t want them to go with my friend just to be fighting all the time or killed from fighting.
    My chickens are ok being in the run/coop all the time, right?? No free ranging.
    If they are , & I kept them, I would need another coop So could the roosters live in 1 & the hens in the other ?
     
    RitaS, Aug 8, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 8, 2020
  11. Aug 8, 2020 #209
    robin416

    robin416 Administrator Staff Member

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    Maybe. It all depends on how much of the game bird genes the boys inherited. My neighbor had game birds, something got into the pens and killed all but three. She turned the remaining birds out, two were roosters who got along OK except when they didn't.

    But they were living out in the wild where they could escape each other when they needed to.
     
    robin416, Aug 8, 2020
    robin416, Aug 8, 2020
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  12. Aug 8, 2020 #210
    Sylie

    Sylie Super Moderator Staff Member

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    generally speaking, you don't want to house roosters together but Robin is right, it really depends on their personality, how they get along with each other etc. Once those hormones kick in there could be problems.
     
    Sylie, Aug 8, 2020
    Sylie, Aug 8, 2020
  13. Aug 8, 2020 #211
    RitaS

    RitaS Active Member

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    Oh my, what do you do with 3 roosters ?
    My hen could not take 3 roosters I wouldn’t think.
    I don’t know what to do... the time will eventually come I know. Isn’t it around 12 weeks ? I think they were brought to me about 4 weeks ago but don’t know when they hatched.
     
    RitaS, Aug 8, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 8, 2020
  14. Aug 8, 2020 #212
    robin416

    robin416 Administrator Staff Member

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    One of those boys will be top bird, he will be the only one allowed to breed. At least that's how it usually works.
     
    robin416, Aug 8, 2020
    robin416, Aug 8, 2020
  15. Aug 8, 2020 #213
    RitaS

    RitaS Active Member

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    Well thank you.... that’s a relief to know ! Lol. mom learning a lot & couldn’t be more grateful ❤️
     
    RitaS, Aug 8, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 8, 2020
  16. Aug 9, 2020 #214
    Poultry Judge

    Poultry Judge Moderator Staff Member

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    Please keep us posted with pictures as they get older. There are as many game cross strains as there are breeds of chickens.
     
    Poultry Judge, Aug 9, 2020
    Poultry Judge, Aug 9, 2020
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  17. Aug 9, 2020 #215
    RitaS

    RitaS Active Member

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    I will post pics tomorrow. I think they have grown so much. Thank you
     
    RitaS, Aug 9, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 9, 2020
  18. Aug 10, 2020 #216
    RitaS

    RitaS Active Member

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    This probably sounds like a stupid question but .... how do I clean their ladder ?
    Momma is screeching at chicks a lot this morning... she must not like what they are/aren’t doing lol
     
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 10, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 10, 2020
  19. Aug 10, 2020 #217
    RitaS

    RitaS Active Member

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    5700F7FD-A854-4D24-9F49-FA5AC2E5AD18.jpeg B404C65D-5992-46DE-84E1-52D99118D2C1.jpeg 12566CAC-CF01-4C7A-8D1A-6B726C2D42E1.jpeg 2580E375-FC49-4587-9454-E83F666CC92B.jpeg 1C0D9242-D55B-4E6E-9A1A-0DC54A12580D.jpeg 34AECD4B-261B-4A5E-9418-E292D683451D.jpeg 66F40C6F-3926-4620-8214-A1FFD17020D1.jpeg 76C6C379-5279-4349-B075-B8E4A906DDC8.jpeg Chicks ate from my hand this morning.
    Look how big they’re getting!
     
    RitaS, Aug 10, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 10, 2020
  20. Aug 10, 2020 #218
    robin416

    robin416 Administrator Staff Member

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    If it isn't permanently attached take out and hose it down. If it is, paint scraper.

    It's a good idea to check when one is raising the roof like that. There could be something out there that's a threat and she knows it. When they've been around long enough you'll recognize what the different sounds mean.

    That's a cute little boy in that pic.
     
    robin416, Aug 10, 2020
    robin416, Aug 10, 2020
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  21. Aug 10, 2020 #219
    RitaS

    RitaS Active Member

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    Ty he is a cutie but then they all are lol. Such interesting markings. Wish I knew what the rooster looked like.
    She seemed to be really directing her squak toward the chicks. She was beside them with her head down beside them. I had just been out to collect contains for fresh food/water & I heard her before I went back out.
     
    RitaS, Aug 10, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 10, 2020
  22. Aug 10, 2020 #220
    RitaS

    RitaS Active Member

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    SNAKE. Don’t know what to do. No hoe to kill it & not sure I could do it ! Now so worried about chicks
     
    RitaS, Aug 10, 2020
    RitaS, Aug 10, 2020
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