4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[laurmurf]

Hi all,

my new girls are about 13/14 weeks now - much younger than our older girls who were POL in August. They are still on growers pellets, separated in their own eglu and not free ranging yet. I just wondered what happens next? I've tried to read around this but haven't found much.

 

Should I wait until they are at POL, so another 4 or 5 weeks, before I start free ranging them? I know I'll have to wait until then to give them layers pellets. They're all big girls so it's not a size issue but whether they have the confidence to stand their own with the big girls.

 

The big girls are coming to associate the babies with treats! They get corn and worm treats along the perimeter of the eglu run. The big girls have even taught the babies how to eat from my hand! A handful of corn stuffed into the eglu run leaves some on either side. The babies watched the others eat from my hand so they gave it a go on their side too - it's just so sweet!

 

Should I just keep this up and by the time I do free range the young'uns the big girls (hopefully) won't bat an eye?

[laurmurf]

I take it all back - with diligent searching i found all the posts and FAQs i need to be able to answer this one (i didn't know to search by 'growers' and that indicates a thread with younger girls).

 

thanks anyway!

[redhotchick]

Lauramurf, your young pullets sound adorable. It makes me want to get some myself

Have you posted any pictures of them?

[HENthusiastic]

Oh yes, pictures please. Are they all doing okay?

[mostin]

Come on, pictures please, we let you off the first week as you were away but now no more excuses

[abwsco]

We let our four new ones meet the older ones out free ranging when they were 14 weeks old. We managed it in a few hour longish sessions and then increased it to afternoons and then all day within a short space of time.

 

Due to the food issue I also ended up putting them all on growers until the new ones were just about 18 weeks old. It also coincided with me running out of the growers pellets luckily.

 

It's only in the past couple of weeks that they've all been sleeping together though. I was mean and took away the rabbit hutch which was their temporary home.

[Snowy]

Yes we need pics please!

 

When I had growers, I let them free range but seperated from the big girls by a chicken wire fence. They decided to mingle themselves

[Plum]

Come on get it over with. We all want to see them.

[mostin]

Come on get it over with. We all want to see them.

 

Ooooo plum, only 3 days, I can't believe it at long last

[Plum]

This must be the longest week in history. and I'll have my pics up before Laurie. Come on Laurie

[mostin]

This must be the longest week in history. and I'll have my pics up before Laurie. Come on Laurie