We picked up the lavender Orpington pullets yesterday. THEY’RE ADORABLE! Of course, you knew they would be. I mean, they’re baby chickens after all. When we got home, we put their carrier into the pen that we’d prepared for them and they happily pecked around in the grass, had a big drink of water and ate an entire bowl of food. I THINK one might be a rooster. I’m not sure, but the comb is considerably bigger than the other’s. I’ll just have to wait to see how it grows and if it crows.
Speaking of crowing…there was a little bit of unhappiness and anxiety from the Beaked Wonders…especially, this guy.
All of the chickens were interested in the new arrivals. As I was setting up the food and water for the babies, the others were all pressed up against the fence watching us with one eye. There was a lot of pacing around and clucking and a little bit of rooster dancing. The girls in the run who are closer to laying seemed VERY interested in the new arrivals. They watched quietly as the baby girls, explored their new pen. Vinnie, on the other hand was OUT OF HIS MIND. He paced, complained, rooster danced and generally made an idiot out of himself. Cluck looked over at the other pen and just went on about his business. Vinnie kept strutting around and complaining until I threw some scratch and then he seemed to calm down a bit until he noticed that I was walking to the other pen with the scratch container and then the complaining started again. As I walked along the outside of the run, he followed along on the inside and the complaining and angst was RIDICULOUS. He plastered himself against the fence at the end of the run and watched while I went over to the other pen and threw a few handfuls of scratch. The complaining got LOUDER and I finally turned around and said sternly,
“VINNIE. STOP IT.”
He stopped griping and just stared at the two new babies who were some distance away in their pen happily ripping up the grass and sucking down scratch.
I have a feeling that when the new babies are big enough to join the others in the run, I’ll be moving Vinnie to his very own bachelor pad.
I’m sure he’ll have something to say about that too.
The Eggs & I 
Hey Chris!
Please…post a pic of the dog run you got as a grow out pen! Would love to see and it’ll help me figure out how to add 2 more chickens to my flock next spring! I have NO idea how one juggles 2 different age groups and feeds! Then again, mine are almost 10 weeks old now….maybe I should just do it now?? LOL…
I will! I’ll take some this afternoon. I had the older ones on layer feed, but honestly, I probably started them early. I just ran out of it yesterday so, I put everyone on grower feed for right now and I’ll give the older ones extra calcium in the form of oyster shell. I was told it’s easier to do it when they’re younger! Now might be a good time, but remember there’s that two to four week quarantine for the new ones, so you’ll need another pen either way. 🙂
I’m beginning to sound like you! Spoke to hubby and I’ll be picking up 2 more day olds (they’ll probably be closer to a week old) tomorrow. That way, their “quarantine” period will be brooder time. Thanks for the feed info! Really helps! Yup! I think now is a good time too! Ha! More baby chicks! (Big grins)