Wait, WHAT?!
Who taught them to do that?!
Soon as this one got up there, the other five craned their necks in amazement and ALL tried the same thing! Nnnnnoooooo!!!!
I admit, it was kinda funny seeing half a dozen baby chickens flying into the sides of their brooder.
Good thing I had a spare bit of chicken wire... guess they're getting bigger. That was NOT expected lol!
Steepshot
Yup, that's about right. Good thing you covered the top. Chicks are VERY messy....
It's only 5 weeks, usually, from hatch to going outside for our birds....
I'm considering making them their own space in our existing space outside. Just section off part of the run and install a small temporary coop for them... Not for immediate use, of course, but for about a month from now. Would put them just over five weeks old.
That sounds like a good plan!
I'm thinking the coop itself will be made from the current Rubbermaid tote that they live in. I'll just add a 1x2 for a place for them to roost.
I bought materials today, so I'll be ready soon to start the project. I think it'll be good for letting the birds all get to know each other. I'll probably start them outside here in a month or so if they have enough adult feathers. I was told that's a way to gauge if they're mature enough. Our temperatures for a while will be highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s.
Later, I'll reuse the material to expand the run a bit. Little extra space never hurt.
They should be far enough along feather-wise for those temps. Sounds like a good plan.
I'd sand/round the edges of the 1" x 2" roost bar, to prevent slivers and foot infections.
haha! at least those things are entertaining you as they grow up, they all look healthy?
They're looking great! Fluffy and cirpy and clean butts. And they nap about as much as I wish I could.
hahaha! sir nateonsteemit! that's funny but we both know there ain't much nap time in the immediate future for you anyway! lol.
They get big fast.
They do! I am talking now with a guy at work about sectioning off a part of the run and making a temporary coop outside as they get bigger.
And now you know why the chicken crossed the road! Hard to think that those teeny little babies with teeny little wings can actually get up so high. What chickens are they @nateonsteemit?
Two dominickers and four gold sex links. The big ones outside are unknown bantams. I'd like to add a couple Rhode Island Reds, but I don't think the wife is down for any more right now.
Bantams are fabulous. I found that they lay consistently. And considering their size versus a regular hen bantams lay a "larger" egg. The others I've never heard of except the good old Rhode Island. We always have a smattering of them
They're laying breeds. Dominickers (also spalled Dominique) were the first breed of chicken in America and look kinda like a barred rock.
GSLs are a hybrid bird made by crossing a Rhode island red and a Rhode island white (or something like that). They're really sweet from my research and so far experience as well.
Both breeds are brown eggers, which we didn't know til after we got em. Funny it worked out that way.
The bantams are the first chickens we bought. They came with the coop/run we got from some the next town over. The two(?) hens should be laying soon I think.
Oh!! We use also have those! Dominickers. Now I know the English word, thanks @nateonsteemit. The Afrikaans is Koekoek.
How's that pronounced? You just named the other one :)
You'd pronounce it kind of like cook! Cook cook! Which is probably very simply an imitation of the sound a chicken makes. Some of the Afrikaans words are very descriptive. This one, not so much!
Awesome! Looking at the breeding they are similar to the dominickers, but a younger breed. Very similar appearance :)
http://www.pronouncekiwi.com/Koekkoek
I assume the Dutch pronunciations are the most accurate due to heavy Dutch influence in SA.
Ain't the internet grand? :)