The chicks are really loud and rambunctious. The Barred Rock chicks are clearly top of the pecking order and bully the Sussex chicks. I was hoping to hold on to all 5 chicks until they were 6 weeks old but it is becoming clear I will need a new home for the spares with in the next week or so.
Between keeping the chicks brooder somewhat clean, mucking out the chicken run once a week and the cat box my life has become super focused on animal waste management. Two adult chickens pooping adult size chicken poops is just about as much poop as I want to deal with. I don’t know if I really want to deal with 5 adult chickens pooping adult size poop. Perhaps we should only keep 2 of the Sussex chicks. A trio of chicks will be easier to re-home than just two. Something to think about.
The chicks a little over 3 weeks old now. They look a lot like dinosaurs. Not at all cute and more than a little creepy.
Torta laid her first egg today. Way to go Torta!
Fajita again. 4 eggs total.
Torta what is the hold up?
Another egg. That makes 3 from Fajita.
Come on Torta you can do it!
EGG! Again we strongly suspect Fajita.
Come on Torta you can do it!
No egg.
EGG! We suspect it is from Fajita.
Photo of egg
Two more chicks found their way in to our brooder today. The new Barred Rock chicks are our insurance policy for getting a flock of five hens. We are concerned that one or more of the three original chicks could ‘fail to thrive’ or turn out to be a rooster. So the new chicks are here just in case.
Once we move the chicks out to the hen house we will re-home any extra chicks. Portland is so chicken crazy that we shouldn’t have any trouble finding homes for them.