Penny
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How young can you get chickens?Having just met Mrs Fiddlestick's lovely chooks, it's made me even more excited about getting my own.
The ones we should be getting have been born and are now about 4 weeks old or so. I know they won't start laying until they're about 18 - 19 weeks old, but at what age can they "fly the nest" as it were, and move to their new home with us, without having to have incubators or heat and such like, in other words, live in a standard chicken run??
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judith
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You want them fully feathered. Perhaps leave until 5/6 weeks old at this time of year - they should look like small versions of the adult birds, not fluffy at all. You also might want to negotiate a discount if you are collecting them at that age, rather than POL!
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Penny
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| judith wrote: | | You want them fully feathered. Perhaps leave until 5/6 weeks old at this time of year - they should look like small versions of the adult birds, not fluffy at all. You also might want to negotiate a discount if you are collecting them at that age, rather than POL! |
 I was sooooo hoping someone was going to say that.
Now..... can I get OH to make a chicken hut in a week or two, or have I the courage to have a go myself 
(they're from another downsizer, so goods rather than money if anything will probably change hands )
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judith
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Bartering is good 
Have you got an old rabbit hutch lying around? That would do for a few weeks while you get sorted.
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Penny
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| judith wrote: | Bartering is good
Have you got an old rabbit hutch lying around? That would do for a few weeks while you get sorted. |
Sadly no, but I'm sure something could be found/made. It would be nice, I think to watch them grow, and for them to get used to us before they start producing. Will it cause them any problems at all do you think? They won't get spooked if they're moved too small or anything??
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judith
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Are they from an incubator or have they hatched naturally?
If they are with Mum, then I would probably leave them until she gets fed up with them. But if they have been raised in a brooder, they tend to be pretty shockproof. I have four little menaces tearing around the chicken area at the moment. They are about 7 weeks old, and have been moved from one box to another under the light as they got bigger, then gradually outside. The changes don't seem to faze them at all - they huddle together for all of 5 minutes and then start exploring.
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Penny
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| judith wrote: | Are they from an incubator or have they hatched naturally?
If they are with Mum, then I would probably leave them until she gets fed up with them. |
Not sure I'll check that out....
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sunnyside
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other little issue is what breed are they? some breeds are far easier to sex very young then others. more tricky breeds can cause upset if one you have got attached to turns out to be male.....
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Cathryn
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Course - you could borrow a heat lamp and have them from day olds  I have one if we could work out how to get it to you!
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pricey
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Goods what goods? sounds very interesting
They were hatched in a brooder, they are 2 1/2 weeks old. Me and my brother were trying to see what they are tonight. We think we can tell some of the breads, but not quite sure of the sex yet?
We have been putting them outside as much as possible, and they seem to be very strong and healthy for their age. Some of them got in with there mum's today and the girls didn't bat a eye lid at them.
I think they will be ready for outside living and going away in three weeks. here is a photo of them.
Does Steve know they are coming sooner rather than later
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Penny
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Ooooohhhh my babies
What type of birds could possibly have had a part in the manutacturing, so to speak, Pricey?
(Have sort of mentioned it to Steve  - he said yes, but not this week )
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saffranne
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beautiful little creatures,i can see three cockerels,looks like light sussex,the dark one looks like brahma cross ,but what ever they are,they look very cute and good luck
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bodger
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The two at the front left and right look like future eating material .
Thats a good photo for anyone wondering how soon you can sex young chickens.
As you can see, the combs are really pronounced on the two cockerels that I mentioned.
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