Lots of questions

[whistlin dixie]

Ok, I went to the feed store bought 2 of each chick they had and now I have a million questions. I got 2 americanas or the other color egg layers, 2 New Hapshire reds and 2 White rocks. My questions are as follows...

1)will they all live happily together?

2)are white rocks egg or meat birds?

3)I am feeding them chick starter, can my eggs still be organic? If not what should I have fed them as babies?

4)they are 2 weeks old, when can I start feeding them kitchen scaps?

5)my 2 year old dropped a shinny candy wrapper in their box and they went crazy over it chasing each other for it. Was that play or did it upset them, should I let them keep it?

Ok, thats all I can think of for now. I have never been around chickens before so Im lost. Thanks to anyone who takes the time to help a newby!

 

[Rooster01]

Quote:

 

[4H kids and mom]

1)will they all live happily together?
If they grow up together, they should be fine. As stated above, any chicks, even if all the same breed, will establish their own pecking order eventually.

2)are white rocks egg or meat birds?
White Rocks and Cornish Rocks are meat birds and need to be fed a grower feed for meat birds. While the hens will lay eggs eventually, as any hen will, they are not known for their laying ability.

3)I am feeding them chick starter, can my eggs still be organic? If not what should I have fed them as babies?
I am also having my flock certified as Organic. I have found that this needs be done around the time they begin laying, or for meat birds around the time of slaughter. They will need to be converted to an Organic feed AND allowed a large free range area to be classified as Organic. You can even call your local Dept of Agriculture and they will send someone out from the FDA (for a small fee) to actually give you a certificate, certifying them as Organic.

4)they are 2 weeks old, when can I start feeding them kitchen scaps?
Kitchen scraps are treats. Treats make US feel better, not them. Use treats in moderation, not the norm. At 2 weeks they dont NEED treats, but if you must indulge (which we ALL do!) keep them healthy. Stay away from salts, and other things that arent good for them. Hard boiled egg is a great healthy treat for them!

5)my 2 year old dropped a shinny candy wrapper in their box and they went crazy over it chasing each other for it. Was that play or did it upset them, should I let them keep it?
They were playing "keep away" with it. The first time one of them gets a bug, they will act the same way. Running around chirping loudly as if saying "Haha! Look what I have! Chase me!" and others WILL chase them and try to grab the new thing! Its fun to watch and great excercise for them, but dont let them keep something that isnt food, should someone actually EAT it.​

 

[whistlin dixie]

thank you thank you! Sometimes the answers just arent in the books, trust me I have every chicken book there is and I still have questions. I dont know that I have it in me to kill the white rocks, plus they have names and they seem to be the most friendly so far. Can I just keep them forever as pets or will they get crippled from growning to fast or big or whatever that is that happens to meatbirds sometimes? I am not anti chicken (meat) I just love animals and dont know if I have it in me yet to do it or have it done, but the thought of home grown meat sounds appealing to me.

 

[CranberryBirds]

Hi, and welcome to the chicken addiction!

Since you only have 6 chickens, I'm guessing that your question about organic eggs is more for your own peace of mind rather than certification, right? If so, in my humble opinion, free range is just as important (if not more so) as organic. That is, if your birds get outside and get to eat bugs and flowers and whatever, it makes for a much healtier egg. My birds chose to stay in their coop for over two solid months this winter while the ground was snow-covered. I noticed a visible decline in egg quality (paler yolks, etc). Now that it is spring and they are out running around, they eat less than half as much food as they did during confinement and the egg quality has improved dramatically. The yolks and whites are thicker, the yolks are bright orange, etc.

 

[whistlin dixie]

Next Question

6)I have a large chain link fenced in back yard with neighbors on both sides, my coop has a little fenced in chicken yard where they will be able to free range a little. I want happy free chickens so my question is can I let them roam around the back yard a little during the day and if so, how do I get a bunch of chickens to go back in their house when I want or need them to?

 

[Rooster01]

Quote:
You could try training them with scratch or other treats to come when called. When they get bigger, throw some treats on the ground and call something like "Here chick, chick chick". They might learn to come when called. Or, when you have to put them up, just throw the treats in the coop. They would go into to coop to eat them, then you could lock them up. Hold them alot now so when the are bigger, they won't try to run from you. It makes putting the in the coop much easier.

Also, how high is the fence? Chickens can fly several feet depending on the type and breed.