Solitary chicken - need advice

[Phosphorus]

Well the Cream Legbar chicks that my breeder has have now all gone. Fine that got that idea out of my head. Now she has given me a new dilemma: she has partridge araucana chicks that hatched just over a week ago

 

So thoughts please. She has suggested I take 4 (they obviously can't be sexed now) and see what I get, she will rehome any boys for me. What are the ratios for araucanas - can I find this out anywhere - anyway of getting hints as to boys or girls i.e feather shape or will they be way too young at 2 or 3 weeks?

 

So if I do do this - are chicks a nightmare? Breeder has said easy - just put them in a box in the shed (we don't have a shed!) and put a heat lamp which she can hire to me. Obviously special chick food and feeder /drinker required. If I put them in a box inside the house will that get a problem at say 6 weeks - appreciate they cannot go out until about 8 weeks or so. Would have to put them in an unused ensuite bathroom to keep them from the cat

 

Thinking then perhaps an eglu - but suppose I get 4 girls and end up with 4 chooks - I have 7 in the Cube at present!!!!! Our fixed run is 13ft by 10 ft - DH is talking about extending. Seems a shame to change it but we could - when they are old enough is another 2 or 4 going to be too much of an addition

 

Please tell me this is totally mad - only had my current girls 4 weeks. Thinking maybe I should wait until next year as then eggs from the new chicks (when they finally happen 26 plus weeks or so...) would counteract decreasing eggs from existing flock...... But then I am 40 this year.......

 

Thoughts please - should I do it?

[superjules]

Oooh, Andrea, what a slippery slope chicken-keeping is!! Of course you want us all to tell you it's madness, but we all know how easy it is to get hooked. In the space of a month I went from 2 chooks to 8. It was OH's fault for building me a walk-in run.

 

If you want to do it and can find a way, then go for it! As nike say, "Just do it!" Make sure we get photos though!

[Egluntyne]

Is your shed rat proof?

 

I think I'd keep them in the house.

 

Sounds an exciting prospect, especially as you have already sorted out new homes for the boys.

[Phosphorus]

Is your shed rat proof?

 

I think I'd keep them in the house.

 

Sounds an exciting prospect, especially as you have already sorted out new homes for the boys.

 

No shed at the moment so they would have to start off in the house anyway

[Phosphorus]

Oooh, Andrea, what a slippery slope chicken-keeping is!! Of course you want us all to tell you it's madness, but we all know how easy it is to get hooked. In the space of a month I went from 2 chooks to 8. It was OH's fault for building me a walk-in run.

 

 

Now that makes me feel better if someone else went up so quickly in a month

[Nuggywoo]

I hatched 3 out of 6 eggs in an incubator and the babies lived in a 6ft x 3ft box in my living room for 7 weeks . I had a heat lamp, drinker, cat food dish, shavings, woolly hat and hours of fun!

My cats were ok with them as I had a weld mesh 'roof' over the top of the box and they understand the words "Don't even think about it!"

 

It was really one of the best experiences I had. The chicks were so used to everyday noises and me singing to them every night. Their little noises are so adorable. When I cleaned them out I just sectioned off one end at a time and cleaned that bit out.

The day they escaped was great as once they were out they didn't know what to do with themselves

 

Go for it - you know it makes sense

[Phosphorus]

Now that is what I needed to hear - didn't think I would be able to keep them in a box for so long. Think I might have to PM the breeder

[Janty]

I picked my first seven girls up last October. By the end of December we had 15. Now we have seventeen, two cubes and an eglu. If you can manage the chicks with work, etc. then go for it.

 

I would like to hatch some out myself in three or four years. Can't manage it at the moment as we don't have room for any more.

Good luck.

[The Dogmother]

It's good that you're thinking about this, weighing up the different options and considering seperate housing. If you have the facilites, then go ahead with it.

[Egluntyne]

I'm ever so tempted, but it is the boy thing that puts me off.

 

Until I could find a home for them in advance It just wouldn't be an option.

[Phosphorus]

I'm ever so tempted, but it is the boy thing that puts me off.

 

Until I could find a home for them in advance It just wouldn't be an option.

 

I need to check with breeder again that she will take the boys straight back if and when we realise they are boys I have visions of having to hang onto them until she finds someone to have them Not so sure I would like that - anyway it might be that she will just take them straight back (they wouldn't have been in with any other chooks at that point anyway).

 

Waiting for an email from her to see when I can have a little visit guaranteed to be all down hill from there

[ubereglu]

If I were you I'd be inclined not to go for young chicks seeing that you don't have any separate housing for them to go in at the minute. I don't mean this in a mean way at all but chicks cannot be properly integrated with larger hens until they are about 12 weeks old, and at that age I don't think they'd manage the ladder of the cube.

[Phosphorus]

If I were you I'd be inclined not to go for young chicks seeing that you don't have any separate housing for them to go in at the minute. I don't mean this in a mean way at all but chicks cannot be properly integrated with larger hens until they are about 12 weeks old, and at that age I don't think they'd manage the ladder of the cube.

 

No you misunderstand - I will have the housing. Will buy a separate eglu for them but they won't go into that until 8 weeks plus - too young at the moment. They will be inside with a heat lamp until then I don't intend to put them in with the big girls until way older - won't consider it until 16 weeks plus - 12 weeks is still too young to go with the girls in my opinion.